Angier Elementary

Albert Will Angier was born on September 14, 1859 near Forest City, Meeker County, Minnesota.  The family fled to Saint Paul soon after because of Indian tribal warfare.  Mr. Angier’s father served in the Civil War so the family stayed with the grandparents in Virozua, Wisconsin.  The family moved to Collinsville, Illinois in 1869.

Mr. Angier’s early educational experiences were varied.  He attended several schools irregularly, was tutored by an aunt, and assisted his father as a “printer’s devil”.  It was in 1877 that he entered Washington University in Saint Louis.  In 1878 he had secured a teaching certificate and a position near Edwardsville.

The family moved to San Francisco in 1880.  Here Young Will studied law at the University of California.  Mamie Theresa Long became his wife in 1885.  They moved to a farm near Del Mar in 1887.  Later he taught school in Del Mar and in Encinitas.  Three children, Harold, Charles and Carrie were born during this time.  While in Del Mar, Mr. Angier served as Justice of the Peace and Notary Public, helped his aunt run the local grocery store, set type for the Daily Bee, and did jury duty in San Diego.

Mr. Angier became principal of the San Diego University Heights School in 1896.  Mr. Ellwood Cubberly, Superintendent of Schools, appointed Mr. Angier to the position of Supervisor of Arithmetic.  In 1899, he was made the first principal of the new State Normal School which later became San Diego State College.  Mamie Angier passed away in 1905.  That same year Mr. Angier became principal of the Middletown Schol and later served as principal of both the “B” Street School and the Lincoln School.  A San Diego City School teacher, M’Liss Bass, became Mr. Angier’s wife in 1906.

Mr. Angier became the San Diego City School’s first Assistant Superintendent of Schools in 1920.  He held the position of Business Manger at the time of his retirement in 1931.  He had given the school district 35 years of continuous service at the time of his retirement.  Mr. Angier passed away in 1944 at the age of 85.

Mr. Angier is remembered not only for his sterling character, his untiring devotion to his work, his many civic services, but for three special activities:   being responsible for the establishment of the San Diego School’s student savings program, being instrumental in getting the first traffic signs set up at school crossings and helping to initiate the first inter-district track, baseball and football contests.  This school has been named in his honor.