Lectures on Education

Born in Franklin, Massachusetts, and educated at Brown University, Horace Mann is considered the founder of U.S. public education because of his pioneering educational leadership. Although trained as a lawyer, he became interested in education while he was a member of the Massachusetts legislature. As a legislator, he promoted the lyceum movement, which resulted in a series of key legislative acts that often are considered the basis for the public educational system. When the Massachusetts Board of Education was established in 1837, Mann was appointed its secretary. Under his leadership the state mandated a minimum school year, raised teachers' salaries, and allocated state funds to improve school buildings and equipment. The spread of public schools led to a need for teachers, and, in response, Mann founded the first state normal schools in the United States. From 1848 to 1853, Mann served in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1852, he became the first president of Antioch College, a position he held until 1859. While at Antioch, he demonstrated the advantages of coeducation and did much to raise the standards of the college. Mann's ground breaking work influenced education at various levels throughout the United States.