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Simplified Spelling Board

The Simplified Spelling Board was an American organization founded in March 1906 to advocate for systematic reforms in English spelling, aiming to render it more phonetic and consistent by eliminating archaic irregularities derived from historical linguistic evolutions. Primarily financed by philanthropist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who contributed approximately $250,000 over its lifespan, the board targeted over 300 common words for initial simplification, proposing changes such as "tho" for "though," "thru" for "through," "altho" for "although," and "thoro" for "thorough" to reduce the cognitive burden of learning and to position English as a more accessible global lingua franca.^[1]^[2]^[3] The board attracted support from intellectuals and officials, including author Mark Twain, psychologist William James, and President Theodore Roosevelt, who in August 1906 directed the U.S. Government Printing Office to adopt its recommended spellings in official documents, viewing the reforms as a progressive step toward educational efficiency and international unity.^[1]^[4] Despite these endorsements, the initiative provoked immediate and vehement opposition, with newspapers lampooning the alterations as absurd dilutions of linguistic heritage and Congress passing a resolution by a 142-25 margin in December 1906 to mandate reversion to traditional spellings, forcing Roosevelt to retract his order amid accusations of executive overreach.^[1]^[2]^[4] Carnegie's persistence sustained the board until around 1915-1920, culminating in the 1920 publication of its Handbook of Simplified Spelling, which outlined broader principles for reform but achieved negligible widespread adoption beyond isolated precedents like "catalog" and "honor" that predated or paralleled the effort.^[3]^[2] The venture's defining characteristic emerged as its comprehensive failure, underscoring the entrenched resistance to altering entrenched orthographic norms despite appeals to practicality and empirical inefficiencies in spelling acquisition, with critics arguing that such changes risked eroding the language's etymological depth without commensurate gains in usability.^[4]^[3]

Establishment

Founding and Initial Organization

The Simplified Spelling Board was established on March 11, 1906, in New York City, primarily to advocate for reforms simplifying English orthography.^[5]^[6] Andrew Carnegie provided the initial funding through an annual subsidy of $15,000, enabling the board's operations without reliance on broader public contributions at the outset.^[7] This financial backing reflected Carnegie's personal interest in reducing barriers to literacy and efficiency in written English, though he positioned himself as a supporter rather than a director of daily activities.^[3] Brander Matthews, a professor of dramatic literature at Columbia University, served as the board's first chairman, overseeing its early deliberations and public announcements.^[8]^[5] The initial membership numbered approximately 26 individuals, drawn from intellectual, literary, and public spheres to lend credibility and expertise to the reform efforts; prominent members included author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), librarian Melvil Dewey, Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer, publisher Henry Holt, and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Lyman Gage.^[5]^[9] This composition emphasized collaboration among educators, writers, and policymakers, with the board structured as a voluntary advisory body focused on proposing phonetic adjustments to common words rather than enforcing mandatory changes. The organization's early framework prioritized research into historical precedents for reform, compilation of simplified forms for about 300 frequently used words, and outreach to influence printing standards and school curricula, though it lacked formal governmental authority.^[3] Initial activities centered on internal consensus-building among members, avoiding radical overhauls to maintain broad acceptability, as evidenced by the inclusion of dictionary editors like Benjamin E. Smith in the founding group.^[9] Carnegie's commitment extended to personal adoption of reformed spellings in his correspondence, signaling the board's intent to model gradual implementation.^[3]

Funding and Financial Support

The Simplified Spelling Board was primarily funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who established the organization on March 11, 1906, and provided the vast majority of its financial resources in its early years.^[2] Carnegie's motivation stemmed from a desire to promote English as a global language by simplifying its orthography, viewing the reform as a means to enhance international communication and accessibility. He committed substantial annual grants, with reports indicating initial pledges around $25,000 per year, though actual disbursements averaged approximately $20,000 annually over the period.^[10]^[11] Over 14 years, from 1906 to roughly 1920, Carnegie's total contributions amounted to $283,000, enabling the board to hire field workers, publish materials, and conduct campaigns without significant reliance on other donors.^[11] Carnegie encouraged the board to seek additional funds from members and the public to ensure sustainability, but it remained heavily dependent on his support, which ceased upon his death in 1919 without provisions in his will for continued funding.^[12] This financial model reflected Carnegie's broader philanthropic approach, prioritizing targeted initiatives aligned with his vision of educational and linguistic progress, though it limited the board's longevity once his backing ended.^[10]

