Ada Van Stone Harris

Ada Van Stone Harris was born in Albion, Orleans County, New York, on July 27, 1866.{{cite web |title=Passport applications: United States. |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99DD-V96Y-G?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQV5Y-2NDB&action=view&cc=2185145&lang=en&groupId=TH-1942-38178-8083-19 |publisher=U.S. Government |via=Familysearch.org |access-date=21 May 2025 |date=25 March 1908}} She received her early education in the state of New York.

She was a graduate of the Albion, New York public schools and of the New York State Normal School. She also studied at the University of Chicago, New York University, and Columbia University.{{cite news |title=Death Takes Teacher, Here for 35 Years |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-post-death-takes-teacher/172843536/ |access-date=21 May 2025 |work=The Pittsburgh Post |via=Newspapers.com |date=19 January 1923 |pages=7 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

She entered upon her professional work soon after leaving school. Her experience in the grades was a foundation for her subsequent work. She soon found that her talents fitted her for the supervision and training of teachers. As she preferred the work associated with the younger children, she devoted her energies to kindergarten and primary school instruction.

Called to the training school at Muskegon, Michigan, she spent three years there. This was followed by a year at Marshalltown, Iowa.

By this time, she was well known as an organizer and trainer, and she was called to Duluth, Minnesota in the fall of 1862 to organize and take charge of the new training school just started in that city. The school was organized on a broad pedagogic basis, and Harris laid stress upon the principles of coordination and correlation. During the first year, 16 graduates of the high school were trained, in both theoretical and practical pedagogy, and under the constant supervision of Harris, became efficient primary teachers. The next year, Harris extended the scope of the instruction to all the grades below the high school. The course of study laid out by her required ability and physical vigor. Her careful training was evidenced by the fact that of the 27 admitted to the school, 25 received certificates in June. Of the two others, one left because of illness in her family; the other continued her work the next year.

The instruction of Harris and her assistants included the study of methods, psychology, pedagogy, and the history of education; the observation of various modes of instruction, and actual teaching experience. Harris organized monthly teachers' meetings for general criticism, suggestions, and discussions. The outgrowth of these meetings was a teachers' club, devoted to further educational improvements and advancement.

After three years of successful work in Duluth, Harris became supervisor of instruction in the Michigan State Normal college at Ypsilanti (later, Eastern Michigan University). She was there but two years, when a call from Newark, New Jersey brought her back to the scenes of her earlier experience. There was marked improvement in the primary school work at Newark during this year. The grade meetings, twice every week, brought the teachers more closely together, and, in a large degree, unified the system.

Her standard of work was high, but she was in thorough sympathy with the teachers, constantly helping and encouraging them. Her pedagogical ideas were broad and well grounded, and she showed skill and perseverance in their application. As a critic of primary work, she had few equals. If a teacher's method was bad, Harris was ready with a means of bettering it; if it was good, she could throw new light on its application. Harris was herself an expert and effective teacher as well as holding the position of supervisor of primary schools at Newark.{{cite journal |title=Prominent Primary Supervisors |journal=The School Journal |date=10 September 1898 |volume=LVII |issue=8 |page=216 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8f5KAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA216 |access-date=21 May 2025 |publisher=E.L. Kellogg & Company |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

In the fall of 1901, Harris left Newark and came to Rochester, New York as supervisor, uniting the kindergarten and primary departments.{{cite journal |title=Rochester and the Genessee |journal=Kindergarten Review |date=April 1904 |volume=14 |issue=8 |pages=388, 486 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yFsVAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA388 |access-date=21 May 2025 |publisher=M. Bradley Company |location=Springfield, Massachusetts |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} She brought experience from other fields to this comprehensive work, and her influence was felt immediately. The kindergarten work throughout the city benefited by her supervision. A feature of the general plan which served to bring kindergartners together and to unify the work of the city was the Kindergarten Institute, which was held at least four times during the year. On this day, all kindergartens were closed and the teachers spent the day together, receiving instruction in art and music, or joining in round table conferences and sometimes games, under the guidance of Harris.{{cite journal |title=The Present |journal=Kindergarten Primary Magazine |date=February 1904 |volume=16 |issue=7 |page=420 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LDAmAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA420 |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

In 1904, while employed in the Rochester public schools, Harris was elected to be head of the domestic science department of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, but declined the offer.{{cite news |title=Will Stay in Rochester |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-will-stay-in-roch/172867053/ |access-date=21 May 2025 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |via=Newspapers.com |date=11 June 1904 |pages=12 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} In the same year, the eleventh convention of the International Kindergarten Union was held in Rochester, New York in April, with Harris serving as Chair of the Local Committee.

