Herman Dreer facts for kids

Herman H. Dreer (1888–1981) was an important American teacher, writer, and leader. He worked to improve education and civil rights. He is most famous for creating lessons and programs to teach African American History in public schools during the early 1900s. He also helped start the idea of Black History Month in the United States, working with Carter G. Woodson.

Dreer also reopened Douglass University, a college for African Americans in St. Louis, Missouri. He even started a bank for African Americans there. His old home is now a special historic place.

Growing Up and Learning

Herman Dreer was born on September 12, 1889, in Washington, D.C.. He went to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Later, he earned a master’s degree in Latin theology from the Virginia Theological Seminary, which is now called Virginia University of Lynchburg. He was also a member of a special academic honor society called Phi Beta Kappa.

The Dr. Herman S. Dreer House in 2017

Because he was African American, he was not allowed to attend state universities in Missouri. In 1955, he earned a PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago. His PhD paper was about "Negro Leadership in St. Louis: A Study in Race Relations."

Dreer's Career and Contributions

Teaching and Curriculum Development

In 1914, Dreer moved to St. Louis. He began teaching at Sumner High School. He soon realized that most Black students did not know much about African American history. Some even felt bad about the subject. Dreer saw this as a chance to create a proper way to teach this history. He strongly supported W. E. B. Du Bois' idea of "double-consciousness," which explored how African Americans saw themselves both as Americans and as Black individuals.

Dreer taught in the St. Louis Public Schools from 1915 to 1959. He also taught at Stowe Teachers College (now Harris–Stowe State University) from 1930 to 1942. From 1930 to 1945, he was the assistant principal at Sumner High School. In 1965, Dreer was a visiting professor at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois.

He wrote the entire African American History curriculum and programs for schools. These lessons covered everything from elementary school to college. Topics included Ancient Egyptians, the shaping of Africa, and the growth of East African nations. This was considered very new and bold at the time. He also created helpful materials for teachers of all grade levels.

Writing and Community Work

Dreer wrote for newspapers, including the Black-owned St. Louis Argus. He had a weekly column there called "Highlights of Negro History." He also wrote for Carter G. Woodson's journal, "Negro History." He put together a collection of writings by African American authors called American Literature by Negro Authors (1946).

In 1934, Dreer reopened Douglass University in St. Louis, Missouri. He also started the Carter G. Woodson School for Negro History. This was a Saturday morning class held at Annie Turnbo Malone's Poro Beauty College. These programs were important community efforts. They helped expand educational chances for Black people during a time of racial segregation. Douglass University was the only Black college in the city at that time.

Dreer also organized many pageant events. These were very popular during the St. Louis Negro History Week. They helped Black communities remember their history. He also helped organize the 39th yearly meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in St. Louis. Dreer served as a minister at the King’s Way Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1950 to 1970.

Personal Life

Herman Dreer married Mary Thomas, who had been one of his students, in 1912. They had two daughters together.

His home, the Dr. Herman S. Dreer House at 4335 Cote Brilliante Avenue, St. Louis, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The State Historical Society of Missouri keeps a collection of Dreer's important papers.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Louis north and west of downtown
• Sumner High School
• The Ville