Recruitment of Students

A list of students compiled by Reverend George Diffenderfer while out west recruiting new students. Includes names, sex, supposed dates attended school, and occasionally comments regarding the student. The notebook also names and ages of prospective students.

Richard Henry Pratt writes to the Office of Indian Affairs regarding bringing a party of students from the Blackfeet Agency. In addition, he discusses his plan to have agents organize parties of students, because their knowledge of the individuals involved can better protect the school if they act fairly. Pratt then provides his guidelines for…

Richard Henry Pratt notes that due to an increase in the total number of students authorized for enrollment at Carlisle, he requests the Office of Indian Affairs revise its request to the agents in Montana. Agents should be requested to furnish 40 or more students rather than the 25 they were originally asked to recruit.

Richard Henry Pratt proposes sending William P. Campbell to Montana in order to represent the interest of the Carlisle Indian School in selecting students. Pratt states that Campbell will be able to tell the facts about Carlisle better than others who have never been to Carlisle.

M. P. Wyman, U.S. Indian Agent for the Crow Agency, notes that the Office of Indian Affairs instruction to send 40 students to Carlisle is received. However, he notes that the chiefs are protesting and only a few are willing to go. Asks if he should use force to fill quota.

A note on the front indicates the Office has responded that no…

M. P. Wyman, U.S. Indian Agent for the Crow Agency, asks if he is authorized to provide students to William P. Campbell for the Carlisle Indian School from two contract and one agency school in ratio to attendance.

Archer O. Simons, U.S. Indian Agent for the Fort Belknap Agency, responds to the Office of Indian Service regarding sending students from the agency to the Carlisle Indian School. Simons notes that he never received the first letter asking him to send 25 students and indicates that a mistake has likely been made as it would be difficult to…

John B. Catten, U.S. Indian Agent for the Blackfeet Agency, informs the Office of Indian Affairs that after receiving Office instructions to gather a party of students he has done so under the charge of Henry A. Kennerly including 23 boys and 19 girls. Catten further notes that all of the students are in good physical condition and almost all…

Correspondence regarding difficulties of William P. Campbell in recruiting students for the Carlisle Indian School at the Fort Belknap Agency.

J. George Wright, U.S. Indian Agent for the Rosebud Agency, responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter regarding obtaining students for the Carlisle Indian School. Wright indicates that he has difficultly obtaining students with almost all students failing physicals due to influenza. He further states the past history of students having…

Alfred John Standing responds to an Office of Indian Affairs letter regarding a plan to increase enrollment at the Carlisle Indian School from 778 students at present to 1000 at the beginning of the next year, after 75 students return home. Standing provides information on which agencies can send students to Carlisle as well as how students…

Alfred John Standing writes the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in regards to Carlisle accepting a party of Nez Perce students. Standing writes that only the physically and mentally capable students be accepted and that they could arrive in the month of June.

William P. Campbell details to Alfred J. Standing his difficulties in recruiting students from the Fort Belknap Agency; the letter was then forwarded to the Office of Indian Affairs. Campbell describes the actions taken by the head of the mission school, Father F. Eberschweiler, against the Carlisle Indian School making it difficult to secure…

Richard Henry Pratt advises that the incoming parties from the Fort Hall and Nez Perce Agencies should not be combined due to the difficulties involved. He further asks why only ten students should come from the Nez Perce Agency when there are around 30 students willing to come to Carlisle. If a large party is authorized Pratt recommends…

Richard Henry Pratt returns letters from Fort Hall Agency Indian Agent S. G. Fisher and Fort Hall Boarding School Superintendent John Y. Williams to the Office of Indian Affairs. Pratt notes that he is carrying out the office's wishes in regards to the Fort Hall students.

Pratt further notes that he is delaying bringing in the Nez Perce…

Richard Henry Pratt requests the Office of Indian Affairs send Alfred John Standing to the Saint Ignatius School in order to obtain students for the Carlisle Indian School.

Richard Henry Pratt forwards a letter from Henry A. Kennerly regarding an order from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that discouraged the transfer of mixed blood students to Carlisle. Kennerly notes that unless this order is modified he could not come up with a party of students.

Pratt adds that while he agrees with the sentiment of…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs that he is leaving for the Pine Ridge Agency to recruit students for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt requests that the office inform the agent to forward students from schools and to give assistance.

Richard Henry Pratt follows up his telegraph earlier in the day to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs regarding his recruiting trip to the Pine Ridge Agency. Pratt notes that agencies have a tendency to hold back students due to opening up of camp schools. As a result, Pratt asks for a more emphatic request from the office to the agency in…

Richard Henry Pratt writes to the Office of Indian Affairs on a number of matters including the continued employment of Alfred John Standing, revisions to the Civil Service Code, and enrolling Dennison Wheelock at Dickinson College. In addition, Pratt forwards a letter of William P. Campbell regarding a recruitment trip among the Oneidas…

B. P. Shuler, U.S. Indian Agent for the White Earth Agency, provides a report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs including on pupils sent to Fort Totten and a delegation to be sent Carlisle. Shuler states that all of the students sent to Fort Totten had the permission of their parents and the only complaint was by a teacher at the Rice River…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs that none of the party of seven students from Red Lake have arrived, but the one from the White Earth Agency who was to accompany them has arrived at Carlisle. Pratt further states that this student, upon his medical examination, was found unfit. As a result, he recommends that the…

C. R. A. Scobey, U.S. Indian Agent for the Fort Peck Agency, writes to the Office of Indian Affairs letter objecting to a letter from Richard Henry Pratt to Smoker. Scobey claims that the agency has sent sixty students to Carlisle and that all of the students were selected with care by the agency physician and superintendent and that is not the…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs of his upcoming travel to Colorado to give a paper before the National Conference of Charities and Correction. Because his contribution is gratuitous, and he requires his expenses to be covered in some other way, he proposes recruiting students in the Southern Ute agency on the same trip…

Richard Henry Pratt responds to an Office of Indian Affairs regarding a note from Supervisor Richardson of the Pawnee Agency. Pratt informs the Office that Richardson has written him that the three Pawnee girls who wanted to go to Carlisle changed their minds and were then taken to Haskell.