In 1906, she taught three courses at the Chautauqua Institution Summer Schools: Psychology and Pedagogy, Elementary Education General Methods, and Elementary Education Primary Methods.{{cite journal |title=Program for 1906 |journal=The Chautauquan |date=1906 |volume=43 |page=473 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HpnNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA473 |access-date=21 May 2025 |publisher=Chautauqua Press |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

Harris was a member of the NEA and served as its President, Department of Elementary Education, in 1916.{{cite journal |journal=National Education Association of the United States |title=Addresses and Journal of Proceedings |date=1916 |volume=397 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MOZ9LEEIVW4C&pg=PA397 |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

After resigning from her position in Rochester, New York, in 1910,{{cite news |title=Assistant Superintendent, Resigning, Intimates That Schools are Deteriorating |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-assistant-superin/172866711/ |access-date=21 May 2025 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |via=Newspapers.com |date=17 April 1910 |pages=21 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} she came to Richmond, Virginia as assistant assistant superintendent of schools in charge of primary instruction.

In 1919, while employed as Director of elementary practice teaching in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Harris served on several of NEA committees: Health and Recreation, War Emergency, Necessary Readjustment in Education, Child Welfare Program in Relation to Public Education, and Enlistment of the Support of Women.{{cite book |author1=United States Congress Senate Committee on Education and Labor |title=Department of Education: Hearing Before the Committee on Education and Labor, United States Senate, Sixty-fifth Congress, Third Session on S. 4987, a Bill to Create a Department of Education, to Appropriate Money for the Conduct of Said Department, to Appropriate Money for Federal Cooperation with the States in the Encouragement and Support of Education, and for Other Purposes. December 5, 1918 |date=1919 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=42–44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kt5EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA42 |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

She also made important contributions to the educational magazines and was author or co-author of valuable books for schools.{{cite journal |title=Ada Van Stone Harris |journal=Journal of Educational Method: Devoted to the Improvement of Teaching and Supervision |date=1923 |volume=2 |page=396 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iFw1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA396 |access-date=21 May 2025 |publisher=Bureau of publications of Teachers college |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

While residing in Pittsburgh in the Ruskin apartments, she became ill in September 1922 and for a time was in the Presbyterian Hospital. She died in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on January 18, 1923. Interment was in Albion, New York.{{cite news |title=Death Record. Miss Ada Van Stone Harris |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-death-record-miss/172843656/ |access-date=21 May 2025 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |via=Newspapers.com |date=19 January 1923 |pages=8 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

• Sophie, adapted from the French of Madame De Segur by Charles Welsh. Illustrated by Eugene Prand. Edited by Ada Van Stone Harris. (Heath's Home and School Classics, 1895){{cite book |title=Educational Pamphlets 58: Teaching & Elementary School Subjects]. |date=1895 |page=58 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbYVAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA3-PA58 |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "The Sixth Yearbook", The Kindergarten and Its Relation to Elementary Education, Manfred James Holmes (ed.), 1917{{cite book |editor1-last=Holmes |editor1-first=Manfred James |title=The Kindergarten and Its Relation to Elementary Education |date=1907 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NpRxCh-WkMsC&pg=PA9 |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
• Harris, Ada Van Stone & Waldo, Lillian McLean, Number Games for Primary Grades, 1919

• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Arithmetic in the grades", 1895
• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Homes and life of the people", The World Visualized for the Classroom, 1915
• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Interrelation of functions in a city school system. Influence of the supervisor.", Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, National Education Association of the United States, 1906
• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Literature for children", 1903
• Harris, Ada Van Stone, "The importance of the primary teacher", 1912

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Category:1866 births

Category:1923 deaths

Category:Educators from New York (state)

Category:University of Chicago alumni

Category:New York University alumni

Category:Columbia University alumni

Category:American school superintendents

Category:People from Albion, Orleans County, New York