Horace Mann

Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education; although not the most prominent education reformer of his era (see for example, Henry Barnard, Calvin Stowe, Samuel Lewis, or Catharine Beecher) he is often described as "The Father of American Education". In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education, Mann was elected to the United States House of Representatives (1848–1853). From September 1852 to his death in 1859, he served as President of Antioch College.

Arguing that universal public education was the best way to provide a quality education for all of America's children (by which he meant a Protestant-informed education for white children), Mann won widespread approval from modernizers, especially in the Whig Party. Eventually, all U.S. states would adopt many of the reforms advocated by Mann, including the creation of normal schools to train teachers and the feminization of the teaching profession. Provided by Wikipedia