Objectives and Philosophical Basis

Rationale for Spelling Reform

The Simplified Spelling Board posited that English spelling's chief defect lay in its failure to systematically represent spoken sounds, resulting in a orthography riddled with historical anomalies that no longer reflected contemporary pronunciation.^[13] This misalignment, they argued, imposed undue memorization demands on learners, diverting effort from comprehension to rote recall of exceptions like "though," proposed to be simplified to "tho," or "fixed" to "fixt."^[1] By advocating phonetic consistency in its initial list of 300 reformed words, the Board sought to fulfill the fundamental purpose of alphabetic writing: to faithfully mirror speech for intelligibility and efficiency.^[2]^[1] A key educational rationale emphasized time savings in instruction, with Board supporters claiming that reformed spelling could compress literacy acquisition, potentially eliminating a full year from school curricula otherwise spent overcoming irregularities.^[1] This efficiency was seen as particularly vital for public schooling, where resources were strained by the need to drill exceptions rather than advance substantive learning.^[1] Practical benefits extended to economic productivity, as simplified orthography would reduce the barriers to functional literacy for the broader population, aligning writing more directly with natural speech patterns.^[2] The Board further rationalized reform as essential for immigrant integration in early 20th-century America, where irregular spelling prolonged language mastery and impeded civic participation.^[1] Mark Twain, an early endorser, asserted in a 1906 speech that traditional spelling "keeps them back and damages their citizenship for years until they learn to spell the language."^[1] Founder Andrew Carnegie, funding the organization with $25,000 annually (equivalent to over $500,000 in modern terms), viewed simplification as a strategic enabler for English's dominance as a global lingua franca, easing adoption by non-native speakers worldwide.^[2] These arguments framed spelling reform not merely as linguistic housekeeping, but as a tool for social mobility, national cohesion, and international influence.^[2]^[1]

Proposed Principles of Simplification

The Simplified Spelling Board articulated its core principles for English spelling reform in the Handbook of Simplified Spelling, published in March 1920 and compiled by Henry Gallup Paine with contributions from philologists Charles H. Grandgent and Calvin Thomas.^[14] These principles emphasized gradual, practical changes to eliminate redundancies, silent letters, and inconsistencies while aligning spellings more closely with pronunciation, without pursuing a fully phonetic overhaul that might disrupt established literature or etymology.^[14] The Board advocated adopting the shortest and simplest forms already in variant use where practicable, omitting unnecessary letters, and following existing analogies to foster efficiency in writing and reading, particularly for education and immigrants assimilating into English-speaking societies.^[14] Key recommendations included dropping silent letters to streamline words, such as rendering "debt" as det, "doubt" as dout, and "through" as thru.^[14] For Greek-derived terms, the Board proposed substituting f for ph (e.g., "alphabet" to alfabet, "phonograph" to fonograf) and omitting silent h (e.g., "rhetoric" to retoric, "rhyme" to rime).^[14] Vowel simplifications targeted irregularities like replacing ea with e in common words (e.g., "bread" to bred, "head" to hed) and ei with ie (e.g., "receive" to reciev, "conceit" to conciet), while dropping final silent e after consonants with short stressed vowels (e.g., "give" to giv, "have" to hav).^[14] Consonant rules focused on reducing doubles (e.g., "add" to ad, "tell" to tel) and replacing ch sounding as /k/ with c (e.g., "school" to scool, "character" to caracter).^[14] The Board favored -ize over -ise endings, as in "advertise" to advertize and "surprise" to surprize, aligning with American usage precedents.^[14] For inflections, it recommended phonetic adaptation: -ed to -d when voiced (e.g., "called" to calld, "traveled" to traveld) and to -t when unvoiced, affecting over 900 words like "asked" to askt and "fixed" to fixt; -ing forms followed suit without doubling consonants in primitives (e.g., "lived" to livd).^[14]^[15] Plurals adhered to these general phonetic and simplicity rules, avoiding added complexities.^[14] Broader guidelines encouraged consistency with eventual phonetic ideals but prioritized immediate usability, such as preferring variant simplifications like "blest" over "blessed," "catalog" over "catalogue," and "though" to tho, or analogical forms like "acre" to aker, "enough" to enuf, and "tongue" to tung.^[14] The Board viewed these as conservative extensions applicable in education and publishing, testable in controlled settings before wider adoption, to reduce the burden of irregular orthography without alienating traditionalists.^[14]

