HMann

Horace Mann was the valedictorian of the Brown University class of 1819 and attended the Tapping Reeve Law School at Litchfield, CT. A successful Boston attorney, he became the first secretary of the first ever state board of education in America for Massachusetts in 1837. His twelve annual reports on education continue to have significance today. In Congress (1848-1852) he worked for internal improvements such as railroads, but is best known for his outspoken opposition to slavery and his intense rivalry with Daniel Webster. Fiercely non-denominational, Mann was attracted to Antioch's first presidency for its non-sectarian status as much as its revolutionary stance on coeducation. Though he labored under intense difficulties and died in office, Mann left Antioch with a lasting sense of purpose that carries through to the present day.