Thomasites
Encyclopedia
The Thomasites is a group of about five hundred pioneer American
teachers sent by the U.S. government to the Philippines
in August 1901.
and to train Filipino
teachers, with English
as the medium of instruction
.
. The Philippines had enjoyed a public school system since 1863, when a Spanish decree first introduced public elementary education in the Philippines. However, the Thomasites expanded and improved the public school system, and switched to English as the medium of instruction.
The name Thomasite was derived from the transport vessel, the USS Thomas
(formerly Minnewaska), that brought them to the shores of Manila Bay. Although two groups of new American graduates arrived in the Philippines before the USS Thomas, the name Thomasite became the designation of all pioneer American teachers simply because the USS Thomas had the largest contingent. Later batches of American teachers were also dubbed as the Thomasites.
The Thomasites, 365 males and 165 females, left Pier 12 of San Francisco on July 23, 1901 to sail via the Pacific Ocean
to South East Asia. The U.S. government spent about $105,000 for the expedition. More American teachers followed the Thomasites in 1902, making a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines.
At the time, the Thomasites were offered $125 a month, but once in the Philippines salaries were often delayed, and were usually paid in devalued Mexican
pesos
.
Although the Thomasites were the largest group of pioneers with the purpose of educating the Filipinos, they were not the first to be deployed by Washington, D.C.
A few weeks before the arrival of the USS Thomas, U.S. Army soldiers had already began teaching Filipinos the English language, thus in effect laying down the foundation of the Philippine public school system. The U.S. Army opened the Philippines’ first public school in Corregidor Island, after Admiral George Dewey
vanquished the Spanish Pacific fleet in Manila Bay
on May 1, 1898. Also, a few weeks before the USS Thomas, another group composed of 48 American teachers also arrived in the Philippines aboard the Sheridan
.
After President William McKinley
’s appointment of William Howard Taft
as the head of a commission that would be responsible for continuing the educational work started by the U.S. Army, the Taft Commission
passed Education Act No. 34 on January 21, 1901, which established the Department of Public Instruction. The latter was then given the task of establishing a public school system throughout the Philippines. The Taft Commission also authorized the further deployment of 1,000 more educators from the U.S. to the Philippines.
d for two days after their arrival on August 21, 1901, the Thomasites were finally able to disembark from the USS Thomas. They travelled from the customs house near the Anda Circle then stayed at the walled city Intramuros
, Manila
before being given initial provincial assignments which included Albay
, Catanduanes
, Camarines Norte
, Camarines Sur
, Sorsogon
, Masbate
, Samar
, Zambales
, Aparri, Jolo
, Negros, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bataan
, Batangas
, Pangasinan
and Tarlac
.
) and the Philippine School of Arts and Trades (now Technological University of the Philippines
) in 1901, the Tarlac High School on September 21, 1902 and the Quezon National High School
(now, Tayabas High School), also in 1902.
The Thomasites also reopened the Philippine Nautical School, which was originally established by the Board of Commerce of Manila in 1839 under Spain
. About a hundred of the Thomasites stayed on to live in the Philippines after finishing their teaching assignments. They transformed the Philippines into the third largest English-speaking nation in the world and they became the precursors of the present-day U.S. Peace Corps
Volunteers.
For their contribution to Philippine education, the Thomasites Centennial Project was established in cooperation with American Studies associations in the Philippines, the Philippine-American Educational Foundation, the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila, and other leading cultural and educational institutions in the Philippines.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teachers sent by the U.S. government to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in August 1901.
Foundation, purpose and etymology
The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August 12, 1901 to establish a new public school system, to teach basic educationBasic education
Basic education refers to the whole range of educational activities taking place in various settings , that aim to meet basic learning needs. According to the International Standard Classification of Education , basic education comprises primary education and lower secondary education...
and to train Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
teachers, with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as the medium of instruction
Medium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
.
. The Philippines had enjoyed a public school system since 1863, when a Spanish decree first introduced public elementary education in the Philippines. However, the Thomasites expanded and improved the public school system, and switched to English as the medium of instruction.
The name Thomasite was derived from the transport vessel, the USS Thomas
USS Thomas (1894)
USAT Thomas was a United States Army transport ship, launched as the SS Persia in 1894, having been built for the Hamburg America Line's service to New York. She was bought by the Atlantic Transport Line in 1897 because she was "practically a sister" to other Massachusetts class of ships already...
(formerly Minnewaska), that brought them to the shores of Manila Bay. Although two groups of new American graduates arrived in the Philippines before the USS Thomas, the name Thomasite became the designation of all pioneer American teachers simply because the USS Thomas had the largest contingent. Later batches of American teachers were also dubbed as the Thomasites.
