G. David Houston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon David Houston
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| Born | May 6, 1880 Cambridge, Massachusetts
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| Died | June 24, 1940 (aged 60) |
| Citizenship | USA |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Academic; teacher |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Tuskegee University; Howard University |
Gordon David Houston (born May 6, 1880 – died June 24, 1940) was a very important teacher and professor. He taught English at Howard University. He was one of the first African-American teachers to teach about old English stories and poems. He was also the first African-American person from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to graduate from Harvard University.
Gordon Houston's Life
Gordon David Houston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 6, 1880. His parents were John Benjamin and Sarah Jane. He had a brother named Joseph William.
He went to the English High School in Boston and finished in 1898. Then he went to Latin High School and finished in 1900. After that, he started studying at Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1904. He was the first African-American person from Cambridge to graduate from this famous university.
Interestingly, Gordon Houston graduated in the same class as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later became a President of the United States. They knew each other for many years. Gordon Houston continued his studies at Harvard. He earned a Master's degree in 1916 and another Master's degree in Education in 1930.
In 1934, he gave a special speech at the funeral of Dr. Henry Lewis Bailey. Dr. Bailey was one of the first African-American students to graduate from Harvard. In his speech, Houston praised Dr. Bailey for being youthful, hardworking, and loving baseball.
Teaching Career
Gordon Houston started his teaching career in 1904. He taught English at Tuskegee University until 1907. He left Tuskegee because he disagreed with the way Booker T. Washington was leading the university.
From 1907 to 1910, he taught at the Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore. In 1910, he moved to Washington, D.C. and became an English teacher at M Street High School.
By this time, Gordon Houston was well-known for being great at teaching English writing. In 1912, he became the head of the English Department and a Professor at Howard University. While at Howard, Houston was active in student protests and stood up for what he believed in. He wanted teaching methods to change so students would be more interested in what they were learning.
He also taught Old English poetry. This makes him one of the first African-American professors known to teach this subject. He stayed at Howard until 1919. He left because he felt there was unfair treatment that limited opportunities for Black people.
After leaving Howard University, he moved to Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. There, he became the Head of Business Practice. Later, he became the Principal of Dunbar Night School. He then returned to Dunbar High School as Assistant Principal, and later as Principal.
At the time of his death, Gordon Houston was the Principal of the Armstrong Manual Training High School in Washington, D.C. He had joined that school in 1926.
Gordon Houston passed away on June 24, 1940.
Family Life
While Gordon Houston was working at Tuskegee, he married Dora Mayo Lawrence on August 20, 1907. They had two daughters named Dorothy and Ethel.
His Impact
Gordon Houston was very good at Old English and Middle English. He was one of the earliest Black professors who taught Old English poetry. He taught it at Howard University. He believed in teaching that would help meet the "practical needs of African-American students."
His ideas about teaching were important. He wanted students to connect more deeply with the texts they were reading. Historians today still study his work and ideas about education. They see how he fought for a school curriculum that was more helpful and relevant for Black students. He also encouraged people to really understand and appreciate old English texts.
