Stanley Elementary has undergone fascinating transformations since its inception. Originally known as Orient School, its origins are shrouded in mystery due to incomplete records, according to A History of Wichita Public School Buildings. After its discontinuation in 1914, the school’s building journeyed to new grounds.
Fast forward to the summer of 1927, when a significant shift occurred. Through condemnation proceedings, several homes on Elizabeth were acquired, paving the way for change. Two frame buildings journeyed from Franklin to the new site, leading to the revival of Orient School at Martinson and Esthner. Not content with its past, the school embraced a new identity in 1929-30, adopting the name Edmund E. Stanley Elementary School.
Courtesy: findagrave.com
Edmund Stanley stands as a prominent figure in the educational landscape of Kansas, tracing his roots back to his birth on a farm near Danville, Indiana, in April 1847. His family’s Quaker heritage and dedication to education shaped his path early on. After years of teaching in Indiana and Tennessee, Stanley made his mark in Kansas in 1868, just ahead of his family’s relocation. His teaching career spanned nearly five decades, marked by roles as a principal, superintendent, and eventually State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He also taught in Tennessee at Freedmen’s School. An institute following the Civil War to educate the liberated slaves.
Courtesy: findagrave.com
Edmond married Martha Davis on September 21, 1871, and their union produced four children. They resided at 1813 University Avenue. The house is still there. I stopped by and got a few pics.
Courtesy: Wichita Eagle
In 1898, Stanley’s influence extended to establishing Friends University in Wichita, where he served as its first president. Under his guidance, the institution flourished, becoming a cornerstone of education in Kansas. The university’s library carries the Stanley name.
Beyond academia, Stanley’s commitment to community service and involvement in organizations like the National Educational Association and the Kansas Yearly Meeting of Friends cemented his legacy as a progressive citizen.
Courtesy: Reminiscences of Nathan T. Frame and Esther G. Frame
Stanley died on May 21, 1928. He was 81 years old. He was hit by a car while crossing Douglas, and two weeks later he died from complications related to the accident. According to his obituary in the Wichita Eagle, his last words were, “I resign to the inevitable.” He is buried in the mausoleum at Old Mission Cemetery. Martha joined him on May 6, 1932. She was 80.
In 1930, a modern concrete and brick building emerged, Stanley Elementary boasted six classrooms, a library, and an office.
As enrollment surged in 1950, an addition expanded the facility to 12 classrooms, by 1972 there were 12 portables on the property too.
In 1981, a significant renovation transformed Stanley, nearly tripling its classroom space, enhancing library facilities, and added a planetarium, alongside modern comforts like carpeting and air conditioning.
The school’s commitment to modernization continued in 2011, with the addition of four classrooms, a FEMA safe shelter, and a health room, ensuring Stanley remains a pillar of education and safety within the community.
To learn about the other schools in the Wichita system, check out Be true to your school