The Thomasites, 365 males and 165 females, left Pier 12 of San Francisco on July 23, 1901 to sail via the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to South East Asia. The U.S. government spent about $105,000 for the expedition. More American teachers followed the Thomasites in 1902, making a total of about 1,074 stationed in the Philippines.
At the time, the Thomasites were offered $125 a month, but once in the Philippines salaries were often delayed, and were usually paid in devalued Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
pesos
Pesos
Pesos may refer to** Peso, the currency, in plural form* Fenfluramine, by the trade name Pesos...
.
Although the Thomasites were the largest group of pioneers with the purpose of educating the Filipinos, they were not the first to be deployed by Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
A few weeks before the arrival of the USS Thomas, U.S. Army soldiers had already began teaching Filipinos the English language, thus in effect laying down the foundation of the Philippine public school system. The U.S. Army opened the Philippines’ first public school in Corregidor Island, after Admiral George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
vanquished the Spanish Pacific fleet in Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
on May 1, 1898. Also, a few weeks before the USS Thomas, another group composed of 48 American teachers also arrived in the Philippines aboard the Sheridan
Sheridan
-Given name:*Sheridan Le Fanu , Irish novelist and short-story writer*Sheridan Morley , broadcaster and writer*Sheridan Smith , British actress*Sheridan Tongue , British composer-Surname:...
.
After President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
’s appointment of William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
as the head of a commission that would be responsible for continuing the educational work started by the U.S. Army, the Taft Commission
Taft Commission
The Taft Commission, also known as Second Philippine Commission was established by United States President William McKinley on March 16, 1900. The Commission was the legislature of the Philippines, then known as the Philippine Islands under the sovereign control of the United States during the...
passed Education Act No. 34 on January 21, 1901, which established the Department of Public Instruction. The latter was then given the task of establishing a public school system throughout the Philippines. The Taft Commission also authorized the further deployment of 1,000 more educators from the U.S. to the Philippines.
Assignments
After being quarantineQuarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
d for two days after their arrival on August 21, 1901, the Thomasites were finally able to disembark from the USS Thomas. They travelled from the customs house near the Anda Circle then stayed at the walled city Intramuros
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
before being given initial provincial assignments which included Albay
Albay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....
, Catanduanes
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first...
, Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet and the province borders Quezon to the west and Camarines Sur to the south.-Demographics:...
, Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
, Sorsogon
Sorsogon
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north...
, Masbate
Masbate
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...
, Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
, Aparri, Jolo
Jolo
Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
, Negros, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
, Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
, Pangasinan
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
and Tarlac
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
.
Curriculum 1902-1935
The Thomasites taught the following subjects: English, agriculture, reading, grammar, geography, mathematics, general courses, trade courses, housekeeping and household arts (sewing, crocheting and cooking), manual trading, mechanical drawing, freehand drawing and athletics (baseball, track and field, tennis, indoor baseball and basketball).Legacy
The Thomasites built upon the contributions laid down by the U.S. Army. They built elementary schools and learning institutions such as the Philippine Normal School (now Philippine Normal UniversityPhilippine Normal University
The Philippine Normal University is a public national university in the Philippines established during the early days of American rule of the Philippine Islands. Pursuant to a law passed by the Philippine Congress, Republic Act No...
) and the Philippine School of Arts and Trades (now Technological University of the Philippines
Technological University of the Philippines
The Technological University of the Philippines -History:The Technological University of the Philippines was established upon the enactment of Organic Act No. 74 by the Philippine Commission in 1901. TUP was known then as the Manila Trade School with the primary intention of developing the dignity...
) in 1901, the Tarlac High School on September 21, 1902 and the Quezon National High School
Quezon National High School
Quezon National High School is a public secondary science high school located at Brgy. Iyam, Lucena City, Philippines with more than 11,000 enrolleess from first year to fourth year, placing it as the 2nd Most Populated School in the country....
(now, Tayabas High School), also in 1902.
The Thomasites also reopened the Philippine Nautical School, which was originally established by the Board of Commerce of Manila in 1839 under Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. About a hundred of the Thomasites stayed on to live in the Philippines after finishing their teaching assignments. They transformed the Philippines into the third largest English-speaking nation in the world and they became the precursors of the present-day U.S. Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
Volunteers.
For their contribution to Philippine education, the Thomasites Centennial Project was established in cooperation with American Studies associations in the Philippines, the Philippine-American Educational Foundation, the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila, and other leading cultural and educational institutions in the Philippines.
