The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

The Judicial Wooden Paddle
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ … d-1/seq-8/

The Bourbon News (Paris, Kentucky), May 25, 1897, Page 8, col 2

Scintillations. An interesting Jumble of New and Comment.

Six young toughs who tried to throw a Maysville street car off the track by filling a frog with rocks were severely swatted with an oak paddle in police court Friday morning by order of the Judge.

[A frog is a component of a railway switch or points that allows tracks to join or cross.]

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ … d-1/seq-1/

Daily Public Ledger, May 22, 1897, page 1

A GOOD PADDLING

Six of Maysville’s Young Toughs Given a Deserved Blistering.

Superintendent Gray will not be bothered by the six young toughs who so successfully “canned” a streetcar Wednesday night and then tried to wreck it by filling a “frog” full of rocks.

Yesterday morning the police officers were busy bringing in the ones who were interested in the sport, and by noon the following well known youths lined up for trial before Judge Wadsworth:

Allen Shepherd,
Rock Shepherd,
Jack Shepherd,
Waldo Gilbert,
Charles Plummer,
Morris Reagan.

Those boys have been up before the Judge before, and finding that rock quarries, jails and chains had no terror for them, an elegant white oak paddle with a two-feet blade, guaranteed to raise four blisters to the lick, was introduced to them.

Their parents were sent for, who very readily gave their consent.

Officers McDowell and Purnell were selected to wield the oak, and they were instructed to smash the tough element clear out of the boys, without regard to the blisters they would raise or the feelings they would fracture.

The Officers and boys retired to the place of punishment – the hall adjoining the Courtroom – and the work was begun. The boys were told to “strike a posish,” while the paddle-wielders struck the posish, and every lick brought forth a scream as long as a clothesline and as loud as a Comanche.

The next time these young toughs are brought up on a misdemeanor charge they will be run through the sausage mill.

[Posish = position, pose or stance]

________________________________________

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ … d-1/seq-1/

Daily Public Ledger, July 26, 1900, page 1.

Monday morning a lady residing on Forest avenue accompanied two young ladies who had been visiting her to the 5:15 train and forget to lock the door to her residence. When she went back someone had been there ahead of her and stolen some money. Later in the day two little boys were found sick, and when questioned admitted having stolen the money and bought some candy and cigars and tobacco. They were given a splendid introduction to an oak paddle.

________________________________________

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ … d-1/seq-1/

New York Tribune., October 22, 1906, page 1, col 2.

FLOGGED FROM COURT TO HOME
(By Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Freeland, Penn., Oct. 21. – From the courtroom in the City Hall to his home, one block distant, Reuben Kresge, arrested for fighting, was flogged by Burgess George Hartman today. Kresge had the choice of going to jail for thirty days or the flogging. Hartman used an oak paddle and his blows caused the culprit to howl from pain.

________________________________________

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ … d-1/seq-3/

The Saint Paul Globe (Minn), August 03, 1898, Page 3.

TOO MUCH RAIN AT RAMSEY
CAMP ROUTINE UPSET BY THE WET WEATHER

A Kangaroo Court Has a Busy Session – Offenders of All Kinds Tried and Punished – Gov. Clough and Party Visit the Grounds – Lieut. Hubbard Going to Jacksonville.

The weather man took command at Camp Ramsey yesterday and handled things his own way. It was too cold to make resting comfortable, and a general dumpy feeling pervaded the Fifteenth. The clear-ups in the afternoon were taken advantage of, and every company turned out for some sort of a drill. The machinery sheds were occupied by such of the companies as were on the ground early enough. These had loading and firing practice and arm work in comparative shelter.

[. . .]

The only thing to relieve the monotony of the dreary day was the organization of a kangaroo court by Company B. For a first session they had an overflowing docket. Sheriffs O’Brien and Burns were the hardest worked officials in the regiment. Batch after batch of criminals, charged with every crime on the kangaroo calendar, from being “busted” to slowness at meals, were brought before his honor, Judge Jack Murphy. The judge seemed to view life through smoked glasses. Everything had such a dark hue; the unfortunate prisoner got the worst of close decisions. The books show that 103 unfortunates were before the court; there were none with “charge not proven,” as the Scots say. Punishments were administered with a large pine paddle, men’s size, and the lord high executioner knew his business well. Several from other companies than B were gathered in on grave charges. Three company cooks, among the number, were charged with not dishing up grub fast enough. They went back to their duties rubbing their anatomy and with elastic step. The elasticity will remain with them probably.

