Porter Sargent
| Porter Edward Sargent | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 6, 1872 Brooklyn |
| Died | March 27, 1951 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | US |
| Occupation | Publisher, educational critic |
Porter Edward Sargent (June 6, 1872 – March 27, 1951), born in Brooklyn, New York, was a prominent educational critic and founder of Porter Sargent Publishers in Boston in 1915. In 1949, he was described as "probably the most outstanding and consistent critic of the American educational scene."
In his youth, Sargent's family moved to a ranch in San Bernardino, California. In 1892, he became principal of a San Bernardino grammar school. The next year he went to study at Harvard University, where he obtained his bachelor's (1896) and masters (1897). Among the professors who influenced him were William James, Nathaniel Shaler, Charles Eliot Norton, and William Gilson Farlow. After graduation, Sargent taught school in Cambridge, and did graduate research on neurology, publishing 10 scientific papers, but quitting before he received his doctorate. For a decade beginning in 1904, Sargent ran a travel school for boys, in which he led tours to Europe and other parts of the world.
In 1915, Sargent began publishing the Handbook of Private Schools. Moehlman wrote that Sargent's "annual Forewords to the Handbook of Private Schools gradually evolved into the most comprehensive critiques of education published anywhere. His candid treatment of vested interests, of educational cant, of stuffed shirts, of the tradition-encrusted academic mind and, above all, the sacred cows of privilege and tradition brought them into more prominence with each succeeding edition." Because other publishers feared libel suits, Sargent was "forced to become his own publisher."
The Handbook's fourth edition (1918) was more than 700 pages in length, had dozens of chapters in four long sections entitled 1. "Introductory," (e.g., 'History of the private school,' 'The new school movement,' 'vocational education,' etc.), 2. "Critical Description of Schools and Summer Camps" (by gender, curriculum, region), 3. "Comparative Tables," and 4. "Educational Directories." Immediately after the table of contents, it also contained the following invitation to readers:
Parents and Prospective Patrons of the Private Schools are cordially invited to call upon or write Mr. Sargent for intimate information and unprejudiced advice. Please state the Problem clearly. No Fees are accepted.
...
Wikipedia