Eliza Douglas KEITH

 

Eliza Douglas KEITH has been a resident of San Francisco from the time of her birth, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, to the present, and in both the agnatic and maternal lines is a representative of honored pioneer families of California, with ancestral record running back to the Colonial period of American history.  Thus it is not strange that Miss KEITH has consistently designated herself as an “uncompromising American”.  She has to her credit a record of splendid achievement in connection with educational work in various phases, has exceptional literary talent and has gained reputation of no circumscribed order as a newspaper correspondent and editorial writer, and has had not little leadership in the shaping of popular sentiment and action in connection with civic affairs in her native city and state.  She is one of the popular and successful teachers in the public schools of San Francisco, where she is now (1924) principal of Sherman School.

 

Miss KEITH is a daughter of William Henry and Sarah Ann (ATWILL) KEITH, both now deceased, the former of whom was born in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, and the latter in New York City.  William Henry KEITH became a California pioneer in the year 1851, and in the passing years he gained a secure status as one of the leading business men of San Francisco.  His wife was reared in California, where her father Joseph F. ATWILL, was a pioneer of the historic year 1849, a publisher of music and an early dealer in musical instruments in San Francisco, and later served as a court judge in Nevada.  Miss KEITH has one brother, William Henry Jr., who is a talented solo baritone, and also a representative teacher of vocal music in New York City and San Francisco.

 

On the paternal side Miss KEITH is of English and Scotch lineage, as representative of the KEITH and FLOWER families.  Some of her ancestors of the paternal side lie in Greenwood Cemetery, New York, and others in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Boston.  On the maternal side Miss KEITH is a representative of early Dutch and English families of New York and also of American Revolutionary stock in New England, that cradle of much of our national history.  Family names of kinship on the maternal side are DOUGLAS, FAIRFIELD, DODGE and ATWILL.  In New York in early days the name of the DOUGLAS family was spelled DUGLISS, as shown on the ancient tombstone of Hosea DUGLISS, head of the family at the time of his death, but in later generations the major part of representative of the family have used the historic spelling of the patronymic as DOUGLAS.

 

In the public schools of San Francisco, Miss KEITH continued her studies until her graduation from the Girls High School, and in all the succeeding years she has not ceased consecutively to advance herself along cultural avenues.  In newspaper work she has been a writer of editorials and special activities, in which connection she was for some time employed on San Francisco papers, besides having been retained as a paid contributor to various papers, in the East.  She has made a reputation as an engaging public speaker, and there has been frequent requisition for her service along this line.

 

In connection with her work in the public schools of her native city Miss KEITH has found various opportunities to give expression to her fervid patriotism and her loyalty to the land of her birth.  Thus it is to be noted that she introduced in the public schools of San Francisco the gracious innovation of the daily salute of the national flag.  In 1919 she was made principal of the Starr-King School, and in the following year was promoted to her present position, that of principal of the Sherman School.  She has prepared and published many educational booklets for free distributions to pupils and in the schools.

 

Miss KEITH has had much of leadership in the affairs of that splendid organization of California women, the Native Daughters of the Golden West, and she had the distinction of serving as its grand president in1902-03, besides which she was sponsor of the introduction into the organization of the annual observation of Arbor Day.  She is loyally aligned in the ranks of the republican party, and among her insistent economic convictions is one to the effect that California should prescribe further oriental invasion.  She was baptized in the Presbyterian Church, but is now enrolled in the Protestant Episcopal Church.  She is a member of the National Educational Association, and has membership in various cultural, civic and social organizations of representative order.