Lincoln Consolidated School District dedicates Marvin Pittman Room

On Oct. 31, Lincoln Consolidated Schools dedicated the Marvin S. Pittman Room within the Central Office suite. The room is used for district and community meetings.
School Supt. Sean McNatt, Board Vice President Jennifer Czarchorski, and Eastern Michigan University Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research Wade Tornquist were on hand to celebrate the visionary work of Dr. Pittman.
In November 1922, Dr. Marvin S. Pittman from the Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) and Dr. Charles McKenny, president of the college, held a meeting in Willis, MI to propose a partnership between the college and the community.
The proposal was to form a new school district with a K-12 school building located in Augusta Township.
Dr. Pittman was a nationally known proponent of what was termed “Rural Education” – bringing the academic and physical advantages of city schools for the betterment of the rural students and community.
Michigan State Normal would oversee the district and the new school would become a “laboratory school” by which college students who were interested in becoming teachers would gain classroom training at the new district.
Two votes were held and passed by the local district residents in 1923. By approval of the measure the students of the area would now enjoy bus transportation, school cafeteria, gymnasium, library, auditorium, science rooms, and electricity.
On Oct. 31, 1924, Lincoln Consolidated Schools opened its doors to 500 young and excited students. Consolidation of 13 one-room school houses made Lincoln the first multi-township school in Michigan and the first rural consolidated school in the nation affiliated with a teacher training college.