Key Activities and Outputs

Early Publications and Campaigns

The Simplified Spelling Board issued its inaugural publications shortly after its organization on March 11, 1906, with Andrew Carnegie providing an initial endowment of $25,000 to support activities including the production and distribution of reform materials.^[16] Circular No. 1, titled A First Step, articulated the board's strategy for incremental spelling simplification, emphasizing phonetic consistency while preserving traditional forms where unproblematic.^[17] This circular was disseminated to educators and policymakers to generate initial awareness and gauge receptivity. Circular No. 2 followed, presenting a List of Common Words Spelled in Two Ways, which highlighted existing orthographic variations in English (such as "cheque" versus "check") to argue for standardization on simpler principles without radical invention.^[17] These early circulars, printed in New York, served as foundational campaign tools, mailed to school superintendents, university professors, and influential figures to foster grassroots adoption in classrooms. The board's promotional efforts targeted educational associations, securing endorsements like the Modern Language Association of America's approval of initial reforms in December 1906.^[14] By mid-1906, the board released its prominent List of 300 Words, proposing phonetic adjustments for frequent terms (e.g., "tho" for "though," "thru" for "through"), which the New York City Board of Education unanimously recommended for school use that year.^[14] Campaigns extended to public lectures and media outreach, with board members like H.L. Mencken later noting the distribution of thousands of copies to build momentum, though adoption remained voluntary and limited to experimental settings.^[16] These initiatives laid groundwork for broader advocacy but faced resistance from traditionalists favoring etymological fidelity over ease of learning.

Handbook of Simplified Spelling

The Handbook of Simplified Spelling was published in March 1920 by the Simplified Spelling Board at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.^[14]^[18] It was written and compiled by Henry Gallup Paine under the direction of the board's Philology Committee, consisting of Charles H. Grandgent (chair) and Calvin Thomas.^[14] The 128-page document served as a comprehensive summation of the board's principles and proposals, issued late in the organization's activities amid waning support.^[14]^[19] The handbook is structured in three parts. Part 1 traces the history of English spelling from its origins, highlighting inconsistencies inherited from Old English, Norman influences, and printing standardization, while outlining prior reform efforts by figures such as Noah Webster and Isaac Pitman.^[14] Part 2 advances the case for reform by arguing that irregular spelling imposes undue burdens on education, literacy acquisition, and economic efficiency—estimating significant time and cost savings through simplification—and rebuts objections related to etymology, aesthetics, and tradition by prioritizing phonetic accuracy over historical preservation.^[14] Part 3 details practical implementation, including rules for phonetic representation, a special list of frequently used words, and a dictionary-style compilation of suggested spellings.^[14] Central to the handbook's proposals are principles for modernization: adopting the shortest defensible spellings consistent with pronunciation (e.g., catalog for "catalogue," program for "programme"); eliminating silent letters (e.g., det for "debt," hart for "heart"); and applying consistent analogies (e.g., enuf for "enough," tung for "tongue").^[14] Examples of reformed words include thru for "through," tho for "though," thoro for "thorough," blest for "blessed," activ for "active," and rime for "rhyme."^[14] These changes aimed to align orthography more closely with spoken English, facilitating easier learning for immigrants and children, enhancing international communication, and reducing anomalies without altering pronunciation.^[14] The text references endorsements from prominent supporters, including Andrew Carnegie (the board's founder and primary funder), Theodore Roosevelt, and Mark Twain, alongside scholarly backing from etymologist Walter W. Skeat.^[14] It describes the board's composition—50 core members and an advisory council of about 250 experts—and positions the handbook as a tool for gradual adoption, starting with common words to build public familiarity.^[14] Despite its detailed rationale, the handbook acknowledged no universal spelling standard existed historically, framing reform as a pragmatic evolution rather than radical invention.^[14]

