Karl G. Maeser

Superintendent of the Church Educational System

In 1887, Maeser proposed creating a Church Board of Education to maintain and supervise LDS church schools. The board was created in April 1888. Maeser was a member, and was later appointed the superintendent of the Church Educational System. As superintendent, Maeser helped establish initial policies for new academies established by the church. He also helped train teachers, and gave suggestions on the architecture of new school designs. By 1889, Maeser oversaw 19 schools that operated under the academy system. The board awarded Maeser a Doctor of Letters and Didactics degree that same year. He also continued writing in the Juvenile Instructor in the 1890s to clarify church educational policies.

Maeser also served in the General Superintendency of the Deseret Sunday School Union. He was the Second Assistant to General Superintendent George Q. Cannon from July 1894 to January 1899. He then served as the First Assistant to Cannon from January 1899 until February 1901. Maeser participated in the Utah constitutional convention after Abraham Smoot's death in 1895. He proposed an article to support prohibition, but later backed down.

Educational philosophies

Maeser opposed educational philosophies of John Locke, who argued that education was for the elite only. Maeser recognized that Johann Bernhard Basedow had good ideas about treating students with kindness and removing physical punishment from the classroom; however, Maeser believed that "come, follow me" and not "thou shalt" were the best principles for teaching.

Monitorial system

Maeser included the Monitorial system from Andrew Bell and Joseph Lancaster in his teacher training courses. This system suggested that more advanced students monitored the less advanced students and that the layout of a classroom should allow one teacher to oversee a large number of students. Maeser believed that this system was flawed because it focused on developing efficiency and disregarded individuality. Maeser argued that the teacher should have more personal interactions with students. He implemented his monitorial organization so that each student would be responsible for something or someone else.

Pestalozzian educational theory

While attending the Friedrichstadt Teacher College, Maeser was exposed to Pestalozzian educational theory, which influenced his educational philosophy. Pestalozzi encouraged teachers to treat their students with kindness and respect, and to show love to their students, instead of evoking fear. Pestalozzi was also in favor of universal education and opposed separately educating different social classes. Maeser adopted many of his ideas. He supported the education of women. Maeser believed that students should be allowed to express themselves freely and choose their own careers. His lectures tried to engage students and help them understand concepts through their own experiences. He also included many object lessons to coach students to observe their surroundings and make connections.

Brigham Young Academy

Maeser was selected to be the founding principal of Brigham Young Academy (BYA) by Brigham Young, as it had been run by interim appointments since its founding. When Maeser arrived at BYA in 1876, during the school's "second experimental" term, enrollment had declined since its founding. 29 students enrolled at the beginning of Maeser's first term, but this number doubled by the end of the term. Maeser was the only teacher during this term and agreed to teach for $1200 per year.

Under Maeser's administration, the school was divided into different departments based on the ability of students. The lower divisions included the Primary, Preparatory, Intermediate, and Kindergarten departments while the higher divisions of the Academy included the Academic Department and the Normal School. Maeser oversaw the Normal School. Maeser also established a daily routine for the school. Over 3,000 different students enrolled at the Academy while Maeser was its principal. Maeser was very strict, and students that attended the Academy had to adhere to a standard of moral conduct. He also established training courses for teachers, and kept parents informed and sent monthly reports to them on the progress of their children.

In 1884, the Lewis building, where the academy first met, burned down.

The school struggled financially for some time and Maeser pondered going elsewhere, but a dream changed his mind. Maeser retired from Brigham Young Academy in 1892 to devote his time to his position as the Superintendent of Church Schools. He was succeeded by Benjamin Cluff.

Shortly before his death, Maeser was invited to speak at the anniversary of the founders day at the Maeser School, a public school named after him. The four chalkboards on which he wrote religious tenets are preserved at Brigham Young University.

Mid-winter Fair in San Francisco

Maeser presided over the California mission from January to August 1894 when he was replaced by Henry S. Tanner as president. Maeser's primary responsibility was to head the Utah exhibit at the Mid-winter Fair in San Francisco in 1894. The exposition was patterned after Chicago World's Fair of 1893, but Maeser's exhibit focused more on beliefs of the church and educational accomplishments of students in the church school systems. The church had an exhibit in the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building, and Maeser gave a series of lectures to bring more publicity to the church school exhibit. Utah's participation in the exhibit attempted to gain favor for its becoming a state. He and his companions helped distribute information about the history of Utah.