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LESLIE T. HUFFMAN
Vol. 3, p. 958

When Leslie T. Huffman in 1912 accepted the position of secretary to
the State Board of Education, he gave up his administrative duties as
city superintendent of the McAlester Schools, a city which owes much
to him for his progressive leadership in educational matters. Mr.
Huffman is an educator of many years' experience, and before coming
to Oklahoma was connected with several school systems in the State of
Kansas.

Leslie T. Huffman was born in the City of Des Moines in Polk County,
Iowa, July 10, 1876, son of Ezekiel and Martha E. (WELLS) Huffman.
His father, born in Indiana, at the age of fourteen entered an
Indiana regiment and became one of the youngest soldiers from that
state in the Civil war. His service was during the last month of that
struggle between the North and South. He was married in his native
state to Martha E. Wells, also of Indiana, and afterwards moved to
Iowa, where he engaged in farming. He later moved to Kansas, where he
was engaged in the mercantile business. He is now municipal judge of
Pittsburg, Kansas.

Leslie T. Huffman as a boy, after some schooling in country
districts, attended the grade and high schools at Pittsburg, Kansas.
Later he entered the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia, and
during 1899-1900 taught a portion of the time he was a student in the
normal. In 1901 Mr. Huffman became city superintendent of the schools
at Erie, Kansas, remained there three years, then in 1904 accepted
the city superintendency of the schools at Galena, Kansas, and from
there in 1909 came to McAlester, Oklahoma. McAlester was then
entering upon a new era in its local school history, and soon after
Mr. Huffman took the city superintendency the facilities were greatly
increased and improved by the addition of new schools, and it fell to
the responsibility of Mr. Huffman to organize the McAlester school
system on modern and progressive lines. The fact that the city now
has some of the best schools to be found in the state is largely
credited to Mr. Huffman's leadership. He remained at McAlester three
years and in 1912 Mr. R. H. WILSON appointed him secretary of the
State Board of Education. As secretary to this body Mr. Huffman has
largely under his direction the preparation of the courses of study
for the schools and normal institutions of the state, also the
drawing up of questions for examination of teachers, and the general
supervision of the professional end of the state school system.

Mr. Huffman is affiliated with McAlester Lodge No. 9, A.F. & A.M.,
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Galena, Kansas,
belongs to the Young Men's Democratic Club of Oklahoma City, and is a
member of the Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church of Oklahoma City.

In November, 1902, Mr. Huffman married Miss Jessie WHITE, daughter
of William and Elizabeth (RAUCH) White of Mulberry, Kansas. Their
three children are Leslie T., Jr.; Clarence W. and Elizabeth R. Mrs.
Huffman's father, William White, was a native of Kentucky, and during
the war between the states served in the Confederate army. He was
afterwards a successful farmer and stock raiser, and practiced the
principle of selling his farm products in the shape of livestock. He
not only prospered in a material way, but had the distinction of
rearing a family of eleven children, of which Mrs. Huffman was the
tenth in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Huffman reside at 1401 West
Twenty-third street, while his offices as secretary of the board of
education are on the fourth floor of the Mercantile Building.

Typed for OKGenWeb by: Vickie Neill Taylor, January 6, 1999.