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John Beck's Boys Academy

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22: 111:. His accomplishments there were sufficiently undistinguished that they determined, when he was fifteen, to apprentice him to learn a trade under the care of a "religious and strictly moral man. . . whose views in that regard accorded with their own." Looking about they located a shoemaker in Lititz "whom they believed worthy of their confidence." 119:, the people of Lititz dissuaded him by offering to turn their school over to him on his own terms. The school grew in the next several years from a single classroom in a converted blacksmith shop to a newly built, multi-room building; and simultaneously from simply the village school into a boarding school, John Beck's Boys Academy. 114:
Beck's teaching career started in 1813, a short time after completing his apprenticeship, when he was engaged to tutor five local apprentice boys. From this beginning, Beck next became master of the village school in Lititz, with twenty-two boys. In 1818, when Beck was offered a $ 300 salary to run
122:
The boys lived with the families of the village, which was owned and governed by the local Moravian congregation. Studies went well beyond the usual "3 R's" to include more advanced subjects such as astronomy, chemistry, algebra, trigonometry and German. The school term was long, with only four
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weeks' vacation a year. Classes were held in morning and afternoon sessions; during the winter there were also evening lectures on "the various branches of Natural philosophy" and "the Manners and Customs and forms of Government of Nations."
206: 201: 67:. It drew students from throughout the eastern U.S. and even from Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. In total, 2,326 pupils passed through Beck's curriculum, including 95:
The school's founder, John Beck, was born in Frederick County, Maryland on June 16, 1791. While a child, his family moved to Lancaster County and then to
191: 196: 173:
Schlegel, Marvin Wilson, Ruler of the Reading: The Life of Franklin B. Gowen, Harrisburg: Archives Publishing Company of Pennsylvania, 1947, p. 5
76: 140:"Complete Catalogue of the Names of All The Students Who Have Attended the Lititz Academy for Boys from A.D. 1815 to A.D. 1865," 64: 211: 96: 116: 104: 72: 60: 80: 108: 84: 68: 139: 56: 35:
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185: 100: 79:; a number of successful businessmen, educators and Congressmen; railroad president 142:
Pearsol & Geist, Printers, Daily Express Office, Lancaster, PA, 1865
83:; and the nephew of the abolitionist and Reconstruction politician, 164:
From John Beck's description of his youth, recounted at Eby, p. 113
15: 99:. With no local school available, his parents sent John to 153:
Papers Read Before the Lancaster County Historical Society
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Eby, Simon P., Esq., "John Beck: The Eminent Teacher,"
55:was a nineteenth century boarding school in the 207:Educational institutions disestablished in 1865 8: 202:Educational institutions established in 1818 132: 7: 14: 192:Boarding schools in Pennsylvania 71:, a Union army leader killed at 20: 197:Defunct schools in Pennsylvania 75:and his older brother Admiral 69:Major General John F. Reynolds 65:Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1: 155:, vol. 2, 1898, pp. 136-139 228: 29:This article needs to be 115:the parochial school in 117:Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 53:Lititz Academy for Boys 105:Nazareth, Pennsylvania 212:Lititz, Pennsylvania 107:, a precursor of 81:Franklin B. Gowen 50: 49: 219: 174: 171: 165: 162: 156: 149: 143: 137: 109:Moravian College 85:Thaddeus Stevens 77:William Reynolds 45: 42: 36: 24: 23: 16: 227: 226: 222: 221: 220: 218: 217: 216: 182: 181: 178: 177: 172: 168: 163: 159: 150: 146: 138: 134: 129: 93: 46: 40: 37: 34: 25: 21: 12: 11: 5: 225: 223: 215: 214: 209: 204: 199: 194: 184: 183: 176: 175: 166: 157: 144: 131: 130: 128: 125: 97:Lebanon County 92: 89: 48: 47: 28: 26: 19: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 224: 213: 210: 208: 205: 203: 200: 198: 195: 193: 190: 189: 187: 180: 170: 167: 161: 158: 154: 148: 145: 141: 136: 133: 126: 124: 120: 118: 112: 110: 106: 102: 101:Nazareth Hall 98: 90: 88: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 44: 32: 27: 18: 17: 179: 169: 160: 152: 147: 135: 121: 113: 94: 52: 51: 38: 30: 59:village of 186:Categories 127:References 73:Gettysburg 57:Moravian 41:May 2011 91:History 31:updated 61:Lititz 103:, in 188:: 87:. 63:, 43:) 39:( 33:.

Index

Moravian
Lititz
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Major General John F. Reynolds
Gettysburg
William Reynolds
Franklin B. Gowen
Thaddeus Stevens
Lebanon County
Nazareth Hall
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Moravian College
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
"Complete Catalogue of the Names of All The Students Who Have Attended the Lititz Academy for Boys from A.D. 1815 to A.D. 1865,"
Categories
Boarding schools in Pennsylvania
Defunct schools in Pennsylvania
Educational institutions established in 1818
Educational institutions disestablished in 1865
Lititz, Pennsylvania

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