John Swett

John Swett is considered to be the "Father of the California public school" system.    During his life he was a close friend of Sierra Club co-founder John Muir.  His most important accomplishment was making the California school system free for all students. In his report for 1866–67, he stated: "The school year ending June 30, 1867, marks the transition period of California from rate-bill common schools to an American free school system. For the first time in the history of the State, every public school was made entirely free for every child to enter."