JESSE HOMER NEWLON
CURRICULUM THEORIST

Jesse H. Newlon served as
Superintendent of the Denver Public
Schools from 1920 to 1927, as Denver
became known for its innovations in
public education. He oversaw the
building of 15 schools and created a
program for curriculum revision in
which classroom teachers were the key
participants. He also gained consensus
for a salary schedule for elementary
and high school
Jesse H. Newlon became nationally known
and was a prominent leader in the
“progressive” education movement. He
was a leader in the National Education
Association. He believed that education is
a part of the total social and democratic
process. He believed that teachers must
be involved in curriculum and policy
decisions. (http://library.du.edu)
for teachers
whether they
taught elementary
or high school.
July 16, 1882 to September 1, 1941
He was the oldest of 8 children by Richard and
Arra Belle (Cauble) Newlon.
He married Letha
estand
December 2, 1909.
Hi

<<<<<SPELLER
These are pages from the “Newlon-Hanna
Speller Lower Grades” by Jesse H. Newlon and
Paul R. Hanna. (Houghton Mifflin Company,
1933)
SPELLER>>>>>
These are pages from the “Newlon-Hanna
Speller Lower Grades” by Jesse H. Newlon and
Paul R. Hanna. (Houghton Mifflin Company,
1933)
“The Newlon-Hanna
Speller Lower Grades” by
Jesse H. Newlon and Paul
R. Hanna. (Houghton
Mufflin Co. 1933)
“The Newlon-Hanna Day
by Day Speller” by Jesse
Newlon and Paul R &
Jean Shuman Hanna.
1947.
EDUCATION and CAREER TIMELINE:…(Information taken from Penrose Library, University of Denver,
located at 2150 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO 80208)
Jesse H. Newlon was born in Salem, Indiana on July 16, 1882. He graduated from the University of
Indiana with the B.A. degree in history in 1907. He received his M.A. degree in education from
Columbia University in 1914. He received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Denver in
1920.
He taught history, civics and mathematics in Indiana and Illinois high schools from 1905 to 1912. In
1912 he was promoted to principal of the high school at Lincoln, Nebraska. He was Superintendent
of schools from 1917 to 1927. Newlon left Denver in 1927 to become Director of Educator in the
Lincoln School of Teachers College, Columbia University. He served as Director until 1937 when he
became Director of the division of Foundations of Education at Columbia University. He served in
that capacity until his death on September, 1, 1941.
He was president of the National Educational Association (1924-25) and a member of the executive
boards of the Progressive Education Association and American Association of Adult Education. Jesse
H. H. Newlon was an associate editor of School Executive from 1927 until 1941. He wrote
Administration of Junior and Senior High Schools (with others, 1922), The New Social Civics (with Dr.
D. E. Phillips, 1926), The Newlon-Hanna Speller (with paul Hanna, 1933), Educational Administration
as Social Policy (1934), and Education for Democracy in Our Time (1939).
The Penrose Library is in possession of various collections and papers of Jesse H. Newlon. These
items include correspondence, newspaper clippings, articles, speeches, reports, manuscripts, and
education materials. The items are from 1916 to 1941 and highlight the Progressive Education
Movement in the 1920’s and 1930’s. (http://library.du.edu/site/about/specialCollections)
NEWLON/ EDUCATOR AND INNOVATOR:
Many educators of his time explored the ideas and meanings of Progressive educational thought and
theories, but Jesse Newlon proved that an educational administrator could stick to progressive ideals
while overseeing the operation of a large school complex. He was also very much a part of his
community.
During the early 1920’s, the ideals of Progressive education expressed by John Dewey and others,
were inspiring change and reform in public schools. In 1922, Newlon convinced the Denver school
board to support such a project arguing that he could also make the curriculum of the Denver
schools more efficient.
Newlon’s plan was different than others in that he believed that teachers, not school boards, should
be involved in curriculum development, and he appointed teacher committees to revise the
curriculum and courses of study. Teachers chaired the committees and Newlon even scheduled time
during the school week for teachers to work on these projects. He acknowledged the importance of
teacher collaboration and participation in the development of curriculum. Additionally, he even
insisted on a clerical staff to support the teacher’s committee work so that they would be able to
perform as teachers as well as be part of the committee process.
