Who Was Milton J. Fletcher?
Fletcher Elementary School is pictured along with Milton Fletcher, the school's namesake.
Fletcher Elementary School is pictured along with Milton Fletcher, the school's namesake.
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Milton Joseph Fletcher served as principal of Jamestown High School from 1899 to 1919 before becoming superintendent of Jamestown Public Schools, a position he held until his retirement in 1932.
An expert in American history, Fletcher also taught history and government and became an influential mentor to many students. Among them was future U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Nuremberg chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, who maintained a close relationship with Fletcher throughout his life. Jackson delivered a tribute upon Fletcher's retirement in 1932, describing his former principal as a "fixed star," and later said that much of his own development began with Fletcher's teaching and leadership.
During Fletcher's tenure as superintendent, Jamestown established its first guidance department and developed its junior high school system, including the construction of three junior high school buildings. Following Fletcher's death in 1952, Jackson returned to Jamestown to honor him during a JHS alumni reunion.
For his lasting contributions to generations of Jamestown students, Milton J. Fletcher Elementary School was named in his honor in 1938.