Drawing on developments in German pedagogy, he established the nation's first free public kindergarten, instituted the graded school system, standardized curricula at all grade levels, promoted the spread of public libraries, developed a method of cataloguing library books, supported normal schools for teacher training, encouraged instruction in art and music, advocated equal education for African Americans, and insisted on the value of the coeducation of men and women. Such innovative projects brought Harris a good deal of recognition in the educational world, and he served as United States Commissioner of Education from 1890 until 1906.
It is almost impossible to assess Harris's career and influence without taking into consideration the immense impact his egalitarian views and policies had on his female colleagues. His support of equity for women was invaluable to the female members of his intellectual circle in St. Louis and beyond. He did not merely pay lip service to such causes as equal education, equal employment opportunity, and equal pay for women but was committed to achieving gender equity in social and political life, and he acted on this commitment throughout his career. He supported the efforts of his female colleagues as both educators and intellectuals and in many cases helped facilitate their professional development.
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