(http://education.stateuniversity.com)
Jesse Newlon and his committees of the Denver Curriculum Project worked to reconstruct courses
of study in subject areas at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. He was also able to
print the courses of study completed by the committees. By 1923, a professional library was
completed and had a full time librarian. Revision of curriculum was seen as a continuous process
which needed to be drawn from the latest educational research and theories. The teachers were
also encouraged to shape curriculum as needed in response to circumstances in the classroom,
from interactions with their students.
Newlon also realized the need for curriculum specialists. He appointed the first district-wide
curriculum administrator in the nation. Newlons ideas and practices attracted national attention at
the time. Not only because of his support of teachers and students as part of the process to create
curriculum, but also because of his establishment of an equal salary schedule, the development of
an exceptional library system and the organization of a permanent curriculum department. These
accomplishments all occurred while he was Superintendent of the Denver Public Schools. The
Denver high schools were selected to be participants in the Progressive Education Association’s
Eight-Year Study (1934-1942). Although Newlon had resigned as Denver Superintendent of Schools
in 1927 to become professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, it was
primarily because of his efforts that the Denver schools were selected as one of the six most
experimental and successful schools in the study.
Jesse Newlon served as professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University from 1927
to 1941 and was director of the Lincoln Experimental School at Columbia while participating in the
eight-year study.
(http://education.stateuniversity.com)
JESSE H. NEWLON WAS A PROMINENT LEADER IN THE
PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION MOVEMENT AND WAS A
LEADER IN THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
NEWLON BELIEVED THAT EDUCATION IS A PART OF
THE TOTAL SOCIAL AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND
THAT CLASSROOM TEACHERS MUST BE INVOLVED IN
CURRICULUM AND POLICY DECISIONS. (http://libanubis.cair.du.edu)
TIME COVER: Prince Konoye
of Japan.
July 22, 1940
In the July 22, 1940 edition of TIME Magazine (Prince Konoye
of Japan is on the cover), there was an article entitled,
“Newlon’s Confession” in the Education section. The article
references a speech made by Jesse Newlon in front of 1,000
visiting teachers at the summer session of Columbia
University’s Teacher College. He was 58 years old at the time
and made an extraordinary confession (according to the
author). The author characterized him as a longtime
spokesman of the left wing of U.S. teachers. He mentions that
Newlon was the onetime president of the National Education
Association. was the founder of the now extinct leftist
magazine, “Social Frontier”, and that he was a friend of a
famed Leftist Professor George Sylvester Counts. The author
calls Newlon’s presentation a dish of “crow.” In his speech,
Newlon talked about teachers having taught fallacies
regarding war and propaganda. For example, it had been
taught that war doesn’t settle anything, when the
Revolutionary War certainly did settle something. He also
said that a sentimental program of peace education had been
taught, and that there would be no peace until world
problems were solved. He said that propaganda analysis had
been taken to the extreme, to the point where our youth
didn’t believe in anything anymore. In his speech, Newlon
went on to say that loyalty to American democracy must be
taught directly and deliberately. He also said that loyalty to
American institutions must be taught so that youth will fight
for them, if necessary. You can read the whole article at
www.time.com by referencing the dates indicated.
SOVIET UNION TRIP:
Newlon’s speech referenced in the Time article, stressing the importance of democracy being taught
to students, was significantly as a result of a trip he took to the Soviet Union in 1937. He became
increasingly fearful of rising totalitarianism abroad. He devoted himself to spreading the ideals of
Progressive education by speaking frequently about the values of democracy and the school’s role
in the preservation of freedom. He was deeply affected by the loyalty oaths and authoritarian
conditions he saw in the schools in the Soviet Union. So much so, that it is believed to be the cause
of his failing health and eventual death in 1941. (http://education.stateuniversity.com)
Vita Marie Banister
5-19-11
REFERENCES:
University of Denver, Penrose Library. (http://library.du.edu).
Time Magazine (http://www.time.com), Education: “Newlon’s Confession” written July 22,
1940.
Jesse Newlon (1882-1941) Teachers, Curriculum, Denver, School, Education and Schools
(http//education.stateuniversity.com.
Images: Pages from “Newlon-Hanna Speller Lower Grades”, by Jesse H. Newlon and Paul R.
Hanna. (Houghton Mufflin Co. 1933). Pages from “The Newlon-Hanna Day by Day Speller” by
Jesse Newlon and Paul R. & Jean Shuman Hanna. (Houghton Mufflin Co. 1947)
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckyfairbanks
Images: Vintage representation of generic family of eight from the 1900’s. (google images),
Wedding bells (google images), www.google.com.