Education Hall of Fame

There are many that can be credited for impacting and changing the academic arena and social structure of our society. These men and women have reached the “Hall of Fame” of educators who transformed, revolutionized and left a legacy in the academic world. In the following reflection I will be commenting on who was Horace Mann, Mary Lyon, and Booker T. Washington and their impacts on American Education.

Horace Mann was most notably remembered for establishing free public schooling and expanding the opportunities of poor and wealthy Americans in order to centralize the role of education. His desire was to embark in a social and legal journey for establishing schools as the source for improving, and preparing students to meet the social needs of society. He confronted issues like corporal punishment, religious instruction in public schooling, teachers’ salaries, and the need to organize libraries in order to give full access to knowledge and information. He focused much of his efforts in organizing and establishing the first Board of Education, and became the first secretary of the board. With no bias to race, gender or ability, he viewed ignorance as a form of slavery and education as a form of liberty. Giving the indigents of society an equal opportunity to learn, he thought, will increase the social structure of society and give freedoms previously withheld from blacks, minorities, and those disable.

Mary Lyon was an incredible ambassador for establishing a higher education for women; with humble beginnings she revolutionized the academic stage by founding the “Mount Holyoke Seminary” for women. Her dream and desire to see women intellectually capable, and as astute as their counterparts drove her to walk endless distances to raise funds, promote her vision, develop curriculums, choose locations, supervise the design and construction of the school, hire teachers and enroll students . Her perseverance was ridiculed because educating women was not an option nor popular during this time. She was an incredible pioneer who had no religious or political agendas, but had the interests of offering women and the less fortunate the opportunity to attain a higher education equal to those in men colleges. With no serious financial backing she erected the first all woman seminary while constructing her own legacy.

One cannot despise humble beginnings, for most notably, Booker T. Washington was the product of the dreams and successes upheld by the previous two pioneers. Being an African American in the 1800’s forced him to question his own concerns, identity and dreams. For being a “black man” in those days was still considered belittling by sociological standards. Booker T. Washington was the right person, at the right place, at the right time, his character and desire to educate himself and no longer submit to the sociological limitations which encompassed him, proved to be the forces which catapulted him into becoming a prestigious hero for the minority class. Believing that “blacks” should no longer be forced to adhere to “forced labor” or “hard labor” he endlessly and single handedly enforced a new wave of reform in the academic world. He desired for “blacks” to challenge their own paradigms and attain competence in the area of education. His achievements and persistence lead him to become the head of the “Tuskegee Institute” which was an all black college, and rattled the minds of his sociological enemies by gaining trust from southern whites and even political heads of the White House. His legacy has welcomed the rights of minorities today assisting higher education and becoming professionals at their field.

It takes a fearless pioneer to overcome the obstacles, struggles, and paradigms of the social structure which dominated the scene during this time period. Even though each generation has its sociological struggles, these three pioneers revolutionized the academic stage and path the way for all minorities, genders, and social classes in order to attain the most important jewel of human development, higher education! Their vision, enduring desires, and passions battled with the enemies of mediocrity, exclusiveness, bias, and hierarchy found in the social as well as the academic arena. Much is to be granted, and admired for those founding forefathers and mothers who gave their lives to begin, finish, and accomplish dreams which still influence us and effects us today!