[. . .]

________________________________________

[It is clear that the punishment paddle was well known in at least some American states 100 years ago.]

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

While dimensions of paddle is widespread in regulating paddles there seems to be the mention of soft pine as early as 1931. New York Times mentioned it in a pay article in August of 1931. Oddly, it took an Australian source to find a mention in Pennsylvania of soft pine in 1931 as well. Perhaps that December story is relaying the August story of the NYT. In another thread, ideal paddle, the advisability of pine was discouraged because of its tendency to splinter. THe regulation of the type of wood is quite common today. The second link speaks of a cooling off period that I have strongly advocated as opposed to the divine right of teacher to paddle in any state of mind deemed appropriate.

CLICK

CLICK

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Hi American Way,

The point about pine is well made. Yes it is sifter but it often splits , and that can obviously be nasty. I understand if you use pine you must regularly replace the paddle as it dries out, shrinks and then splits along the grain . thus splitting even occurs when coated in yacht varnish or similar . This is why some teachers ‘bind’ their paddles with tape , again not a good idea .However , an oak ( even if not black oak from Arkansas ) paddle will last , as I have seen some with more than 25 years use behind them ! however , oak is more dense and has to be used with care , cf Renee’s suggestions for restricting swing, free hand in the lower back etc .

Never, never , never , paddle in anger. If you are angry get someone else to do it !

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

There are more than 100 species of pine. What species is used for making paddles in the USA?

Pinus radiata (native to California) is used here for house construction, furniture, etc. The timber (lumber) varies in quality but it is hard to imagine a paddle made from it splitting or breaking in normal use.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

KK I tend to agree with you about the pine.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

From the beginning of time, or at least from the beginning of compulsory education, school authorities have been claiming that CP is rarely used, and much less used than formerly. These claims were clearly unduly optimistic.

The following reports from 1914, 1916, 1920 and 1935 are of interest more from what is not discussed than for what is discussed. Few report the implement used, suggesting it is not a concern at the time. When the implement is mentioned it is not the paddle, with one exception.

The following text may contain OCR errors.

____________________________________

http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015076 … =%3Bseq=70

Board of Education of the City of St. Louis
Official Report
ST. LOUIS, MO., OCTOBER 13, 1914.

Pages 306-310

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION

Mr. J. P. Harper, of the Committee on Instruction, submitted the following report on behalf of that Committee:

To the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis, Mo.

I. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION.

Your Committee has carefully examined, section by section, the Superintendents report, and approves all the recommendations contained therein.

II. REFERENCES BY THE BOARD OR PRESIDENT.

Petition from George E. Dieckman, Chairman Executive Committee Humane Society of Missouri: In view of the natural public interest in the question raised by this petition, your Committee has given very deliberate consideration to it and thinks it wise to make a detailed report for the information of the public.

The petition is as follows:

“In the name of progress rather than humanity, I ask that you consider the abolishment of corporal punishment in the public schools of St. Louis, thus discarding methods in vogue in the mediaeval ages, and keeping our schools abreast of the times.”

Mr. Dieckman submits with his petition his letter of inquiry addressed to superintendents of schools in other cities and the replies of those superintendents. [Bias is likely! Mr. Dieckman is likely to have approached only those who provided support for his views. Further, the practices common in large schools are likely to have been more progressive than elsewhere.] His letter is as follows:

1. “I write for the purpose of ascertaining if corporal punishment is permitted in the public schools of your city.

“Replying to your favor of June 16th, I beg to advise that corporal punishment is not permitted in the public schools .of Memphis. Inasmuch as I have just assumed control of the school system here as superintendent, I am unable to answer the other questions which you propound.”

From the foregoing letters it is evident to your Committee that the practice in the great majority of the cities named is in accord with the practice that has been followed for some twelve or fifteen years in St. Louis, as will be shown by the following regulation of the Department of Instruction which prescribes in detail the cautions that must be observed. This regulation of the Department of Instruction reads as follows:

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

Section I. Corporal punishment may be administered whenever, upon consultation between principal and teacher, such punishment may be considered necessary; and when corporal punishment shall have been decided upon, the principal shall either inflict the punishment himself, in the presence of the teacher, or he shall decide that the teacher administer it in his presence.

