Enrollment Preferences

An excerpt from the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior for the fiscal year ending 1887, containing the Eighth Annual Report of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. The report, submitted by Superintendent Richard Henry Pratt, includes a school population table as well as discussions of industry…

Richard Henry Pratt forwards to Commissioner of Indian Affairs Ezra Hayt a copy of the first issue of Eadle Keatah Toh, the first newspaper published at the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt notes that more donations will soon fund the purchase of a better printing press, and discusses other topics including new student uniforms and the…

Richard Henry Pratt writes to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs regarding a desire by the Secretary of the Interior to increase enrollment at Carlisle. Pratt suggests that a number of new rules be adopted regarding students' ages, gender ratio, and health. Pratt also suggests that the children of chiefs and headmen be preferred, to ensure good…

Richard Henry Pratt suggests to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that Alfred J. Standing's experience and reputation at the Kiowa and Comanche Agency will help him select suitable students there. Pratt also suggests that this recruitment should be done according to his recent suggestions regarding enrollment.

J. S. Bender informs Richard Henry Pratt that he believes six to eight students should be returned to their homes because they have "incurable" conditions and will likely "die young." Pratt encloses and endorses Bender's requests to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. In his cover letter, Pratt remarks that he wishes nations would not send…

Richard Henry Pratt informs Commissioner of Indian Affairs R. E. Trowbridge that the Cheyenne & Arapaho Agent John D. Miles would like to send 25 students from his agency to the Carlisle Indian School. Miles added that he'd like several chiefs, including Northern Cheyenne Chief Little Chief, to accompany the party of students and that the…

Richard Henry Pratt states that the Carlisle Indian School currently has 196 students with 20 Navajos and 10 Pueblos on the way, increasing enrollment to 226. He believes that they have room for 300 total students and requests that Major Berry and Colonel Page try to convince the Utes to send 50 students if the Ute Commission continues to stall…

Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to travel to the Sisseton, Green Bay, and La Pointe agencies in order to recruit 25 new students. As he would like more than half to be girls, he also requests to bring a female assistant on the trip.

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

Richard Henry Pratt objects to the gender imbalance among two incoming student groups from L. J. Miles and from the Northern Arapaho. He notes that the work details of the school are divided among the sexes and depends on an equal number of girls and boys to be fair. The current makeup of the incoming students would further imbalance the…

Richard Henry Pratt requests from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that both L. J. Miles and E. Ballon should bring as many girls as boys to Carlisle otherwise they should not come. He notes that there are at present proportionately too many male students at Carlisle.

Richard Henry Pratt forwards the report of school physican C. H. Hepburn on the health of the newly arrived students from the Osage Nation. Pratt notes that the students are quite satisfactory with the exception that are too few girls.

Richard Henry Pratt indicates that the delegation of students recruited by the Rev. Sheldon Jackson are not acceptable and that the matter should be should be left to the Indian agents. Pratt states that if there is difficulty in finding girls to attend Carlisle that there should only be the same number of boys sent in order to keep the gender…

Richard Henry Pratt details the number of students he is able to accept from various Indian Agencies including the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Kiowa and Comanche, Pawnee and Ponca, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Pratt provides instructions as to the preferred age and gender composition of the students and notes that he has already arranged for…

Inspector J. M. Haworth recommends that the Pawnee Agency send ten Pawnee students to Carlisle five of whom were to be girls.

Carlisle Indian School physician O. G. Given provides a report on the recently arrived Crow students from Carlisle, several of whom should be sent back. As a result of the report Pratt recommends including additional agency health examinations.

Richard Henry Pratt notes that while he does not think it in the best of interest of the students he will comply with the wishes of the parents of the Pueblo students and return them to their homes. He believes it should be done as soon as possible in case they want to return for the Fall in order to allow them more time to visit.

Pratt…

Richard Henry Pratt discusses the number of students that Carlisle can carry for the upcoming school year in 1883. He declares that the school is currently has around 320 students enrolled and can carry over 400 which he proposes to acquire from traveling West in order to select certain students who are better suited for Carlisle. In particular…

Richard Henry Pratt responds to an inquiry from H. J. Armstrong, U.S. Indian Agent for the Crow Agency, regarding a request to alter the composition of the delegation to be sent to Carlisle. Pratt notes that because of the greater expense of transporting students from the Crow Agency that it is more important to have a delegation that is able…

Richard Henry Pratt writes that he is unwilling to only accept boys from the Mescalero Agency and believes that it is possible to obtain girls from the agency without force despite the agent's claims. As a result, Pratt requests the transportation money meant for transporting students to the Carlisle Indian School to be returned to him in order…

William H. H. Llewellyn, U.S. Indian Agent for the Mescalero Agency, notes that he will use severe measures to recruit girls for the Carlisle Indian School.

Richard Henry Pratt replies to Office of Indian Affairs circular number 21 in regards to securing pupils for the large industrial schools. Pratt provides his opinion on the eligibility of students for enrollment at Indian training schools as well as the view that the transfer should be considered a reward for the most capable students. Pratt…

Richard Henry Pratt provides his recommendations on securing a party of Navajo students for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt indicates that the agent should attempt to gather 50 students with a minimum of one-third of the party being girls and to have no students under the age of 12. When the party is ready he can have a Carlisle School…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Office of Indian Affairs that he has received word from Fletcher J. Cowart that Cowart has 15 students he would like to enroll at Carlisle. Pratt notes that he has written to Cowart that he wants to maintain the gender ratio at the school.

Richard Henry Pratt requests assistance from the Office of Indian Affairs in securing students for the upcoming school year. Pratt specifically asks for the office to send letters to encourage agents at various agencies to help secure students. Pratt further notes that he is sending Marianna Burgess and Kate Irvine to New Mexico with the…

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…