Editing Henry Barnard (section)

==Biography==
He  was born in [[Hartford, Connecticut]] on January 24, 1811<ref name=Cyclopaedia>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lcVKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA505 |title=The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography |volume=I |publisher=James T. White & Company |page=505 |year=1893 |access-date=2021-04-29 |via=Google Books}}</ref> and attended [[Wilbraham & Monson Academy]]. He graduated from [[Yale University]] in 1830 and was admitted to the Connecticut [[Bar association|bar]] in 1835. In 1837–1839, he was a member of the [[Connecticut House of Representatives]],<ref>''Roll of State Officers and Members of General Assembly of Connecticut from 1776-1881'', Press of the Cass, Lockwood & Brainard Co.: 1881, pg. 387-389</ref> effecting in 1838 the passage of a bill, drafted and introduced by himself, which provided for "the better supervision of the common schools", and established a board of "commissioners of common schools" in the state.  He was the secretary of the board from 1838 until its abolition in 1842, and during this time worked indefatigably to reorganize and reform the common school system of the state, thus earning a national reputation as an educational reformer.<ref name=Monroe>{{cite book |first=Will Seymour |last=Monroe| author-link = Will Seymour Monroe|year=1893 |title=The educational labors of Henry Barnard: a study in the history of American pedagogy |publisher=C. W. Bardeen |url= https://archive.org/details/educationallabo01monrgoog|page={{page needed|date=March 2011}}}}</ref>

In 1843, he was appointed by the governor of [[Rhode Island]] agent to examine the public schools of the state, and recommended improvements; and his work resulted in the reorganization of the school system two years later. From 1845 to 1849, he was the first commissioner of public schools in the state, and his administration was marked by a decided step in educational progress. In 1845, Barnard established the first "Rhode Island Teachers Institute" at [[Smithville Seminary]].

Returning to Connecticut, from 1851 to 1855, he was "superintendent of common schools", and principal of the [[Connecticut State Normal School]] at [[New Britain, Connecticut]].<ref name=Monroe/>

In 1852, Barnard was offered the newly created position of [[President of the University of Michigan]], but he declined. From 1859 to 1860, he was chancellor of the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] and agent of the board of regents of the normal school fund; in 1866 he was president of [[St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe)|St. John's College]] in [[Annapolis, Maryland]]; and from 1867 to 1870 he was the first [[United States Commissioner of Education]], and in this position he laid the foundation for the subsequent work of the [[Bureau of Education]].<ref name=Monroe/>

He was awarded [[American Library Association Honorary Membership]] in 1893.