Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/249

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High School Legislation In Oregon 227 the able leadership of State Superintendent Ackerman, which has already been discussed. Second, the popula- tion of the state increased over sixty per cent from 1900 to 1910. 47 Among the newcomers were many progressive and energetic men and women from communities with well developed school systems, who immediately de- manded adequate school facilities for their children in the communities into which they had moved. The third cause is closely allied to the second. As the stream of immigra- tion flowed in, each community wanted to secure its share of the new population. Realizing that good schools are a real attraction, Chambers of Commerce and other civic organizations seized upon the schools as a part of their advertising program, and many stately brick high school buildings were hastened to completion in order that their pictures might feature in the booster literature of their respective communities. The following table shows the growth in number of high schools and in high school enrollment from 1900 to 1910: OREGON HIGH SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT 48 Population Number of High School Year of Oregon High Schools Enrollment 1900 413,536 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 672,765 47 The United States Census shows a population for Oregon of 443,536 in 1900 and 672,765 in 1910. 48 Reports of the United States Commissioner of Education. 30 1916 34 2639 39 2700 50 2875 68 3626 70 4137 72 4676 91 5787 94 6087 110 7258 126 8914