logo
ENع
#

Latest news with #AmericanHistory

Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96
Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96

CBS News

time2 days ago

  • General
  • CBS News

Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96

The last living grandson of the 10th U.S. President John Tyler has died at 96 years old — the end of a link to a bygone era of American history. Harrison Ruffin Tyler died on Sunday evening, May 25, his family said in a statement to CBS News. His grandfather, who was born in 1790, left the Oval Office more than 179 years ago, after serving from 1841 to 1845, well before the Civil War. His immediate descendants lived into the modern age because of two generations of late second marriages to much younger wives. John Tyler, a Virginian slave owner and lifelong Democrat, served as the vice president to William Henry Harrison and became president quite unexpectedly after Harrison died suddenly three weeks after his inauguration — the first president to die while in office. At the time, succession plans weren't fully established and Tyler was initially hesitant about taking over, according to the National Constitution Center. He took the oath of office in public on April 6, 1841, saying, "I am the President, and I shall be held responsible for my administration." John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, from a painting by Alonzo Chappel. / Getty Images John Tyler was married twice and had 15 children — eight children with his first wife, Letitia, who died from a stroke, and then seven more with his second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler, who was 24 when they married. He fathered most of the second set of children in his 50s and 60s; his last child, a daughter named Pearl, was born when he was 70 years old, according to the University of Virginia's Miller Center. Tyler's 13th child, Lyon, was born when his father was 63 years old. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, who served as president of William and Mary College, also married twice. With his second wife, Sue Ruffin Tyler, he had two sons born in the 1920s, when Lyon was in his 70s, according to Encyclopedia Virginia. One of those children was Harrison Ruffin Tyler. Harrison Ruffin Tyler lived in Virginia and co-founded ChemTreat, an industrial water treatment company, in 1968. He loved history and his birthplace, Charles City County, Virginia, his family said, which led to his work preserving both Sherwood Forest, President Tyler's home, and Fort Pocahontas, a Civil War fortification nearby "He will be remembered for his considerable charm, generosity and unfailing good humor by all who knew him," Annique Dunning, executive director of Sherwood Forest, said in a statement.

NSU honors Dr. Karl Carpenter for 45-year career in education
NSU honors Dr. Karl Carpenter for 45-year career in education

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • General
  • Yahoo

NSU honors Dr. Karl Carpenter for 45-year career in education

NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Retiring Pineville High School Principal Dr. Karl Carpenter was awarded the Nth Degree by Northwestern State University, which honors individuals for an 'unselfish devotion to duty and the willingness to go the extra mile in meritorious service.' High school senior wins free car for perfect attendance Carpenter graduated from NSU in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in music education and earned his master's degree the following year. He became the band director of Oberlin High School before serving at Winnfield Senior High and Tioga High School, where he molded the band into one of central Louisiana's largest and most decorated through regional, state, and national awards. Carpenter eventually became Pineville High School's principal in 2007 and presented nearly 4,500 diplomas to graduating seniors over 18 years. He highlighted the importance of educating students as individuals, saying, 'They don't teach chemistry. They don't teach English. They don't teach American History. They teach people.' Outside of administration, Carpenter was also on the Louisiana Music Educators Association's (LMEA) board of directors for two decades. His time with LMEA saw him serve as president, band division chairman, orchestra division chairman, and district director, demonstrating his commitment to improving music education in Louisiana. NSU honors nursing student with $38K in scholarships 'Carpenter has been an important partner to NSU through the years,' a press release stated. 'He facilitated the Dual Enrollment offerings at Pineville to provide streamlined services to students that enabled them to obtain Associate of General Studies degrees, which became a model for other high schools. 'Pineville has been the #1 feeder school to NSU over the last five years and leads other schools in the state in AGS obtainment rates. He has also facilitated NSU visits with all seniors and juniors each year, providing access to NSU opportunities for Pineville students.' Carpenter was inducted into NSU's Hall of Distinguished Educators in 2010. The Louisiana House of Representatives passed House Resolution 171 to praise Carpenter on his retirement as principal of Pineville High School. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Public school parent-led group provides social studies curriculum opt-out form
Public school parent-led group provides social studies curriculum opt-out form

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • General
  • Yahoo

Public school parent-led group provides social studies curriculum opt-out form

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma public school parent-led group is providing easy access to forms that other parents can fill out with the intent of opting their children out of new controversial social studies standards curriculum. News 4 has covered the revised standards extensively, which were given the go-ahead by the Oklahoma State Board of Education in February, with a majority vote. The standards feature an increased use of the Bible in the classroom, and also tell students to examine 'discrepancies in the 2020 election,' which has seen a mix of praise and criticism. Some lawmakers questioned the contents of the social studies standards. They have said the proposed curriculum was factually inaccurate on several topics, including the 2020 election and the COVID pandemic. Legislators have also said the standards contain subjects that were not age-appropriate for each grade level. Legislative leaders allowed the standards to take effect regardless of those complaints. Lawmakers will not consider resolution to stop proposed controversial social studies standards 'It leaves a lot of room for teaching what a person's personal beliefs are for the teachers versus actual fact-based curriculum,' said Saralynn Boren, with 'We're Oklahoma Education.' Boren describes the group as being primarily led by Oklahoma parents, but says it has educators, grandparents, and other public education stakeholders involved across Oklahoma as well. She described the group as non-partisan, and said they come together from both sides of the aisle to advocate for inclusive public education. Boren said the group first started creating opt-out letters to address content from conservative media group, PragerU. The letters have now been modified to address the new social studies standards. 'They're pushing ideologies that all parents aren't going to agree with, all students aren't going to agree with. And that's what we want to give parents the option to opt out of,' said Boren. State Superintendent Ryan Walters addressed efforts to opt out of the standards during a May 22 news conference, calling the effort 'concerning' when it comes to teaching students American History. 'What we're trying to do is give your kid an understanding of history in America, where America came from, what beliefs influenced those individuals so that then they can understand American history,' said Walters. Boren pointed out that Oklahoma already allows parents, by law, the opportunity to opt out of instruction that may violate their moral or religious beliefs. 'It's something that the conservatives pushed for saying this parent bill of rights, that parents should have the right to have a say in their students education, and it's the same for all parents,' said Boren. Walters said Tuesday that while the effort was something he wished parents wouldn't do, he would continue to protect their ability to do what they thought was best for their kids. 'If he wants to talk about championing parents' rights, that he needs to understand that there are other parents that don't always agree with his right-wing ideologies,' said Boren. It's an effort that may or may not prove to be necessary, with an Oklahoma County District judge set to consider Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. whether to grant an injunction on the social studies standards, which could block them entirely or allow them to move forward. News 4 reached out to an OSDE spokesperson Tuesday for clarification on whether the opt-out forms are enforceable, but didn't hear back. The forms can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store