I call upon the ministers of Arkansas to set aside one Sunday within the period designated as a day to be devoted to preaching adult education.
I call upon the teachers and pupils of our public schools to take the message as planned by the Illiteracy Commission, into every community.
I call upon every citizen in the State to assist in this movement by teaching at least one person who wants some education or more education.
Given under my hand and the great seal of the State at the Capitol at Little Rock this 21st day of January, A.D. 1922.
Dr. John H. Finley, Commissioner of Education of New York State, launched a state-wide campaign against illiteracy in that state in 1917. Only $3,200 was appropriated at first, but interest in the work so increased that $140,000 was appropriated in 1919. Governor Alfred G. Smith in signing the bill said in a memorandum:
The purpose of this bill is to obliterate adult illiteracy from the State. This subject is one in which I have long been interested. The plan proposed through this measure appears to be so practicable and reasonable that its operations may, in my judgment, be made effective in accomplishing the desired purpose.
New York appropriated $200,000 the following year, and within four years after starting the movement, had expended a half million dollars from her state and local treasuries on educating illiterate native and foreign-born adults. The State Department reports some two hundred thousand taught to read and write. It was the first state to secure the illiteracy census of 1920 from the Federal Census Bureau. This was placed in the hands of the school authorities by Dr. Finley, who wrote to his lieutenants:
I hope that we shall immediately and vigorously take advantage of this census of 1920 which has, through special effort and provision, been put so promptly at our disposal, to clear the state of adult illiteracy as you have practically done for child illiteracy.
Jewish mothers in New York improving their education.