List of some Thomasite teachers
- George G. Adams, married a Filipino named Esperanza Nolasco in Aparri
- Charles John Anderson - Alumnus from Harvard his first assignment (1901-1902)was in Lucena and served as assistant principal of Tayabas High School. In 1903 to 1905, assigned as supervising teacher in Indang, Cavite and established the Indang Intermediate School (now known as Cavite State University) in 1904.
- Mr. Allen, died due to smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
at NagaNaga CityThe City of Naga is a first class independent component city in the Philippines...
, Cebu - Thaddeus Delos Anglemyer, husband of Philinda RandPhilinda RandPhilinda Parsons Rand Anglemyer was an American English-language teacher in the Philippines. She was among the pioneering five hundred Thomasites who landed on the shores of the Philippines in August 1901 on board the U.S. sea vessel, USS Thomas, a converted cattle ship.-Biography:Rand is a...
- Mr. Badger, died of choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
at Malasiqui, PangasinanPangasinanPangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
, buried in ManilaManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
; his widow was also a Thomasite who decided to remain in the Philippines with her two sons - Henry H. Balch, former principal of Quezon National High SchoolQuezon National High SchoolQuezon National High School is a public secondary science high school located at Brgy. Iyam, Lucena City, Philippines with more than 11,000 enrolleess from first year to fourth year, placing it as the 2nd Most Populated School in the country....
- James D. Barry
- Audrey Boyle, former principal of Quezon National High SchoolQuezon National High SchoolQuezon National High School is a public secondary science high school located at Brgy. Iyam, Lucena City, Philippines with more than 11,000 enrolleess from first year to fourth year, placing it as the 2nd Most Populated School in the country....
- Harry Cole, husband of another Thomasite, Mary Cole
- Mr. Collins, drowned en route to Cebu from Negros, buried in Dumaguete
- Edwin CopelandEdwin CopelandEdwin Bingham Copeland was an American botanist and agriculturist. In 1909, he founded the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna—what is now known as the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, and served as its dean and also as a professor of plant physiology for eight...
, first dean of UP College of Agriculture and founder of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. - Austin Craig, an American expert on José RizalJosé RizalJosé Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
- The Davis family, husband and wife with five children
- Mr. Floyd Engle
- Mary Fee, author of An American Woman’s Impression of the Philippines, reprinted by GCF Books
- Paul Gilbert
- C. Goddard, a Catholic UniversityThe Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
graduate - Hattie Grove, the English-language teacher of Carlos P. RomuloCarlos P. RómuloCarlos Peña Rómulo was a Filipino diplomat, politician, soldier, journalist and author. He was a reporter at 16, a newspaper editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32...
- Mr. Guernsey, died after succumbing to diphtheria at Balayan, BatangasBatangasBatangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
- A.V.H. HartendorpA.V.H. HartendorpAbraham Van Haymenges Hartendorp , commonly known as A.V.H. Hartendorp or A.V. Hartendorp, was an American writer, editor, Thomasite, and filipinologist. He was the founder and publisher of the Philippine Magazine, a magazine formerly known as Philippine Education Magazine when it was still a...
, the founder and publisher of the Philippine Magazine - Harvey Edgar Hostetter, stationed in Panay (1914 to 1917)
- The Hilt family, husband and wife with three children, from HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
- Mr. Jamizon, died due to choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
while at Dinalupihan, Bataan - Maud Jarman
- Adeline Knapp
- Frederic Marquardt, is himself a son of a pioneer Thomasite, who went back to the Philippines in 1987 to unveil a bust of his father.
- Roy Matthews
- Roderick McCloud, served as the superintendent in the town of Laguna
- Blaine Free Moore
- Benjamin Neal
- James O'Hara
- Luther Park
- Philinda Rand
- Delight Rice, founder of the Manila School of the Deaf in 1907 (see Filipino Sign LanguageFilipino Sign LanguageFilipino Sign Language or Philippine Sign Language, is a form of manual and visual communication that utilize hand gestures. FSL is used by deaf individuals, people unable to communicate verbally and people who are FSL interpreters in the Philippines.FSL has a very strong influence from American...
) - Carrie Rice Shaw, also wrote a poem while on board the USS Thomas en route to the Philippines
- E. E. Schneider, author of the poem, "To the Philippine Teachers" which was written in 1901 while aboard the USS Thomas, en route to the Philippines
- George R. Summers, later married Trinidad Agcaoili and father of Helen Summers Brown>
- The Townsend family, husband, wife and three children, from Hawaii
- Frank Russell White, assigned in Tarlac
- Ralph Wendell Taylor
- George William Satterthwaite, first assigned in San Jose, Antique where he met and married Dolores Tiscar, "The Thomasite Who Stayed."
External links
- Log of the Thomas (archived from the original on 2001-04-02).