Edmund Asa Ware facts for kids
Edmund Asa Ware (born December 22, 1837 – died September 25, 1885) was an important American educator. He is best known as the first president of Atlanta University. He led the university from 1869 until his death in 1885.
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Who Was Edmund Asa Ware?
Edmund Asa Ware was born on December 22, 1837. His family lived in North Wrentham, which is now Norfolk, Massachusetts. Later, they moved to Norwich, Connecticut.
He studied at Yale College and graduated in 1863. After college, he taught at the Norwich Free Academy for two years. This was the same school where he had studied earlier.
Helping Schools in the South
In September 1865, Mr. Ware moved to Nashville, Tennessee. He helped to restart the public schools there after the Civil War. A year later, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He worked for the American Missionary Association. This group helped set up schools for African Americans in the South. Mr. Ware became the Superintendent of their schools in Atlanta.
In December 1866, he also became a licensed preacher. From then on, he often gave sermons.
Leading Atlanta University
On August 1, 1867, Mr. Ware was given a big job. General Howard, who founded Howard University, made him the State Superintendent of Education for Georgia. Mr. Ware was very interested in helping African Americans get a higher education.
He took over the leadership of Atlanta University. This university had been started by two former slaves, James Tate and Grandison Daniels. On September 19, 1865, Atlanta University was founded. Mr. Ware became the first President of its Board of Trustees.
Atlanta University officially received its charter on October 17, 1867. It began offering college-level classes in 1869. The first students to graduate were from a special program in 1873. This program trained women to become teachers. In June 1876, the university awarded its first six bachelor's degrees.
His Final Years
Edmund Asa Ware had just returned from a trip to the mountains. He was getting ready for the new school year to begin. On September 25, 1885, he suddenly died from heart disease in Atlanta. He was 47 years old.
He married Sarah J. Twichell on November 10, 1869. She was from Plantsville, Connecticut. They had three daughters and one son. One of their daughters, Olive, married Percy Williams Bridgman in 1912. Mr. Bridgman later won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1946. Mr. Ware's son, Edward Twichell Ware, also became president of Atlanta University later on.
Edmund Asa Ware's Legacy
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Monument to Ware at Clark Atlanta University/Morris Brown College
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E. A. Ware School Building.
The Edmund Asa Ware School was built in his honor in 1922. It was located near the Herndon Home Museum in Atlanta. This school was one of the first elementary schools for African-American children in the city.
The building was later renamed Jordan Hall. It became part of Morris Brown College. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.
