Jennie E. Howard: Papers, 1900-1924 | 50.1
Historical Sketch:
Jennie E. Howard, daughter of B. Howard, was born near Boston in July 1841. She was raised in North Prescott, Massachusetts, and attended Worcester Academy before entering Framingham Normal School in March 1864. She graduated from FNS in February 1866 and soon began her teaching career in Worchester grade schools. Eventually, she began work in school administration.
In 1883, Howard and twenty-two other American teachers traveled to Argentina at the request of the country’s Minister of Education, Domingo Sarmiento. Upon their arrival in Buenos Aires, the teachers rested for two weeks before being divided into two small groups that were directed to different parts of the country to study Spanish. Howard – along with a fellow Framingham graduate, Edith Howe from the Class of July 1867 – was off to Parana. After four months of study in Parana, the two women assisted in the organization of the Girls’ Normal School of Corrientes, where they would remain for two years.
Following this experience, Howard became regent and vice-directress of the Girls’ Normal School of Cordoba. She remained in this position for two years before being transferred to the Mixed Normal School of San Nicholas where she was employed as regent and a professor of Pedagogic Criticism and Arithmetic. She held this position for sixteen years. A book entitled In Distant Climes and Other Years, which documented Howard’s experiences working in Argentina, was published after her death.
In December 1903, Howard was forced to retire due to illness, though she continued to serve as an emeritus educational advisor and teach English to a few private pupils. Known in her adopted country as “Signorite Juan,” Howard also participated in women’s affairs in the American colony in Buenos Aires. Howard died in Buenos Aires in 1931.
Scope and Content:
Collection consists of typescript of In Distant Climes and Other Years, article in June 4, 1908 issue of “Journal of Education,” letters, photographs, carte-de-vistes, and postcards related to Howard’s posthumous publication, In Distant Climes.
Provenance: Gift of Alumni Association, 1950
Amount: 1 box
Container List:
B.1
f.1 Typescript, In Distant Climes and Other Years
f.2 Correspondence, 1914, 1924
f.3 Article, “American Teachers in the Argentine,” Journal of Education, June 4, 1908
f.4 Photographs of medal presented to Jennie Howard, n.d.
f.5 Photograph, postcards, carte-de-visite, Chapter 1, “The Beginning and Ending of a Voyage Over Distant Seas.” Landing at low tide
f.6 Photograph, Chapter 2, “Domingo F. Sarmiento – Visions Verified.” The former summer home of Sarmiento on the Tigre River near Buenos Aries in ruins and in process of restoration, n.d.
f.7 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 3, “American Teachers make Dreams, Realities.” Parana River in sailing toward Corrientes; city of Jujuy; city of Catamarca at the foot of the Andes, n.d.
f.8 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 4, “Farther and Still Farther Away.” Building in which the Normal School of Corrientes was first inaugurated in 1884; view on the banks of the Parana River near the city of Corrientes; old port of Parana at 5 o’clock in the morning in time of high water, n.d.
f.9 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 5, “Life in San Juan de Las Siete Corrientes.” Group of pupils of the second year of the Normal School in the city of Corrientes; partial view of the city of Corrientes; partial view of the southeastern part of the city of Corrientes; historical Colum erected on the spot where the first Spaniards in 1588 built a cross; view in the city of Corrientes; view in Corrientes of an old, sad-looking city dating from 1588; washerwomen of former times, n.d.
f.10 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 6, “Old Customs and Some Episodes.” Ombu de Perdriet; Argintine Guacho with guitar; overview in camp or country; seller of brooms and ostrich feathers; pampas grass, n.d.
f.11 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 7, “Cordoba of the Southern Cross.” Sierras de Cordoba and Cordoba Hills; Inglesia San Francisco in Cordoba; city of Cordoba; cathedral of Cordoba; a building/hotel occupied by the normal school of Cordoba for three years, nd.
f.12 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 8, “The Years in San Nicolas de Los Arroyos.” Inca Lake; hills about Cordoba, n.d.
f.13 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 9, “Work in San Nocolas (Continued).” San Nicolas—Plaza Constitution (2); San Nicolas-Calle Bartolome Mitre; one of the buildings in which the normal school at San Nicolas was housed, n.d.
f.14 Photographs, Chapter 10, “The Pampa.” View showing barred windows and the custom of driving from door to door the calf with the cow; view of the great cemetery of Buenos Aires ‘Recoleta,” n.d.
f.15 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 11, “The Washington of Argentina.” Interior of ranch or gaucho home with cradle; gaucho taking and roasting meat; life among the gauchos on the pampas; in the great cemetery of Buenos Aires “Recoleta;” the ombre—lighthouse of the pampas; a guacho, n.d.
f.16 Postcard and photograph, Chapter 12, “Resume of the Work of the American Teachers.” Gen. Bartolome Mitre—the “Washington of Argentina,” n.d.
f.17 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 13, “Resume of the Work of the American Teachers (Continued).” Santa FeNormal School; Normal School of Jujuy; Belgarano School in Corrientes; Modern normal school of Cordoba, n.d.
f.18 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 14, “A Rip Van Winkle Awakening.” Santa Fe Normal school; Interior view of normal school at San Juan; Colon theater and opera house; Railway Clearing House; Jockey club; subway in Buenos Aires; partial view of modern Buenos Aires; beautiful parks everywhere, including Palmero Park; cathedral; modern buildings climbing into the air on all sides; first normal school at Catamore; Normal School of professors in Buenos Aires; Normal School in city of La Plaza; palatial hotels of several stories, n.d.
f.19 Postcards and photographs, Chapter 15, “The Ledged of the Lake of Gold.” Former private residence of ex-president [Casa Particular]; building where the Bureau of Education is housed; Fuente…Lola Mora – Designed by a normal school graduate; interior of the great railway station; view of the present port of Buenos Aires; exterior of the great railway station; beautiful parks; great seaside resort at Mar Del Plata called “The Rambler;” tall grain elevators; fine wharfs line almost five miles of waterfront; our magnificent railway station, n.d.
f.20 Photographs, Miscellaneous: one of our beautiful parks, type of Argentine beauty (4), Buenos Aires in former times, some teachers of long diligence arrived at San Juan, Catamarca, and Jujuy (mountain provinces) n.d.
f.21 Photograph, Domingo F. Sarmiento, n.d.
f.22 Original enclosures, labels for photos, n.d.
f.23 Letter, 1931 [Found in copy of In Distant Climes… in Alumni Collection]