Moses Menger Elementary School
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Moses Menger Elementary School opened on South Alameda Street in January 1929 to serve students in Corpus Christi. It was the first Corpus Christi school built outside of the city’s central area extent, helping to initiate development in the community’s south side. The school is located on property that was once part of Camp Scurry, home to the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments of the Texas National Guard from 1916 through 1918. The elementary school was named for educator Moses Menger, who was born on September 8, 1860 in Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto University and later migrated to Texas as a railroad surveyor. Menger taught in Austin, Hallettsville and Flatonia before settling in the Corpus Christi area. He began serving as a mathematics instructor and principal of Corpus Christi High School in 1891. In 1913, he served as superintendent before returning to teach high school mathematics. For a short time in 1920, he again served as superintendent until his death in April of that year. Menger Elementary has been a leader in education since its early years. The school had the first elementary library in the district. Teachers and administration have also stressed fine arts; in 1929, classrooms were equipped with phonographs and radios, which were provided through various fundraising efforts. Parents have also taken a vital role in their children’s education through the Menger Parent Teachers Association, which organized shortly after the school opened. Today, Moses Menger Elementary School continues to be a leading educational institute, serving the children of Corpus Christi. (2008)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Opened in January 1929 on South Alameda Street, Moses Menger Elementary was the first Corpus Christi school built beyond the city's core, helping spur growth on the south side. It was named for Moses Menger, a Canadian-born mathematics teacher, principal, and superintendent who shaped local schooling for nearly three decades, and it became known for the district's first elementary library and an emphasis on the arts.
Why it matters
It reflects the expansion of public education as an engine of neighborhood growth in an early-twentieth-century Texas city.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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