St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 125

tLmex boys' CHOOL: New Institution in County Only One in U.S. AUaa cMiiUf kALm All 1 MVIV I V4V.UI I 7 ITIUKU) I IS UI.I9IUI 19 I I Will awuh ihiia I uctcrminmg roncy to its uwn wagos Library, where students prepare lessons between classes and at night. There are more comfortable chairs in corners of the room, where boys may relax while reading the more comfortable books. Entire, student body of Thomas Jefferson School quarters. Boys' destination is six-room building, walks from main building toward "the other once servants' quarters, now used for classes, building." Formal names have not yet been Property is the former Charles B.

Sudborough found for institution's living, study and recitation estate, Lindbergh and Robyn roads, Sappington. 1 -r si DDQ LIU DUD; la Ira p.il a 1 rscc Shtpp, rJgJif, student from Harvard, Illinois, czxwersa question about Sicily in European history I class. Slost h's the oniy member, woxir is in- Pleasant vista of Meramec valley is Ignored by beginning Greek class as members ponder Plato's query whether it is worse to swindle or be swindled. Headmaster, McCoy teaches appreciation of Greek thought along with verb endings; by fifteenth lesson students work from original classics. fsnaai but coccssfrated.

Map is spread- on bed ct Instructor Kenyan's combined office and living I room, where Ehepp recites from rocJdog chair. wr Room, board and laundry are free. Teachers are, from left, Graham K. Spring, Latin, geometry; Theodore S. Kenyon English, French, ancient and European history; Headmaster Robin McCoy, Greek, English; Chailes E.

Merrill English, American history, Spanish; Ralph Scherer, physics, math. Thomas Jefferson's five faculty members, who comprise sole administering authority of school. Feeling strongly about dignity and responsibility of teaching profession, they set pay of beginning teacher at scale higher than for comparable experience in any other United States school or college. By GEORGE McCUE of the PICTURES Staff 1 Jl Friction measurement in physics laboratory. Instructor One-man Spanish class, Daniel Hoffman Jr.

fcf Kirkwood, recites for Instructor Merrill. ft 1 1 A A A REMODELED mansion in St. Louis County houses the only school in the United States where faculty members completely run the show. They determine academic policy, administer the funds, set their own salaries and, by majority vote, can oust any of their own number including the headmaster. This unorthodox conception is keystone of the recently opened Thomas Jefferson School, non-sectarian and non-military, for boys of high school age.

The five faculty members, all war veterans of ages 24 to 36, have definite convictions about what constitutes an education. Students are put through a tough curriculum of work languages, science, history required for admittance to Eastern colleges, but the school's approach detours wide of the ivory tower. It regards culture as a way of life, not something to be kept under glass. A boy may get an ancient history brain-picking in the morning, trim the same instructor at tennis that afternoon, and at night be one of a group the instructor takes downtown for a play or concert. Paintings and prints, frequently changed, are on display in every room.

In athletics, every boy makes the team. For this closely integrated schooling, boarding students pay $2000 a year, day students $1000. Thomas Jefferson now has 12 pupils, one-third of capacity. It is. accordingly, just about the smallest and most expensive school an American boy could attend.

Headmaster Robin McCoy points out that a larger tuition income must make up for lack of endowment and of scholarship funds, handicaps for any new school. As it grows, cost is scheduled to come down. Thomas Jefferson School is a non-profit corporation. Buildings and 41 acres of ground were a gift, without strings. The same anonymous donor put up funds to cover early deficits.

McCoy brought the teacher-trustee idea back from England's Cambridge University, which operates, like Oxford, under a similar plan. Advantages: To give the school supreme authority on what and how it will teach; to keep school and faculty out of scholastic politics. At regular meetings, McCoy has two votes as headmaster, other teachers one each. The headmaster employs new teachers, who have no vote their first year to prevent him from "packing" the staff. Every three years, each faculty member comes up for re-election by secret vote of the others.

Scherer observes experiment conducted by Sherwin Mon- tell, Ladue. On principle that learning to improvise is '3 educational in itself, school bought only basic equipment. 4 (j-onograpa is avauaDie ro an sruaems jot ywnunckrtion practice with language records. Photos by ARTHUR WITMAN, a PICTURES Staff Photographer 1 A A Students and schooJ staff eat hearty meals. Boys gained an average of seven pounds since September.

Day students have lunch at school. Woman at right is Mrs. P. H. McLaughlin, school secretary; Mrs.

Graham Spring, wife of irstructor, is at rear table, f. Barn, remodeled into gymnasium, has volleyball court and half a basketball court for use in bad weather. Outdoors, there are six all-weather tennis courts. School competes with informal groups from other schools. Everyjboy faJces part.

Daniel Hoffman studies print in hallway. It is one of large collection loaned by Merrill. Students also get free use of regularly reserved seats at American 'heater ftiel.