Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
OLDT, Franklin T.
OLDT, Franklin T. (New Berlin, PA, Jan. 6. 1853--Dubuque, IA, Jan. 21, 1927). At the age of eighteen, Oldt graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania as the youngest member of his class. He received his master of arts degree in 1874. (1) He taught for two years and then was chosen to be the principal of the Winnebago school in Winnebago County, Illinois. From 1875 to 1892, he was the superintendent of the Lanark school in Illinois; served as superintendent in Green Bay, Wisconsin for one year and moved Freeport, Illinois as the superintendent from 1893 to 1895. (2) He was once a nominee for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Illinois.
On April 19, 1894 a resolution to employ a superintendent was introduced at the board of education meeting in Dubuque and was adopted on May 18th. On April 22, 1895 James Kirk was elected but resigned before beginning his duties. Franklin T. Oldt was then appointed the first superintendent of the Dubuque public schools. There was much opposition to the creation of the position. Oldt quickly established himself by accepting the invitation to address the 42nd session of the Iowa State Teachers' Association in 1896 speaking on the topic "Rational Correlation." (1)
In January, 1904, F. T. Oldt served as chairman of the committee on phonetic spelling at the State Teachers' Convention in Des Moines. He introduced resolutions, which were adopted, endorsing the simplified spelling of such words as thoro, thru, demogog, thorofare, etc.
Franklin T. Oldt resigned on February 1, 1910 and was replaced by James H. Harris on May 1, 1910. Oldt became a professor of history and political science at what was then called the Dubuque German College and Seminary (later UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE) and in 1924 was named dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the university. (2) Oldt was the editor of History of Dubuque County, Iowa published by the Goodspeed Historical Association. He also wrote Memory Games, Word Study and Co-relation. (3) He served as president of the Northern Illinois and the Iowa Teachers' associations. (4)
In learning of his death, the board of education passed a resolution that a picture of Oldt be hung in the senior high school and that schools in the city be closed during the hours of the funeral to give teachers the opportunity to attend the funeral. (5)
---
Source:
1. "Franklin T. Oldt, Prominent Local Educator, Is Dead," Telegraph-Herald, January 23, 1927, p. 1
2. "State Teachers," Dubuque Herald, December 29, 1896, p. 4
3. "Franklin T. Oldt..."
4. "Franklin T. Oldt..."
5. "Honor Memory of Franklin T. Oldt," Telegraph-Herald, January 25, 1927, p. 16