William McKinley School
The William McKinley School, located on the south-east corner of South 35th Street and Mickle Street, between Mickle Street and Fremont Avenue, was built by the Town of Stockton, and joined the Camden public school system in 1899 when Stockton was annexed by Camden. The school was named for President William McKinley, who had been elected in 1896.
The annexation of Stockton, in April 1899, brought eight new schools into the Camden school system. They were:
- Blaine School, Third (now 30th) and Green Streets.
- Washington School, Fourth (now 27th) and Cambridge Streets.
- Lincoln School, 28th Street and River Rd. (now River Avenue)
- Rosedale School, 3rd Street and Westfield Avenue;
- Harrison School, State (now Marlton Ave.) and High Streets;
- Garfield School, 29th and Master (now Cramer) Streets;
- McKinley School, 35th and Mickle Streets;
- Catto School, 30th and Erie (now Saunders) Streets.
Camden now had two schools named for Lincoln, one in East Camden and one on Kaighn Avenue. The commission changed the name of the Lincoln School on Kaighn Avenue to the Claudius W Bradshaw School, in memory of the former Democratic Mayor, who recently died. The wisdom of the name change, however, was “questioned by many sections, because Mr. Bradshaw had never been identified with the public schools.”
Longtime Camden Democrat party political leader Bernard J. “Barney” Tracy had the job of school custodian in the late 1940s, and most likely into the early 1950s. The school was declared unsafe in December of 1953 and closed, although whether the closing had to do with safety concerns or economic concerns is a matter of speculation.
William McKinley School
Camden Courier-Post —
To Address P.T.A.
Commissioner Clay W. Wreesman, director of Public Parks and Playgrounds in this city, will be the principal speaker at a meeting of the Parent-Teacher Association of the McKinley School to be held in the school house, this evening.
Another speaker will be Mrs. Van Dyke, who will talk on dairy products.
New Citizens Graduate from Y.M.C.A. Classes
Camden Courier-Post —
Diplomas and certificates were awarded 25 graduates of the Y.M.C.A. naturalization class last night.
They were presented by Herman Hensgen, chairman of the naturalization committee. The new citizens recently were naturalized by U.S. Judge John Boyd Avis and County Judge Samuel M. Shay.
Hensgen delivered the address of welcome. A zither duet was given by Eugene Heilig and John Gruetzer; recitation by Doris Graves, McKinley School; address by Rev. Elwood A. Harrar, pastor of First Baptist Church, and vocal solo by Alfred L. Huttelmeyer.
William C. Cramer, clerk of the U.S. District Court, presented certificates to the new citizens.
Pfefferle Disputed By Sherman on School Hazard
Camden Courier-Post —
Differ on Closing Of McKinley as ‘Fire Hazard’
Joseph T. Sherman, Board of Education member, today disputed a statement by Chief Engineer William Van Pfefferle the McKinley School was closed on the recommendation of the fire marshal.
Pfefferle previously had disagreed with findings of a State Department of Education Survey criticizing alleged conditions in a number of city schools. The existence of the survey findings was disclosed at a school board meeting Monday night by Sherman.
Pfefferle, commenting on the report, was quoted by Sherman as having stated the “McKinley School was the only school found to be a fire hazard and that the McKinley School was abandoned on the fire marshal’s recommendation.”
Disputed By Sherman
“That statement is not supported by one shred of evidence. The facts are to the contrary,” Sherman said. “On May 28 and June 10, 1953, special meetings of the Board of Education were called for the purpose of solely deciding whether to keep the McKinley boundaries and keep the school open or to abandon the school. The public was invited to attend and did so. Opposing groups argued the merits of continued use of the McKinley School. Commissioner Aaron, a member of the Board of Education and also Chief Pfefferle’s boss, as head of the Camden City Department of Public Safety, was present and participated.”
‘Widely Discussed’
“On June 29, 1953, the Board of Education after full public hearing decided to abandon McKinley School. At no time was there any recommendation presented by the chief or any other representative of the fire department about McKinley School being a fire hazard.
“The McKinley question was widely discussed. Certainly if the chief knew the school was a fire hazard, he owed a public duty to present those facts known to him, but he did not do so. He now states that he did. I challenge him to substantiate his statement that McKinley School was abandoned on the fire marshal’s recommendation. How can this man, after the making of such a statement, expect the board or the public to rely upon such other statements as he has been called upon to make?”
Explains Own Stand
“I want to clear up one point. I didn’t make the report that classified many of our schools as unsatisfactory because of non-correctable fire hazards. I merely disclosed the existence of such a report which many had good reason to hope remained hidden. If the disclosure of such a report is politics, then I’m proud to participate in that type of politics.
“I notice that a leading city politician and an ardent supporter of Mayor Brunner has termed such a revelation as politically inspired for votes. I’m thankful that I can make a disclosure which the public is entitled to know about and let the public judge my motives. I will continue to oppose any politician, no matter how big, who is opposed to the people being informed of the condition of our schools.”