Page:History of Public School Education in Arizona.djvu/92

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PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION IN ARIZONA.

citizens.” The judgment of the lower court was reversed and the case remanded with directions to vacate the injunction and dismiss.[1] No statistics giving later figures on this phase of public school work have been seen.

In November, 1910, the Territorial Teachers’ Association appointed a committee, consisting of Kirke T. Moore, the Territorial superintendent; John D. Loper, city superintendent; and A. J. Matthews, superintendent of the Tempe Normal School, to rewrite “the entire school law in order to incorporate the new recommendations and to correct existing ambiguities and irregularities.” When the committee first met the proposed State constitution was pending and it was decided to await the completion of the constitution before the school law was taken up, the proposed amendments to the school law being published in the meantime in the Arizona Journal of Education for the purpose of information. The ultimate result of these conferences and revisions was the school law as it appeared in the school code of 1913.

Mr. Moore was the last superintendent under the Territorial régime. He was reared in Tucson and was educated at the University of Arizona and at the Leland Stanford, where he took a degree in law. He opened a law office in Tucson and maintained it through a partner while performing the duties of Territorial superintendent of public instruction. He went out of office with the inauguration of the new State officers and returned to the law on March 12, 1912. He had, in the meantime won from his contemporaries the reputation of “a good and faithful officer.” The Arizona Journal of Education in its issue for October, 1911, says:[2]

Mr. Moore will have served as superintendent of schools almost three years. During his term of office he has worked with a rare degree of fidelity and has shown great resourcefulness in handling the work with the small equipment of funds that the Territory furnishes. He has brought dignity and business methods to his office and in dealing with the schools he has shown tact and skill. No one has ever brought against him a charge of indifference or neglect, and everywhere he has appeared he has inspired confidence in his fairness and wisdom. While he is not a trained educator, he has still shown knowledge as well as wisdom in his dealings with the schools. He is especially characterized by common sense and good judgment, and those traits go a long way in bringing success anywhere. His management only shows how much of school work can be done by them.

The days preceding statehood also saw the evolution of the latest form of the course of study. This course, proposed and adopted by the Territorial board of education, is much fuller than any of the preceding courses and contains many elaborated suggestions and directions. Special attention was given in its compilation to the prep-


  1. Sec. 14, Arizona Reports, 180, July, 1912; and 123 Pacific Reporter. See also subdivision II of par. 2179 of Civil Code of 1901.
  2. Vol. 2, p. 93.