Political Engagement

Theodore Roosevelt's Involvement

In August 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt endorsed the Simplified Spelling Board's campaign by directing the Government Printing Office to implement its list of 300 simplified spellings in executive branch publications.^[20] This directive, issued from his Oyster Bay home on August 15, specified that words such as "altho" (although), "thru" (through), "enuf" (enough), and "fixt" (fixed) should replace traditional forms in official documents, aiming to promote phonetic consistency and ease literacy among immigrants and the general public.^[21] ^[20] Roosevelt, though not a formal member of the Board, viewed the reform as a practical modernization, influenced by earlier advocacy from figures like Andrew Carnegie, who had founded the organization earlier that year.^[22] The presidential backing generated immediate controversy, with opponents including conservative linguists, Congress members, and even some allies decrying it as an overreach that undermined English's historical integrity.^[21] Satirical cartoons portrayed Roosevelt as a linguistic tyrant, and Republican leaders warned of electoral backlash ahead of midterm elections.^[23] In response to mounting pressure, including a congressional resolution on December 12, 1906, prohibiting altered spellings in federal printing, Roosevelt rescinded the order by November 1906, advising the Board to pursue gradual change rather than mandate.^[24] ^[21] This retreat highlighted the limits of executive influence on cultural norms, though it briefly elevated the Board's visibility.^[20]

Government Implementation Attempts

In August 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt directed the United States Government Printing Office to adopt the Simplified Spelling Board's recommended phonetic spellings for 300 common English words in all federal publications, marking the most significant governmental push for orthographic reform.^[22]^[25] This executive action extended to White House documents and aimed to streamline printing costs while promoting easier literacy acquisition, particularly for immigrants.^[21] The reforms included changes such as "chek" for "cheque," "thru" for "through," and "luv" for "love," drawn directly from the board's initial list.^[25] Initial compliance occurred in some official bulletins, but resistance emerged rapidly from congressional conservatives, who viewed the alterations as an overreach eroding traditional English norms.^[26] Public and literary backlash intensified, with figures like Mark Twain publicly mocking the effort as absurd and unpatriotic in letters and speeches.^[21] By December 18, 1906, facing threats of funding cuts to the printing office, Roosevelt rescinded the order, instructing Public Printer Francis J. Reynolds to revert to conventional spellings.^[26] No further federal implementation attempts followed, underscoring the political infeasibility of top-down spelling changes amid entrenched cultural attachments to historical orthography.^[22] Earlier proposals, such as an 1878 petition from teachers' groups for a government inquiry into spelling reform, had similarly failed to yield action.^[12]

Reception and Opposition

Public and Academic Responses

Public opposition to the Simplified Spelling Board's initiatives intensified following President Theodore Roosevelt's August 1906 executive order mandating simplified spellings in federal government printing, such as "thru" for "through" and "altho" for "although."^[1] The move provoked immediate backlash, with newspapers like the Washington Times reporting widespread agitation in Congress and among the public, who viewed the reforms as an overreach of executive authority.^[1] Satirical mockery proliferated, including British press alterations of Roosevelt's name to "Rusvelt" or "Ruzvelt" and Andrew Carnegie's to "Karnegi," portraying the president as "whimsical, silly, headstrong, and despotic."^[1] By December 1906, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 142-25 to block funding for the Public Printer to implement these changes, effectively forcing Roosevelt to rescind the order after just four months.^[1] The reforms were broadly ridiculed as a national joke, with public resentment fueled by perceptions of top-down imposition eroding linguistic tradition without clear benefits.^[2] Newspapers and cartoons lampooned examples like "hed" for "head" and "enuf" for "enough," contributing to the initiative's rapid delegitimization.^[27] While some minor spellings, such as "catalog" and "tho," gained sporadic adoption in periodicals by 1919—claimed by the Board in 556 newspapers and 460 institutions—overall public adoption remained negligible, reflecting entrenched resistance to phonetic simplification.^[27] Academic responses were predominantly skeptical, with institutions prioritizing etymological preservation over efficiency gains. Universities including Harvard, MIT, Smith, Wellesley, and Boston University explicitly rejected the Board's proposed spellings, arguing they disrupted historical linguistic depth, such as the multifaceted "ough" endings.^[27] Philologists and linguists, valuing English's adaptive complexity, opposed wholesale phonetic reforms, viewing them as reductive and impractical for maintaining scholarly accuracy.^[2] Printers and editors, key stakeholders in orthographic standards, resisted extensive changes, with the Public Printer reverting forms like "wer" to "were" despite mandates.^[27] Notable critics included Supreme Court Chief Justice Melville Fuller, who in October 1906 decried "thru" as unsuitable for official use, underscoring elite institutional aversion.^[1] Though figures like Mark Twain initially joined the Board, broader scholarly consensus held that reforms threatened cultural heritage more than they alleviated educational burdens.^[28]

