What Arthur Said

In 1901, Francis Wayland Parker, the father of progressive education in the United States, collaborated with Anita McCormick Blaine, a wealthy Chicago heiress, philanthropist and political activist, to open a private school named in his honor on the North Side of Chicago. One of the most influential schools of the early twentieth century, the teachers hired to educate according to Parker’s methods were innovative and influential in their reach. Arthur G. Merrill joined the faculty in 1902 as a German and Latin instructor, later also teaching Spanish and French. The reach of Arthur’s professional influence was wide, as was his personal influence on those who knew him well, especially his family.

Arthur Guy Merrill, born on May 31, 1872 in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, was the oldest child of George G. Merrill, a stone mason, and Emma Field Merrill, a former school teacher. He attended Williams College, graduating in 1894, followed by work in various teaching positions in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, in addition to several trips to Europe for continued language and cultural studies. In 1902 he was approached by I. Merrill Carley, the associate principal of the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago (and also Arthur’s first cousin), to join the faculty the following fall.

Arthur made the most of this opportunity—he didn’t do anything without giving it 150% effort. Upon his acceptance of the teaching position at the F.W. Parker School, his cousin wrote him:

As for teaching the German in connection with other subjects, that is something that is earnestly desired—but the how rests entirely with yourself. In fact It has not been done heretofore but it is one of the means of economy and time and effort which we are trying to bring about, in drawing all the subjects of study into the relations in which they actually exist in life.” (Mar. 22, 1902)

Arthur took that guidance and gave it his own signature. While at the school, he compiled, edited, and sold subscriptions to a German language magazine, "Aus Nah Und Fern,” a supplementary text for students of the German language consisting of authentic German language articles based on current events, travel, and life in foreign countries. By 1911, he had 5000 subscriptions from around the United States, including an order for 200 copies from one New York City high school alone.

He later launched El Panorama for Spanish students and Le Monde Français for students of French. Traveling to Germany, France, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, Arthur was able to make connections to secure articles for his magazines, then during summer breaks peddled the publications throughout the United States, venturing as far as Arizona and California selling subscriptions. As an early leader in the concept of progressive education, Arthur too used the idea that students learn best through authentic, interactive materials. These ideas in language education were revolutionary and experimental at the time, not gaining widespread usage until the 1970s.

Arthur’s influence went even further in his Chicago community. From November 1908 to March 1909, he was invited to live as a resident staff member at Hull House, a settlement house established by social reformer Jane Addams in the late 1800s. In fact it was Jane Addams herself who invited Arthur to temporarily reside in and contribute to the community by teaching a couple of night classes per week, as well as by attending to operational duties, such as monitoring the comings and goings of the community members the settlement house served.. He wrote back to his family in Massachusetts, explaining what his role would be within this unique community, “Each resident at Hull House pays his way of course and in addition gives two evenings each week to the work of the house. I have been substituting in English while I have been here...” (Nov. 15, 1908)

At Hull House, Arthur worked with immigrants from all over the world, describing in detail the different populations served, the Greeks, the Italians, and the Germans. He recounts having discussions about “the Balkan question” with the Bulgarians, the Macedonians, and the Albanians. Arthur clearly thrived on these social interactions and seems to have attempted to understand the cultural workings of his students’ homelands. He describes how in an exercise used in one of his classes, he asked students “to present the point of view of the powers regarding the Balkan question, especially Austria’s position, then also the attitude of the smaller states of the Balkan peninsula.” (Nov 15 1908) He encouraged dialogue, ostensibly for his own understanding of the political situation that brought his new students to Chicago. By prompting discussion on a topic so relevant to their circumstances, Arthur was recognizing his students' situation and expressing high regard for their situation in society.

His role as a teacher was not the only means by which Arthur Merrill influenced those who knew him best. As the eldest in his family, with five younger siblings, Arthur had a lot of advice and life experience to share. His four younger brothers and one younger sister looked up to him; he gave them advice when they asked, and even when they didn’t. In 1903, he encouraged youngest brother Eddie to look at the University of Chicago for academic study, and a year later asked his sister Alice to consider the university for herself. While neither ended up attending the University of Chicago, Alice did follow her oldest brother into the foreign language field, also becoming a German professor and studying the language and culture abroad as Arthur had. 

Arthur relentlessly wrote letters, often very long ones, once mentioning that he wrote an average of nine letters a day, five of them business related. His letters home contained incredible detail, once even a schematic of his apartment on the north side of Chicago to illustrate to his parents how much space he had, enough space for them to come stay for the summer. When brother Philip had not been heard from for several months in 1909 while living in northern Arizona, Arthur took out an ad in a Flagstaff newspaper in order to locate Philip, then followed up by stopping there on his way west later that year while making stops to sell his German magazine.

Sometimes it's the supporting players in a community that have the farthest reach and greatest influence. Those supporting players could be employees, residents of a community, or a family member. Arthur’s dedication to his family, to his students, and to his community astound me, influencing me to be a better person. If he were alive today, Arthur would be fascinated with the internet, perplexed at the state of education, and even more flabbergasted by the social and political state of the world. The ideas he left me to ponder in the hundreds of letters he wrote about language teaching, about family, about the culture in early twentieth century Chicago keep me wondering “What would Arthur think of this?” when I am recounting family stories and documenting the influence they had on me. Arthur would be proud, I think, and then go on to give me advice on my various writing projects. If I could go back in time to have dinner with anyone in my family, it would be Arthur. I would learn the most from. Because I still am learning from him. And I still have so many questions for him to answer.