COLLEGE:
While the family lived in Hagar Township the four oldest children attended Benton Harbor College, a private school run by Dr. Edgecumb which included students from grade school up to college level. A few college level courses were accepted for credit by the University of Michigan. Dr. Edgecumb "was an authentic 'Dr.' having a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto". One of his faculty members had an M.A., this in a day when even an M.A. was something of a rarity on many college campuses. Because of the move to Watervliet the next three children graduated from Watervliet High School. The Benton Harbor College did not continue for long after 1912 because of the increasing quality of the public high schools in the area. The school's equipment was sold to some of the surrounding public schools, one of which was Watervliet.
"I can remember using equipment in high school there which fits the description of some my father and friends hauled to Watervliet for the school sometime around 1912-1915".
The logical college for farm people to send their children to was Michigan Agricultural College and this is where all but one of the Pratt children went. The first was Charlie in 1902.
"Thereafter every few years, a memeber of the family got off the streetcar in East Lansing. My youngest sister Isadora entered in 1922, exactly twenty years after Charlie".
One of the girls went to business school (Genevieve) and one of the boys (Joe) attended a sixteen week, two year "Short Course" in Agriculture. However, only two of those who went full time to M.A.C. graduated, Burr in 1909 and Helen in 1916.
Question for all of you descendents (and spouses): Who all followed the six Pratts to MAC, MSC or MSU?? (emailed July 16, 2008)
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