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Name
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Augustus O. Thornton
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Description
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Augustus O. Thornton was one of the few Black students admitted to Washington University’s Manual Training School in the late 19th century. Graduating in 1892 alongside Eugene Hutt, Thornton was known for his academic diligence and leadership. After graduation, he became a public school teacher and later dean of boys at Sumner High School, the first high school for African Americans west of the Mississippi River. His career reflected the limited but vital educational and professional pathways open to Black educators in the segregated school systems of the era.
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Bio
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Augustus O. Thornton was one of the few Black students admitted to Washington University’s Manual Training School in the late 19th century. Graduating in 1892 alongside Eugene Hutt, Thornton was known for his academic diligence and leadership. After graduation, he became a public school teacher and later dean of boys at Sumner High School, the first high school for African Americans west of the Mississippi River. His career reflected the limited but vital educational and professional pathways open to Black educators in the segregated school systems of the era.
