Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

McRae Gave An Equal Chance To All

Education was important to Arkansas Gov. Thomas McRae.

In fact, in his opening speech when being sworn in as the 26th governor of the state, he said, "Every child will have an equal chance for a common school education."

McRae lived by this standard his entire life. In July 1882, he donated a piece of land to the Prescott School District for the express purpose of building a school. This land could only be used to construct a school for the "free education for the colored children of the Prescott School District."

Around 1908, the school was destroyed by fire. McRae learned more land was needed for the school, and donated a full square block of land to the district, again for the sole purpose of building a new school.

The deed specifically provided if the property should ever cease to be used as a site for a public school building for "the free education of the colored children of the district," ownership would automatically revert back to the McRae family heirs.

However, the property is still being used by the district as the McRae Middle School, formerly Prescott Middle School.

In July, 1910, it was necessary to borrow money to build additional facilities on the property. McRae relinquished the condition of the property and buildings reverting back to him or his heirs so a loan could be obtained and more buildings built on the land.

He also donated land for McRae Park, the U.S. Post Office and the Masonic Lodge.

McRae, born Dec. 21, 1851, was the oldest of five children. He live to be 78.

His father, Duncan McRae, died when Thomas was a boy of 12. Being the eldest, he managed the farm for his mother and family until he was 17.

McRae's education during these years came from home and church. He never attended a single day of public school, and only a little private schooling before he reached 17.

However, at 17, McRae attended two private academies, going into debt for two years so he could gain enough education and go to college.

McRae entered Sole Business College in New Orleans when he was 18, finishing a two-year curriculum in a year.

From there it was on to Washington and lee University Law School, again finishing the two-year course in one.

By the time he was 20, in 1872, McRae had obtained his law degree, but couldn't practice his chosen profession. This was because, at the time, the minimum age to be licensed to practice law in Arkansas was 21.

Five years later, at the age of 25, McRae was a member of the Arkansas legislature and began his career in politics. He later served as a U.S. Congressman from 1885-1903, retiring from public life and returning to Prescott.

During his life, McRae held the belief the country must be saved through education, not legislation.

From 1921-24 he was the Governor of Arkansas, with one of his primary concerns being free public education could be had for everyone.

In his first term, the only educational bill passed was an act providing an industrial school for black juvenile delinquents in Pine Bluff.

But, in his final term, he attempted to have the legislature pass a number of acts enabling the funding of free education for all in the state.

However, in 1923, his attempt to pass a school income tax and privilege tax were both defeated by the general assembly.

McRae was still successful, though, in getting a school tax passed on cigars and cigarettes. The Arkansas Supreme Court, though, declared this to be unconstitutional.

In his final term, McRae called for three special sessions. Still, no school income tax could be passed, but a school tax on cigars and cigarettes did make it through once the unconstitutional parts were removed from the original statute.The passage of this tax allowed $23.63 per year to be spent on each student in the state. At the time, the national average of money spent by states on students was $64.14 per child.

"I am handicapped," he said in one speech, "because I have no education; I am, therefore, determined to do all that is in my power to put an education within the reach of every boy and girl in Arkansas."

McRae was a lawyer as well as a statesman, and produced three generations of attorneys who stayed in Prescott. His son, Duncan L. McRae, Sr., practiced law in Prescott until 1932.

Duncan L. McRae, the grandson of the former governor, remains in Prescott, where he has practiced law for more than 65 years. He also served on the Prescott School Board for 10 years, presenting high school diplomas to many McRae High School graduates.

Duncan McRae Culpepper, McRae's great-grandson, has practiced law in Prescott for 19 years, and took office as Circuit/Chancery/Juvenile judge in 1999.