During this unorganized period the business affairs of the schools were administered by a district board of three members.
Under a law approved March 1, 1867, the Atchison city schools were organized June 3, 1867, at which time the first board of education of Atchison was elected, as follows: First ward, Wm. Scoville, Wm. C. Smith; Second ward, M. L. Gaylord, L. R. Elliott; Third ward, John A. Martin. Julius Holthaus; Fourth ward, Geo. W. Gillespie, Jacob Poehler. In the organization of the first board, Wm. Scoville was elected president, John A. Martin, vice-president, and M. L. Gaylord, clerk.
The board consisted of eight members until Atchison became a city of the first class in 1881, at which time the ward representation was increased to three members each, giving a board of twelve members. At the organization of the first enlarged board, J. C. Fox was elected president; J. B. Kurth, vice-president. The time of organization was the first regular meeting in August, a change from the former time, the first regular meeting in May, which was the law till 1881. During this year the time of organization was extended three months, giving fifteen months’ service under the organization of May, 1880. Another change made at this time was the election of a clerk not a member of the board. At the organization, August 1, 1881, M. Noll was elected clerk. He was succeeded in October, by C. N. Seip, who was followed in May, 1882, by James H. Garside.
By the addition of the Fifth ward, 1884, the board organized in August, that year had fifteen members. The board organized in August, 1885, had ten members. This representation continued till the law of 1911 provided for the reduction to six members, and for a term of four years instead of two years. The reduction was completed in 1913, and since August of that year the board has had six members, elected without regard to city wards.
The presidents of the board from 1871 have been as follows: For the year ending in May, 1872, H. S. Baker; J. T. Coplan, to May, 1873; J. K. Fisher, to May, 1874; A. J. North, three years, to May, 1877; John Seaton, two years, to May, 1879; A. F. Martin, two and one-fourth years, to August, 1881; J. C. Fox, to August, 1882; John B. Kurth, to August, 1883; J. C. Fox, to August, 1884; Seneca Heath, two years, to August, 1886; E. A. Mize, five years, to August, 1891; R. C. Meade, to August, 1892; J. T. Hersey, two years, to August, 1894; J. F. Woodhouse, to August, 1895; J. T. Allensworth, to August, 1896; W. L. Bailey, to August, 1897; Chas. S. Osborn, ten years, to August, 1907; H. H. Hackney, eight years, to August, 1915; Alva Clapp, now serving his first year.
While the records of the early days are not available, there are indications that the chaos of the early schools was reduced to order in the middle sixties, the graded system unifying the free schools being established at that time by D. T. Bradford, who served as superintendent and principal of the high school for four years. In those early days the superintendent taught during the greater part of his time.
Mr. Bradford was followed by a Mr. Owens, who served one year and was followed by R. H. Jackson. Available records show that Mr. Jackson was superintendent in August, 1871, and served till June, 1876. How long he served prior to the election of May, 1871, is not indicated by records at hand.
The superintendents following Mr. Jackson are as follows: I. C. Scott, to 1878; C. S. Sheffield, to 1880; R. C. Meade, to December, 1886; F. M. Draper, to 1889; Buel T. Davis, to 1891; John H. Glorfelter, to 1901; Nathan T. Veatch, serving at present (January, 1916).
The principals of the high school serving prior to the union of the duties of superintendent and principal of the high school were, P. D. Plattenburg, Orlando Sawyer and David Negley.
The course of study in the high school then was Latin, followed later by the Latin-Scientific. Little change was made for years, except the introduction of German in the fall of 1871. For more than thirty years there was little change in the subject matter of the work. The most important change during those thirty years or more was the complete organization of the high school by Superintendent R. C. Meade, in 1880, at which time a distinct principal was placed in charge of the reorganized high school. The first principal under the new plan was F. W. Bartlett. Definite classes were started and the first class graduated June 7, 1881, in Corinthian Hall, as follows: Jane Boone, Arthur Challiss, Blanche Challiss, Daisy, L. Denton, Della Estes, Mary E. Fox, Frances L. Garside, Lilly G. Hathaway. Maggie R. Hedges, May Hosier, Victor Linley, Nellie G. Reid, Mary E. Scott, Annie Underwood, 14. Total graduates to date (January, 1916), 568.