By Whom

No teacher shall inflict corporal punishment without first obtaining the consent of the principal, nor shall she inflict it except in his presence. When corporal punishment has become necessary it shall not be inflicted otherwise than by using a thin rattan upon the fleshy part of the back.

Improper Manner

Sec. II. Shaking a child, striking him on the head, slapping his face, boxing his ears, and similar means of inflicting physical pain, are strictly prohibited and the Board will hold teachers strictly responsible for any violation of this rule.

Sec. III. All teachers will be held to strict accountability as to the manner in which they shall use the authority delegated to them, and, upon complaint of severity of punishment, each case shall be adjudged upon its own merits, the teacher being subject to dismissal if the Board decide it to be demanded by the circumstances.

Sec. IV. In the exercise of this authority, each teacher shall use the greatest care with reference to the physical condition and temperament of the child, and shall consult with the principal as to the best method of correction.

Sec. V. Each principal, or his legal representative, shall be required to file with the superintendent a quarterly statement giving a list of all the cases of corporal punishment inflicted in his school during this time with the name of the pupil, the date and the cause of such punishment, and the name of the pupils teacher.

Sec. VI. The teachers shall be considered most efficient in discipline who succeed in controlling their pupils without the use of corporal punishment, and other qualifications being sufficient, they shall receive the preference over all others in promotions and appointments.

The following table will show the decrease in the number of cases of corporal punishment and suspensions in the development through twenty years.

