Education at The Principia: Selections from Letters, Messages, and Statements by Mary Kimball Morgan

Morgan, Mary Kimball. Education at The Principia: Selections from Letters, Messages, and Statements by Mary Kimball Morgan. St. Louis: The Principia, (1965) 2013.

This collection of notes and writings were originally gathered by Frederic Morgan, son of the founder of The Principia, Mary Kimball Morgan, and a committee of staff who had worked at the school during Mrs. Morgan’s leadership. Final selections were made by Edwin S. Leonard, author of As the Sowing, an early history of The Principia. The collection is thematically organized in seven sections focused on advice to parents, teachers and staff, the Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, students and alumni, and development. Recognizing the important responsibilities and possibilities of education of youth, Morgan wrote these practical, spiritually-based insights from a well of deep wisdom, based on fundamental principles and adherence to morality and ethics. She expected goodness in all, while addressing the foibles of human nature. Morgan defines education as “that which means the unfolding of individual capabilities along all right lines—physical, mental, moral, and spiritual. It should begin with infancy and go on eternally” (6). Each piece is illuminated by a short preface explaining the setting, context and purpose; and while written decades ago, and first published in 1965, they remain fresh and relevant today. Their wisdom is of interest to all readers interested in education and character development.