Boston Public Schools Historical Research: What's in a Name?
BPS History
Home - General histories of the Boston Public School system and individual schools
Busing Crisis - The most controversial era for the Boston Public Schools
Official Records - Available from the Boston Public Library or the Boston Public School Department
Schools - Researching specific school names, school buildings and images
Yearbooks - Finding yearbooks for specific schools
What's in a Name?
Ever wonder who the Snowden in Snowden International School was? Or why the Hennigan school is named after James W. Hennigan? The history of naming Boston public schools is as rich and varied as the history of the schools. Try the sources below for the school name that intrigues you.
For some of the recently-named schools, you may need to try more current proceedings of the School Committee or the Boston City Council and/or local newspapers.
- 1865 Report on Naming Primary School HousesA Special Committee was appointed to investigate naming Boston's primary schools after "...distinguished citizens who have interested themselves in the well-being of our public schools..."
- 1913 Annual Report of the School SuperintendentAppendix E includes a table stating as "concisely as possible" the origin of the names of Boston's elementary schools at that time.
- 1935 Annual Report of the School SuperintendentSupplement to the above report updating the school name origins since 1913.
- Annual Report of the School Commitee of the City of Boston
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School Department reports to the School Committee from 1847-1976/77.
- Boston teachers news letterCall Number: 5590a.93Publication Date: 1930-1931This Boston Teachers' Club newsletter included a series of articles from 1930-31 on the origin of Boston Public School names.
- Reports of proceedings by
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Call Number: 6350.2Publication Date: 1868-School naming (or renaming) after 1935 may be recorded in the Proceedings. Catalog record includes links to each year's digitized edition. - What's in a name? names of Boston's schools, their origin by
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Call Number: LA306.B67 W53 1980Publication Date: 1980Names of Boston's public elementary and middle schools and their origin
- Boston Globe (1872-1992) via Proquest This link opens in a new windowSearchable full-page and article reproductions back to the first issue on March 4, 1872. Coverage: Morning Edition only.
- Boston Globe (1980-Present) This link opens in a new windowProvides full-text articles for staff-written news items, feature stories, columns, and editorials for the Boston Globe. Coverage: 1980-present