Edwina Kruse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edwina Kruse
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| Born | February 22, 1848 |
| Died | June 23, 1930 |
| Occupation | Educator, school administrator |
Edwina Kruse (born February 22, 1848 – died June 23, 1930) was an important American educator. She was born in Puerto Rico. For almost 40 years, she was the principal of Howard High School in Wilmington, Delaware. She also worked closely with Alice Dunbar-Nelson, a famous writer who taught at Howard.
Her Early Life
Edwina B. Kruse was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. When she was a small child, she moved to the United States. Sadly, both of her parents passed away when she was young. She went to school in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Later, she studied at Hampton Institute in Virginia.
Her Career as an Educator
Edwina Kruse started her career teaching at schools for Black students in Delaware. In 1881, she became the principal of Howard High School in Wilmington, Delaware. This was a very important school. For a long time, it was the only public high school in the state for Black students.
Growing Howard High School
As principal, Edwina Kruse often talked to community groups about her work. She helped the school grow and become even better. Students at Howard High School loved her so much that they held a special celebration every year on her birthday! She liked to point out that she shared a birthday with George Washington.
Many important people attended Howard High School while she was principal. These included Louis L. Redding, who became a famous civil rights lawyer. Another was Pauline A. Young, a well-known teacher and activist. Even Booker T. Washington, a very famous educator, stayed with Kruse when he visited Wilmington in 1900.
After Retirement
Edwina Kruse retired as principal in 1920. But she didn't stop helping her community. She helped start the state's Industrial School for Colored Girls. This school was later renamed in her honor in 1943. She also helped create the Sarah Ann White Home for the Aged in Wilmington.
In 1914, she was one of the people who helped start the NAACP branch in Wilmington. The NAACP is a group that works for civil rights. She even hosted one of their first meetings in her own home.
Her Personal Life
Edwina Kruse worked closely with writer Alice Dunbar-Nelson, who taught at Howard High School. Kruse also helped a young girl from Trinidad named Etta A. Woodlen. Etta later became a music teacher at Howard High School, just like Edwina had mentored her.
Edwina Kruse passed away in 1930 when she was 82 years old. She had written a novel called This Mighty Oak, but it was never published. A public swimming pool in Wilmington was named after her. In 1948, her old home was sold. The money from the sale helped create a scholarship for students at Howard High School.
