Bee, Emily (Seville Bean), 1904-1993
Person
Dates
- Existence: 1904 - 1993
Emily Bee (1904-1993), Mrs. Clifford Bee, was an educator serving Seventh-day Adventist schools in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland over a long career. Her primary notoriety was her support for “open education,” a terminology evolving from a philosophy of non-gradedness. involved a pilot program to organize and run a nongraded elementary school. This is an elementary school without the conventional first, second, third, and so on grades. Students were allowed to progress through the elementary school experience at their own pace.
Emily wanted to be a teacher from an early age. She struggled to complete her education at Emmanuel Missionary College due to “rough times.” She finally graduated in 1933. After raising three children–and adopting two more–Emily was asked to be the Educational Supervisor for the Indiana Conference. During this time she earned her master’s degree.
Emily had heard a paper read on non-graded schools. Beginning in the early 1960's, while at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Elementary School, Emily, with the support of her supervisor, was able to pioneer the non-graded school concept, based in large measure on principles outlined by Ellen G. White in Education. According to the biography in this collection, “her success was phenomenal. Beginning with 27 students it [the school] increased in size to nearly 80 students 6 years later. To visitors the most talked about characteristic was the cooperative family spirit. The older students were helping the young and everyone was important in the scheme of the school.”
After nine years, Emily resigned from the Carlisle School and moved with her husband to Maryland where she served as an educational consultant for the Chesapeake Conference until her retirement.
Emily wanted to be a teacher from an early age. She struggled to complete her education at Emmanuel Missionary College due to “rough times.” She finally graduated in 1933. After raising three children–and adopting two more–Emily was asked to be the Educational Supervisor for the Indiana Conference. During this time she earned her master’s degree.
Emily had heard a paper read on non-graded schools. Beginning in the early 1960's, while at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Elementary School, Emily, with the support of her supervisor, was able to pioneer the non-graded school concept, based in large measure on principles outlined by Ellen G. White in Education. According to the biography in this collection, “her success was phenomenal. Beginning with 27 students it [the school] increased in size to nearly 80 students 6 years later. To visitors the most talked about characteristic was the cooperative family spirit. The older students were helping the young and everyone was important in the scheme of the school.”
After nine years, Emily resigned from the Carlisle School and moved with her husband to Maryland where she served as an educational consultant for the Chesapeake Conference until her retirement.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Emily Bee Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 28
Content Description
This collection contains Mrs. Bee’s correspondence for a portion of the time she served as the elementary education superintendent for the Indiana Conference of Seventh-day Adventist as well as after she moved to Pennsylvania and Maryland later in her career. The correspondence encompasses Bee’s time at the Carlisle School as well as her time associated with the Chesapeake Conference in Maryland.
Dates:
1956 - 1979