A Friends Select School History (review)

Abstract

106Quaker History also because of its students who are willing to refine stereotypes. . . .My education and experience in this Quaker institution have led me to this conclusion: that adiverseenvironmentwhichencompasses allindividuals ... istheP.C. tradition.'' Wynnewood, PennsylvaniaClayton Farraday A Friends Select SchoolHistory. Edited by Carol H. Brown. Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania : Archway Press, Inc., 1989. 270 pp. $20.00. Paper. Thoughthetitle ofthis volumesuggests acomprehensivechronology, theeditor, Carol H. Brown, in her introduction, hastens to make clear that this enterprise is more of a "patchwork," which does not pretend to be a definitive history of Friends Select School, but attempts to capture the essence or "character" of the school. The editor has assembled a collection of documents and statements culled from the school archives or produced by contemporary members of the school community. Thecarefullyselectedmaterialisthoughtfullygrouped underanumber ofgeneral themes, ranging from the historical origins ofthe school, tothephysical structures that have comprised the school, to the more abstract "mission' ' ofthe school over the years. The intimate and highly personalized nature ofthis celebration of 300 years of Friends education in Philadelphia will, of course, necessarily make it of greatest interest to past and present members ofthe Friends Select School community, who will readilygrasp and appreciate the references, symbols, traditions, and personalities presented. But it may also be interesting and useful to those who wish to trace the change and growth in the Society of Friends in America. The evolution ofFriends Select School reflects the evolution ofthe Friends community inAmerica from one characterizedin someways by adegreeofprotectiveexclusivity, to amuch more inclusive, cosmopolitan, heterogeneous community beginning in the last decades of the 19th century. The opening chapter makes clear the original meaning ofthe enigmatic term "select," while the balance ofthe book's contents show how this key feature ofthe school name became less central to the mission ofthe school with the admission ofnon-Quakers in 1 877 and the move to integrate boys and girls on the same school site about a decade later. While internally written school histories tend to be gilded and selfcongratulatory , A Friends Select SchoolHistory is refreshingly candid and does not shy away from the controversy and occasional failures that are part of all schools. Editor Carol Brown has alluded to some of the painful experiences involved ingrowth: clashes between boards ofoverseers and headmaster, headmaster and staff, parents and school, students and teachers. It becomes clearthat a commitment to honesty, directness, and process in confronting the thorny issues of education can produce, in the long run, strong and effective schools. The format and mode of presentation ofmaterial in this attractive volume are strikingly effective. While an "anthology" or "sampler" of sources might tend to leadthe reader unfamiliar with the school astrayin amaze ofseeminglyunconnected material, the editorial work ofCarol Brown has created a well-marked path for the reader. Each document or essay is boldly dated and clearly framed and introduced by the editor; all the relevant contextual explanation and identification of authorship seems to be included with each entry. Photographs and document facsimiles are appropriate, well placed, and clearly identified. There is no index or bibliography attached to this work; sources seem to be adequately credited in footnotes and editorial commentary. This is awell-balancedwork. It begins with a fascinating yet not overwhelming Book Reviews107 chapter on the origins and roots of the school and ends with a moving and imaginative epilogue by the current headmaster. No area of inquiry seems to be neglected, yet the reader is not overloaded in any area with more than he/she can digest. Contributions by friends ofthe school, parents, trustees, administrators, teachers, and students make this a rich patchwork quilt. It is especially gratifying to seethe inclusion ofhistoricalessays produced byFriends Select students in connection with the tricentennial celebration. George SchoolNorman K. Tjossem DynastyofIronFounders. ByArthur Raistrick. York, England: TheEbor Press, 1989. 331pp. £10.50. One ofthe major sites ofEngland's industrial revolution, onthe upper reaches oftheSevern Riverbetween Birmingham and Shrewsbury, is Coalbrookdale, where Abraham Darbyand four succeedinggenerations ofDarbys pioneered in converting coal and iron into thousands of useful products. They were founders in two senses ofthe word: operators of foundries for casting iron, and initiators ofavery effective organization for converting raw materials into products that were sold throughout Great Britain andthewholeworld. Theydiscovered...