National Problem of Southern Education by Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry

National Problem of Southern Education by Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry

Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry

1825-1903

Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry was born in Lincoln County, Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia and Harvard's Dane Law School, he was admitted to the bar in Talladega, Ala., in 1846. Curry's political career involved him serving in the Alabama legislature and as a U.S. Congressman before the outbreak of the Civil War, during which he also served as a Confederate Congressman and a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate cavalry. Post-war, Curry was ordained as a Baptist minister and became the president of Howard College. He later taught philosophy and law at Richmond College in Virginia. Notably, Curry championed public education in the South, advocating for state normal schools and rural school development. His pivotal role in shaping education policies earned him the moniker "the father of public schools in the states of the old Confederacy." Curry's dedication extended to diplomatic service, with two appointments as U.S. Ambassador to Spain. He co-organized the Southern Education Board and served as its director until his passing in 1903. His legacy was commemorated with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.

Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://alabamaauthors.org

1882

National Problem of Southern Education. Richmond, VA; Dispatch Steam Printing House, 1882.

AL Book Collection

Curry, Jabez Lamar Monroe, “National Problem of Southern Education by Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed November 8, 2026, https://www.alabamaauthors.org/items/show/24567.