"Tennessee Trails" through Bedford County
Philander Priestly Claxton was born in Bedford county, on the 28th of September, 1862, a son of Joshua Calvin and Anne Elizabeth (Jones) Claxton. In the acquirement of his early education he attended the public schools of his native county and in due time enrolled in the University of Tennessee. He was graduated from that institution with the A. B. degree in 1882 and in 1887 the A. M. degree was conferred upon him. He was a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University in 1884 and 1885, and he attended schools in Germany in 1885 and 1886, and spent the year 1897 in visiting the schools of Europe. The Litt. D. degree was conferred upon him by Bates College in 1906 and the LL. D. degree by the Western Reserve University in 1912, the University of North Carolina in 1914, and Allegheny College in 1915.
Dr. Claxton was superintendent of schools in Kinston, North Carolina, 1883-4; Wilson, 1886-8; Asheville, 1888-93; and he was professor of German and pedagogy, 1893-6; professor of pedagogy and director of the Practice and Observation School of the North Carolina State Normal and Teachers School, 1896-1902; professor of education, 1902-1911; professor of secondary education and inspector of high schools, 1906-11, University of Tennessee; and on the 1st of July, 1911, he was appointed United States commissioner of education. He was editor of the North Carolina Journal of Education, 1897-1901; the Atlanta Educational Journal, 1901-3; a member of the Southern Educational Board, chief bureau of investigation and information, 1902-3; and superintendent of the Summer School of the South, 1902-11. He is a member of the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission, a director of the Moral Educational Board; a member of the council of the National Education Association and Southern Educational Association; a director of the Playground Association of America; chairman of the executive committee of the National Story Tellers' League; and is associated with various peace societies. He is the author of several works, among them "Effective English," which has had a wide circulation.
Transcribed and contributed by Christine Walters July 13, 2006
Source: Tennessee the Volunteer State Vol 3
