History of Education

  • First Public High School

    First Public High School
    The first public high school in Boston Massachusetts, The English Classical School, renamed English High School, was established by Philemon Pormont.
  • Harvard is Established

    Harvard is Established
    Harvard, well known for being a top-tier school, was founded by John Harvard.
  • Massachusetts creates the first state board of education

    Massachusetts creates the first state board of education
    Horace Mann appointed secretary of the new Massachusetts State Board of Education, advocates for non-religious “common schools.” His ideas become the foundation for today’s universal public education system.
  • Plessy vs. Ferguson

    Plessy vs. Ferguson
    This upheld a Louisiana state law that allowed for "equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races. This made it so that all students got equal treatment.
  • Passage of the National School Lunch Act

    Passage of the National School Lunch Act
    Establishes National School Lunch Program, a federally funded meal program to provide low-cost or free lunches to low-income students.
  • Brown vs. Board of Education

    Brown vs. Board of Education
    The Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional, therefore making schools diverse.
  • Passage of the Higher Education Act

    Passage of the Higher Education Act
    Greatly increases federal aid to students in higher education though loans, grants, and work-study programs.
  • Establishment of the University of Phoenix’s online campus

    Establishment of the University of Phoenix’s online campus
    The nation’s first digital university, offering bachelor's and master's degrees.
  • Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

    Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
    Prohibits discrimination based on disability status for public services, programs, or activities and public accommodations, including schools.
  • Launch of the World Wide Web

    Launch of the World Wide Web
    Two years later, in 1991, the internet becomes publicly available.