Education

An excerpt from the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior for the fiscal year ending 1904, containing the Twenty-Fifth Annual Report of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The report, submitted by Superintendent William A. Mercer, includes a school population table and discussions of the Outing…

An excerpt from the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior for the fiscal year ending 1906, containing the Twenty-Seventh Annual Report of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The report, submitted by Superintendent William A. Mercer, includes discussions of health, building projects, agriculture…

An excerpt from the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior for the fiscal year ending 1908, containing the Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The report includes brief discussions of enrollment statistics, academic and industrial training, the Outing program, and…

Two duplicate copies of the monthly school report for January 1880, submitted by the Carlisle Indian Training School to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The report includes a list of employees, a count of students by Nation/Tribe, descriptions of the educational program, and Superintendent Richard Henry Pratt's remarks about developments and…

Richard Henry Pratt reports on the buildings, grounds, industrial curriculum, and overall aims of the Carlisle Indian Training School. The report includes descriptions of building sizes and purposes, industrial capabilities, and the efforts then underway to establish Congressional approval for the school's continuation. Also included are…

A. J. Koser informs Representative J. C. Beltzhoover that he visited the Carlisle Indian School and liked it so much that he'd like to establish an Indian school for 140 students in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at a former Soldiers Homestead. Beltzhoover forwards Roses' letter to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Note: This item was copied…

Richard Henry Pratt requests to hire Dr. C. H. Hepburn as the Carlisle Indian School physician at $900 per year. Hepburn will exclusively treat students and employees, live on campus, and deliver weekly health lectures to the students.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from…

Richard Henry Pratt states that last year both the Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner of Indian Affairs agreed that he should rent a farm adjoining the Carlisle Indian School to teach male students how to farm "general crops" and female students how to care for dairy cows. Unfortunately, he was only able to rent two parcels of land…

Richard Henry Pratt requests the authority to hire an office clerk at forty dollars a month. This is in addition to a request to hire a teacher at forty-five dollars a month due to the arrival of sixteen Cheyenne and Arapaho students who attend school at night after their days are spent working in their trades.

C. M. Semple, the Principal of the Education Department at the Carlisle Indian School provides a report on the teaching methods, educational foundations, and principles guiding the teachers at Carlisle.

Richard Henry Pratt submits this Monthly School Report for November 1882, which includes a list of text books used for the academic education, industrial trades taught, information on the recruitment of students from Pine Ridge and Rosebud Agencies, and enrollment by Nation.

Tall Chief writes to the U.S. Indian Agent James I. David of the Osage Agency requesting his assistance in returning his daughter Myrtie Tallchief from the Carlisle Indian School. David forwarded the letter to the Office of Indian Affairs seeking their advice.

Also included is a school record of Myrtie Tallchief documenting her progress…

Map of Asia drawn by George W. Fire Thunder.

Richard Henry Pratt provides his views on having graduates from the Carlisle Indian School and other industrial training schools fill agency instructor positions. Pratt notes that he does not believe this a good system due to the lack of training among Indian apprentices in their trades which would not allow them to be competent teachers. In…

Richard Henry Pratt responds to a letter from Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Secretary of the Interior, with information about two Nez Perce students, Luke Phillips and Samuel Johns, who became ill during their second term of enrollment. Pratt notes that he believes in many cases it is better to retain students at Carlisle then send them home where he…

Richard Henry Pratt requests from the Office of Indian Affairs that all circulars referencing teaching English in Indian Schools be sent to him due to articles in the Christian Union and the The Advance.

Pratt also writes that the bids on the building surprised him and that Office should be pleased.

Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to have Henry Kendall enroll at Rutgers College. Pratt also requests that $167 per year be allocated to pay Rutgers for Kendall's education from the general appropriation or through Pratt's fund.

Richard Henry Pratt writes to the Office of Indian Affairs that he agrees with the Office's order regarding English in the schools. He notes his disagreement with the missionaries who oppose it. He ends by noting that teaching English will lead to greater Emancipation and eliminate interpreters at the Agency which would be highly beneficial.…

Richard Henry Pratt notes that the Carlisle Indian School has been operating for eight years and has produced a number of students capable of becoming teachers. He proposes establishing a normal school course at Carlisle to better prepare future teachers rather than have returned students learn on the job.

Pratt also requests that if the…

Richard Henry Pratt forwards a letter from Edwin Morrison, Principal of the Friends Pacific Academy in Newberg, Oregon, in regards to enrolling Indian students at his school.

Wrap documenting Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to purchase Yaggys Geographical Study for the Carlisle Indian School as well as his calling attention to remarks for the Assistant Secretary.

Also included is the Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for 1887-1888 for the State of Nevada.

Richard Henry Pratt follows up with Thomas J. Morgan after Morgan's visit to the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt encourages Morgan to send out his views in a circular to Agents and Superintendents.

Richard Henry Pratt forwards a report from Alfred John Standing regarding his trip to Michigan and Minnesota to recruit students for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt details the obstacles Standing experienced including maintaining a relatively equal gender ratio and the decentralized nature of the various communities and poor prior experiences…

Richard Henry Pratt inquires about using appropriation to support former students currently enrolled at various colleges who are currently being supported by the Charity Fund at the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt notes that he has many calls on his Charity Fund and is about $5,000 in debt on account of the Gymnasium and large boys quarters…

Richard Henry Pratt appeals the decision of the Secretary of the Interior to not cover the expense of a lecturer on Natural History. Pratt notes that the lecturer had the most extensive collection he had seen and the man was quite capable and only charged the school his expenses.