Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Research Tip: Indiana Teacher Licenses

By Meredith Thompson

Were any of your ancestors Indiana teachers? If so, they may have passed down their teaching certificate. (Pictured below: a certificate issued by the state to Edna G. Nowland in 1911.)

A teacher's certificate issued to Edna G. Nowland in 1911 by the state. (Courtesy of the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library Archives.)

Beginning in the mid-1800s, if someone wanted to be a teacher, they had to apply to get a teacher's license, which could be issued either by the county or the state.

If it was issued by the county, the license could only be used for teaching in that particular county - a move to another county meant they would have to apply for another license. If it was issued by the state, however, the license was good for teaching in any county. Testing for county licenses was offered by the county's school superintendent; for statewide licenses, the testing was available at the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indianapolis and at the offices of school superintendents in select cities.

The process of getting a teacher's license involved an individual evaluation, as well as passing exams in various subjects. Think you could have passed those exams? Pictured below are the questions from the Arithmetic exam in 1913.
The questions asked in the Arithmetic exam in 1913. (Courtesy of the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library Archives.)
The lower the average grade you received on the exams, the shorter the time that your license would last. In 1910, for example, licenses were issued for:
  • 12 months - if your average grade was 85% or more, with none of the grades below 75%
  • 24 months - if your average grade was 90% or more, with none of the grades below 80%
  • 36 months - if your average grade was 95% or more, with none of the grades below 85%
The back of a 1911 teacher's certificate, showing the grades received on the two exams. (Courtesy of the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library Archives.)

In the certificate above, Edna G. Nowland's license in 1911 was issued for 36 months, and was for teaching 2 subjects (Literature and Composition and the Science of Education) at the high school level. The back of the certificate shows that she received a grade of 95% on the Literature and Composition exam and 91% on the Science of Education exam, plus 97% on her individual evaluation.

If records exist of the teacher's licenses that were issued on the county level, they will be found in the records of the county.

For the licenses that were issued on the state level, they will be found in the records of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The annual reports of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction used to regularly include the lists of those who had received their teacher licenses. Some of these reports have been digitized and are available for free online at sites like Google Books.

For IGS members: The Statewide Records section of the IGS website has information on teachers who received licenses from the state during 1867-1884 and 1906-1910.

[This article originally appeared in Indiana News, IGS's FREE monthly email newsletter. Click here to subscribe and have articles like this delivered straight to your inbox!]

Monday, August 29, 2016

Query: Gibson, Dearborn County



            I am trying to find out more about Isaiah or Isaac Gibson, who was a "country doctor" in Dillsboro, Dearborn County, Indiana in the early 1800s. His son David Gibson was born there in 1827, moved to Indianapolis, and died in 1883. If I am right, Isaiah was the son of David Gibson and Elizabeth Hawkins, who married after both being freed from captivity with Native Americans. David and Elizabeth Gibson are buried in the Old Dillsboro cemetery.
            I'd like confirmation that Isaiah was a doctor and David Gibson's father, the name of Isaiah's wife, names of any other children, date of Isaiah death and his wife's death.
            I was in touch with a volunteer researcher in Dillsboro briefly. He told me of the burial sites, and then, when I tried to call him back, I learned he had died. I have had no luck finding help since then.

Pam Peirce
572 Lakeview Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
p.k.peirce@att.net

Query: Smith, Pinson, Vermillion/Vigo Counties



            I have been searching for my father's birth record, Howard Andrew SMITH. His parents were Ethel May PINSON and Roy H. SMITH. Common knowledge says he was born 11 May 1906.  Family says he was born in Clinton, Vermillion County, Indiana.
            Years ago, he told me he was born in Libertyville, Vigo County, Indiana. I have found no record for him in either of those counties. His mother's parents, Andrew J. PINSON and Nancy A. WARD were living in Stratton Township, Edgar County, Illinois in 1900, and I'm wondering if his mother, Ethel May PINSON may have gone to her parents in Stratton for the birth, as Howard was her first child.
            If anyone can shed some light on this mystery, I would very much appreciate the help.

Pat Deutsch
5905 Seward Park Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98118
pldeutsch44@gmail.com

Query: Evaluation, Starke County



                My name is Ellen Pitcher.  I am the Head of Reference at Starke County Public Library.  I have a question:  Do you know of anyone that would come and evaluate Indiana Room genealogy and local history collections.  We are interested in have ours evaluated as part of our strategic plan. Thanks.

Ellen Pitcher
152 W. Culver Rd.
Knox, IN 46534
epitcher@starkecountylibrary.org