CHARLES J. WAITS
from
Indiana and Indianans
A History of Aboriginal and Territorial Indiana and the Century of Statehood
by
Jacob Piatt Dunn
from
The American Historical Society
Chicago and New York
1919
Charles J. Waits is now rounding out nine years of consecutive
service as superintendent of the city school system of Terre Haute. Mr. Waits is
a veteran in the educational field, and has filled all grades in the service
from a country school teacher to head of a big independent city school
system.
Mr. Waits was born in Jennings County, Indiana, March 5,
1863, a son of Reuben Waits and Nancy (McGannon) Waits, the former a native of
Ohio and the latter of Indiana. He was the third child and second son in a
family of seven, five of whom reached maturity.
Professor Waits
as a boy attended common school in Jennings County. In 1884 he graduated from
Quaker Academy at Azalia, and since then his service has been almost continuous
in school work, through several years have been spent in higher institutions of
learning as a student. Ind 1889 he graduated from Indiana State Normal School.
From 1889 to 1891 he was principal of the Prarie Creek School, and then entered
the Indiana State University at Bloomington for a year. During 1892-93 he was
principal of the high school at Centerville in Wayne County and then reentered
Indiana University, where he graduated A. B. in 1894. From that year until 1898
he was superintendent of schools at Carlisle in Sullivan County. During 1898-99
he was a graduate student in the University of Illinois, from which he has his
Master of Arts degree. In 1899 Professor Waits came to Terre Haute, was head of
the mathematics department of the High School for five years, was principal from
1904 - 1910. and in the later years became superintendent. He has done much to
vitalize and build up the local schools, and is one of the broad minded and
progressive educators of the state today.
Professor Waits had
been affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1887. In 1894 he
married Minnie B. Rundell of Owen County, Indiana. They have three children,
Alice, Agnes and Charles.
I show Nancy McGannon wife of Charles J. Waits
as the daughter of Samuel McGannon & Susanna James.
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