Horace Mann was an American education reformer born in 1796 in Massachusetts. He had little formal schooling as a child but went on to graduate first in his class from Brown University. Mann held several political and educational leadership positions, including serving as the first Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education. In this role, he established many foundations of the modern American education system, such as advocating for tax-funded public schools, establishing normal schools to train teachers, and implementing compulsory attendance policies. Mann's reforms aimed to create a free and secular education system available to all students, which still influences American education today.

1. HORACE MANN EDUCATIONAL
REFORMER

2. BIOGRAPHY
 He was born May 4, 1796 in Franklin Massachussetts
 Grew up Orthodox Catholic but later converted to
Unitarianism
 Only had several dozen weeks of schooling over 9 years.
 Then he attended Barrett’s school and after only half a
year here he was admitted to Brown University where
he graduated first in his class in 1819.
 He then became an instructor at the university.
 He then married the University presidents daughter
Charlotte in 1831.
 He then continued by attending Judge Tapping Reeve’s
law school.
 He was married to Mary Peabody in 1843.

3. MANN’S CAREER
 While attending law school he worked for Judge
James Richardson as a clerk in Dedham,
Massachusetts.
 He was admitted to Massachusetts bar of the state in
1823.
 He ran for senate in 1834 and became president of the
Massachusetts senate.
 Mann resigned from the senate to take the position of
first secretary of the State Department of education of
Massachusetts.
 He then filled the 8th congressional seat after John
Quincy Adams death.
 His final job was to be the first president of the newly
created Antioch College.

4. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
 Began public education in Massachusetts.
 Began normal schools
 Wrote many of the annual reports on condition of
education
 Suggested that teachers get together periodically to
share ideas
 Worked to equalize schools throughout the state
 Made it so schools were paid for publically through
secondary school.
 He took out many of the religious aspects of schools.
 He persuaded legislature that the school year should
be at least 6 months long and adopted compulsory
attendance.

5. HOW DO THESE AFFECTS TODAY’S
EDUCATION?
 We have the schools paid for mostly with tax
money
 We have policies that equalize schools
throughout areas
 We have educated teachers
 We have longer school years
 We have libraries for schools
 Schools are more secular and less religious
 In-services to discuss ideas
 There is compulsory attendance policies up to a
certain age and there are consequences for not
attending.

6. "Be ashamed to die before you have won some battle for
humanity,“
~Horace Mann

7. REFERENCES
Thomas B Horton. (2011). Education encyclopedia
. Retrieved from
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2197/Mann-
Horace-1859.html
Pam Mason-King. (n.d.). Common school period
. Retrieved from
http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/mann.html
North Carolina State University. (n.d.). North carolina state
university. Retrieved from
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/mann. Html