A Brief History of the Henry George School

Frank Chodorov

[Reprinted from The Freeman, September, 1938]

On September 15, 1932, the Board of Regents granted a provisional charter to the Henry George School of Social Science, incorporating it as an educational institution to maintain and conduct schools and lecture forums for the purpose of teaching fundamental economics and social philosophy.

For several years previous to this incorporation the work of the School had been conducted as an independent enterprise by Mr. Geiger. The value of his work was recognized by those .who attended his lectures, who felt the need of extending this educational venture through the means of an organized School. Among those who appreciated the value of this teaching was Dr. John Dewey, who thereupon accepted the honorary presidency of the School.

The headquarters of the School was established in the building at 211 West 79th Street, New York. These consisted of an office and library, and a classroom. Three years after, the entire building above the ground floor was taken over. The School premises now consisted of four classrooms, a library, an office devoted to local classwork, an office for the correspondence division, and an office devoted to extension classwork.

In the first year eighty-four students were enrolled. Weekly public forums were conducted for the general public. In June, 1934, Oscar H. Geiger passed away. Mr. Norman C. B. Fowles was elected director the next month, and in September classes were resumed. The interest in the School's work evidenced by many friends and contributors throughout the country suggested the possibility of opening extension classes in other cities where qualified teachers could toe secured. The School syllabus and classroom helps were printed for .this purpose, and a field director, Mr. John Lawrence Monroe, was assigned to the work. The growth of the School required also the services of a business director, and Mr. Otto K. Dorn, a retired business man of considerable experience, volunteered his services.

The following. table of enrollments in the fundamental course, not including advanced courses, and the gross expenditures, will give a graphic picture of the growth of the School, from its beginning to December 31, 1937.

At first the faculty consisted of Mr. Geiger, his son, George Raymond Geiger, Ph. D. (Columbia), Mr. John Luxton, teacher at the Tilden High School, New York City, and Mr. Max Berkowitz, A. B. (C.C.N.Y.) In 1937 the faculty of the School -- including extension classes -- consisted of over two hundred instructors.

The School year ending December 31, 1937, gives a picture of the rapid growth of the School from its humble beginning. The strain upon its excellent staff of devoted volunteers (including twenty instructors) became too great. It was necessary to supplement this with a full-time director, and with several full-time secretaries. This was made possible by the increase in the number and size of the donations and by several generous bequests. Mr. Frank Chodorov, A. B. (Columbia), a former school teacher and an experienced business man, and active in the work for twenty years, was engaged to take charge of the School. A Correspondence Course was added to the curriculum in February, 1937.

On July 30, 1937 the Regents of University of State of New York granted the School's application for an absolute charter to replace the provisional charter under which the School had been operating for nearly five years.

In the first half of 1938 rapid progress was made, mainly because of the training of many' new teachers. In fact, the growth of the School, aside from its correspondence work, is entirely dependent upon the development of trained instructors. In January the School started its work, in New York City, with forty-one regular instructors. Of this number half taught classes in the School headquarters, the other half being distributed throughout the city in rent-free places. The fall term, opening in the new building, will start with sixty-five instructors. A new Teachers Training class will be begun in October.