Preston County, West Virginia Biography of DAVID KENNEDY MASON This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 632 DAVID KENNEDY MASON became a county superintendent of schools for Preston County in 1918. He took to his office a wide experience and ample qualifications for constructive work in his new capacity. From the standpoint of a teacher and pupil he has been connected with Preston County schools for over a quarter of a century, and his enthusiasm, high ideals and his leadership have supplied the elements needed for a general advance along all fronts in the educational progress of the county. Preston County has eight civil districts, comprising a total area of 684 square miles. In the matter of high schools the county now has facilities available to nearly every locality. There are seven first class and two second class high schools, with a teaching staff of sixty teachers. There are thirty graded schools of two or more rooms, and 125 one-room rural schools. These schools follow the course of study provided by the state and a supplementary course provided by County Superintendent Mason. All rural schools provide for graduation in the eighth grade, and a graduate from these schools is admitted upon his diploma to any high school of the state. In 1921 the scholarship en- rollment in Preston County was 8,582, and the total number of teachers employed, 265. Five hundred of the students enrolled are in the high schools. There is but one school for colored children, and that is taught by a colored teacher. The disbursements for schools for all purposes for the year 1920-21 was $260,108. The total valuation of all school property in the county in 1920 was $28,373,178. The average wealth per child enumerated was $3,355. Since Mr. Mason became county superintendent two new high schools have been established, one in the Union and one in the Grant District. This gives high school facilities for all the districts except Pleasant. School morale has also been greatly improved by the holding of community meet- ings, where educational topics are discussed between educa- tors and the patrons of the schools, and much has been done to arouse a general interest in educational advancement. As previously mentioned, a county course of study has been prepared by Superintendent Mason. David Kennedy Mason was born near Cranesville in Preston County, July 12, 1885. The founder of the family in this country was his great-grandfather, who came from England and established his home in Greene County, Penn- sylvania. The grandfather was Joseph Mason, a Greene County farmer, who died there at the age of eighty-eight. He married a Miss Gettys, one of whose brothers was founder of the historic Town of Gettysburg, which was named in his honor. John G. Mason, father of the county superintendent, was born in Greene County in August, 1855, grew up on the farm, attended common schools and Waynesburg Academy, and for about twenty-five years was successfully engaged in educational work. All but three years of this quarter of a century he taught in Preston County, West Virginia, where he located in 1883. After leaving the schoolroom he became a modest farmer, and died at his farm near Cranes- ville. John G. Mason married Malinda F. Kennedy, who died in February, 1903. She was a daughter of David Kennedy, who married a Miss Fordyce. John G. Mason and wife had only two children, Ella, wife of E. A. Kelly, of Keyser, West Virginia, and David K. David K. Mason was a farmer's son, and the country schools gave him the foundation of his education. He lived at home, attended school and worked on the farm until six- teen, and then spent a year in the Fairmont State Normal School. He began teaching at sixteen, and was then one of the youngest teachers in Preston County. The following years he taught every winter and attended school in summer, spending two summers in the Mountain State Business Col- lege at Parkersburg and three summers in the Ohio North- ern University at Ada. He then began teaching in summer normal schools, and was an instructor at Eglon, Terra Alta and Kingwood, and thus had a part in the training of teach- ers for the county schools. Mr. Mason's first principalship was at Albright, where he remained four years, then at Aurora four years, and two years at Reedsville. In 1918 he was elected county superintendent to succeed Willis Fortney. Mr. Mason is a member of the West Virginia State Teachers Association, and in the June meeting of 1920 he presented an outline to the association advocating the advantages of junior high schools. Another important direction of his influence upon the education of the young is his work in Sunday school. He is secretary and treasurer of the Preston County Sunday School Association. Mr. Mason is a Methodist, and in politics has always been a republican voter. David K. Mason married in Preston County, June 5, 1913, Miss Virginia E. Auman, daughter of George M. Auman, of Terra Alta. Mrs. Mason for eight years before her mar- riage was one of the popular teachers of the county. She finished her own education in the Fairmont State Normal and in the University of Morgantown. Mr. and Mrs. Mason have two sons, Robert Kennedy and John William.