author
Martin Grove Brumbaugh
1862–1930
A school reformer, educator, and governor, he moved from rural Pennsylvania into some of the most important public roles in early 20th-century education and politics. His career joined scholarship, administration, and public service in a way that left a mark both in Pennsylvania and in Puerto Rico.
1 Audiobook
Training the Teacher
by A. F. (Adolphus Frederick) Schauffler, Martin Grove Brumbaugh, Antoinette Abernethy Lamoreaux, Marion Lawrance
About the author
Born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in 1862, Martin Grove Brumbaugh built his reputation first as an educator. He studied at Juniata College, the Pennsylvania State Normal School at Millersville, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and the University of Jena, and he went on to serve as a teacher, county school superintendent, and later president of Juniata College.
His public career widened after the Spanish-American War, when he was appointed the first commissioner of education in Puerto Rico, where he helped organize and expand the island’s public school system. He later became superintendent of schools in Philadelphia, strengthening his standing as a prominent schoolman and reform-minded administrator.
Brumbaugh is best remembered politically as the 26th governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1915 to 1919. Often referred to as M. G. Brumbaugh, he brought an educator’s outlook to public office, and his life reflects the close connection between schooling, civic leadership, and state government in his era.