William Torrey Harris (9/10/1835 - 11/5/1909) was born in North Killingly, Connecticut. After attending Andover Academy and two at Yale Harris moved to St. Louis, MO where he taught from 1857 to 1880. There he was superintendent of schools from 1868 to 1880 and established, with Susan E. Blow, America's first permanent public kindergarten in 1873.