Column 4 shows a range in school membership from 81,214 in 1913-14 to 52,859 in 1894-95 and column 5 the range in the per cent of the total membership on whom corporal punishment was inflicted annually during the period of 20 years.
Your Committee is informed by the Superintendent of Instruction that in addition to the requirements of this regulation, it is the common practice not to inflict corporal punishment without having first consulted with parents in regard to its necessity. In view of the above and all other information that has been laid before your Committee in its investigation, it recommends to the Board that this regulation be not abolished, but that the teachers be again asked to be most careful in obeying its requirements and in order that the practice of consulting with parents before the administration of corporal punishment may be always observed, it is , recommended that to the regulation be added the requirement that the principal shall consult with the parent before administering corporal punishment himself or permitting it to be administered by one of his assistants. ____________________________________ [url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015025951347?urlappend=%3Bseq=504]http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015025951347?urlappend=%3Bseq=504[/url] The American School Board Journal. vol.52, page 48. January [b]1916[/b] [size=100][b]Recent School Decisions[/b][/size] Muscatine, Iowa. The elimination of severe forms of corporal punishment is planned. A uniform method which will eliminate the use of [b]rubber tubing[/b] and similar weapons will be adopted. The change is necessary because of the protests of the residents. A 9-year-old boy, who had been punished by one of the teachers, died in a local hospital and, while it was proven that his death was due to an injury to the foot, the patrons protested against corporal punishment. ____________________________________ [url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006957743?urlappend=%3Bseq=708]http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006957743?urlappend=%3Bseq=708[/url] The American School Board Journal, vol.60, page 58, January [b]1920[/b] [size=100][b]STATUS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT[/b][/size] A Survey Covering 42 States in the Union. The old adage “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is not obsolete. A western editor tried to find out whether It was obsolete or not. The result of his inquiry has been that corporal punishment has been reduced to a minimum and is applied as a last resort only. The state of New Jersey only prohibits the infliction of corporal punishment. In some states, the law expressly permits whipping, while in other states the law is silent on the subject. Position of Various States. A poll of the 42 states with regard to corporal punishment reveals the following: [b]Prohibits Whipping[/b] – New Jersey. [b]Silent[/b] – Maine, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Michigan, Louisiana, Tennessee, New Hampshire, New York, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon and Wyoming. [b]Permits Whipping[/b] (by specific provision or court decision) – Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Ohio, California, Colorado, Texas, South Carolina, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Vermont, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota. In some states where the state laws permit corporal punishment, municipal authorities have enacted laws forbidding it in the city schools. [b]Expressions of Educators[/b] Will C. Wood, California – “I do not believe that corporal punishment should be administered generally in the schools. I am of the opinion that there are times when corporal punishment is not only justified, but sometimes necessary for the pupil’s own good and for the good of society, provided it is inflicted with moderation.” Charles D. Hines, Connecticut – “The belief of teachers in the state is that corporal punishment ought not to be abolished by the law. Their convictions go still further and the universal feeling is that it ought not to be used except in emergencies which require prompt action.” A. L. Heminger, Deputy, Iowa – “It has become the general belief of educators of this part of the country, as well as our own belief, that corporal punishment should be used only as a last resort.” Fred A. Seaman, Chief Clerk, Kansas – “As a general proposition I am firmly convinced that the teachers of Kansas advocate whipping as the last resort. But experience seems to teach that it would be unwise to prohibit it by legislative enactment because it is best to have the pupil know that there is a limit beyond which he cannot go without suffering by so doing.” M. B. Stephens, Maryland – “Under no circumstances is an assistant teacher permitted to inflict corporal punishment on a pupil. Cases seeming to require corporal punishment shall be referred to the principal, who may administer corporal punishment as a last resort.” P. C. Tonning, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota – ”Some school boards have passed resolutions forbidding corporal punishment in the schools. Others have restricted the use of corporal punishment to principals or superintendents. It is my impression, however, that, speaking in general, teachers are permitted by school boards to use corporal punishment in a reasonable and moderate manner when this is necessary to maintain discipline or the authority of the school, as contemplated by the law above quoted, and that the attitude of the school people thru out the state is, on the whole, favorable toward the proper use of corporal punishment.” J. W. Swearingen, South Carolina – “Whipping is reduced to the lowest possible minimum in our schools. Superintendents, principals and teachers have authority to whip in their discretion. They are held accountable by public opinion for misjudgment or mistakes. They are responsible before the courts for any abuse of their prerogatives. Personally, I wish that the rod could be banished from every classroom, but this will be impossible so long as the sole appeal to a few bad boys can be made only thru their skin.” M. P. Shawkey, West Virginia – “I do not believe much in corporal punishment. However, I do not believe in statutory provisions or any other regulations prohibiting the use of the ‘[b]hickory and the paddle[/b].’ We do not have much of this form of punishment in the public schools of our state and there is less of it each year. However, we have a number of cases where such action is taken and which seems to be the best and most effective means of getting good results.” C. P. Cary, Wisconsin – “The general trend in the state is to reduce corporal punishment to a minimum, but, in general, it has seemed that forbidding the use of corporal punishment was not altogether desirable.” Katherine A. Morton, Wyoming – “We have no law which prohibits corporal punishment of school children. Public sentiment, however, is against that form of enforcing discipline. The general belief among educators in this state is that a successful teacher does not need to resort to such practices. I hold the same view.” ____________________________________ [url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924013402353?urlappend=%3Bseq=39]http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924013402353?urlappend=%3Bseq=39[/url] [size=100][b]RULES of the SCHOOL COMMITTEE CITY OF LYNN (Massachusetts)[/b][/size] October 9, [b]1934[/b] Page 27 [b]24. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT[/b]. – Corporal punishment shall be restricted to pupils in the day elementary schools. It shall be confined to not more than [b]three blows on each hand with a rattan[/b], the type to be approved by the superintendent of schools. The principal before approving the resorting to corporal punishment by a teacher must satisfy himself, or herself, that the case is so serious as to warrant such drastic action. The nature of the offense must be fully explained to the offending pupil. Shaking, or other gross indignities, such as boxing ears, are expressly forbidden. The teacher inflicting corporal punishment must send to the office of the principal and to the superintendent’s office a form, to be supplied, properly filled out, giving the name of the child, parent’s name, the address, a careful description of the case, the amount of punishment inflicted. The slip to the superintendent’s office shall be sent within twenty-four hours after the punishment. The principal in the event that he or she gives the punishment shall make out the forms and comply with all the regulations as set forth for teachers.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Spanking Chair for the Girls Kansas Girls was a gift from Warden C. P. Hoyt. Last link has a vintage video a few decades after the chair of the Girls’ Industrial School of Kansas.

CLICK

CLICK

Warden C. P. Hoyt opines on men who beat their wives.

Really, while the laws as they stand prevent the application of either lash or paddle to the men who beat their wives, we are disposed to think that it might be a wise step to modify the laws to such extent as to permit of the very vigorous use of the spanking chair in the case of wife beaters. Offenders thus punished would find that there was no heroism in it, and that the humiliation, disgrace and shame exceed any other possible punishment that can be inflicted, and hence its threat would have a deterrent influence, one so potent that it would be remembered even by men in their cups, those who fill themselves up with liquor for the express purpose of drumming up courage to beat helpless women.

The Kansas school was in the national spotlight and not in a favorable way.

CLICK

Illustration of infamous chair.

CLICK

http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/223725