Criticisms of Practicality and Cultural Impact

Critics of the Simplified Spelling Board's proposals argued that the anticipated efficiency gains were overstated and impractical, as the time saved in writing and learning would be minimal compared to the dominant roles of reading and speaking in daily communication. H. L. Mencken later observed that the movement's rapid collapse demonstrated its limited practical benefits, with reforms failing to deliver measurable reductions in educational costs or literacy barriers. Thomas R. Lounsbury, in his 1909 analysis, emphasized the insurmountable opposition from educators and the public, rendering widespread adoption unfeasible due to entrenched habits and lack of consensus on phonetic standards.^[29]^[29]^[30] The logistical challenges of implementation further undermined the Board's practicality, including the enormous expenses of retraining millions, reprinting educational materials, and updating legal and archival documents. Andrew Carnegie's initial annual funding of $25,000 (equivalent to over $500,000 in modern terms) proved insufficient to overcome these barriers, leading him to withdraw support by 1915 amid stalled progress. President Theodore Roosevelt's 1906 executive order mandating simplified spellings in federal printing was swiftly overturned by congressional legislation within weeks, highlighting the political and administrative resistance to enforced change.^[2]^[2]^[21] Dialectal variations across English-speaking regions posed additional practical hurdles, as a phonetic system tailored to one accent—such as American General American—would alienate users of British Received Pronunciation, Australian, or other variants, potentially requiring multiple orthographies and complicating global communication. Opponents noted that English's role as a lingua franca for non-native speakers, who often rely on its irregular spelling for consistent recognition across accents, would suffer from fragmentation under reform.^[31]^[31] On cultural grounds, detractors contended that simplified spellings eroded the aesthetic and historical depth of English orthography, stripping words of their visual elegance and ties to linguistic heritage. Owen Wister, in his 1907 critique, defended traditional forms for their intrinsic beauty, arguing against reforms that prioritized utility over the "simple spelling bee's" disregard for graceful expression. The proposals, such as rendering "though" as "tho" or "through" as "thru," were derided for producing visually unappealing results disconnected from English's evolution through Middle English and Norman influences.^[29]^[2]^[32] Reform efforts also risked obliterating etymological clues embedded in irregular spellings, such as the shared "ough" in words like "through" and "though," which trace to Old English roots and aid in understanding word origins and semantic connections. Critics viewed this as a form of cultural diminishment, equating it to "dumbing down" the language by favoring phonetic simplicity over the intellectual rewards of mastering its complexities, a stance echoed in broader Progressive Era backlash against overzealous efficiency-driven changes. Public perception framed the Board as elitist meddling, turning its initiatives into a national jest and reinforcing attachment to orthographic tradition as a marker of cultural identity.^[31]^[31]^[29]

Decline and Dissolution

Carnegie's Growing Discontent

By the early 1910s, Andrew Carnegie's enthusiasm for the Simplified Spelling Board waned as the organization's efforts yielded minimal widespread adoption of reformed spellings, particularly among Eastern newspapers and institutions. Despite initial funding of $25,000 annually since the board's founding in 1906, Carnegie grew frustrated with the lack of tangible progress in New York and the broader East Coast, noting in 1915 that "not one Eastern paper" had embraced the changes and that he was "getting very tired indeed, of sinking twenty-five thousand dollars a year for nothing here in the East."^[6] Carnegie also expressed dissatisfaction with the board's top-down methodology, which he viewed as overly prescriptive rather than allowing for organic public acceptance. He had advocated for submitting amended spellings "for general acceptance," emphasizing that "it is the people who decide what is to be adopted or rejected," a principle he felt the board disregarded in favor of dictating reforms.^[6] In a February 1915 letter to publisher Henry Holt, Carnegie described the board members as "a more useless body of men never came into association, judging from the effects they produce," highlighting his perception of their ineffectiveness.^[6] This mounting impatience culminated in Carnegie's decision to cease financial support around 1915, declaring, "I think I hav been patient long enuf… I hav much better use for twenty thousand dollars a year."^[6] He omitted any bequest for the board in his will, contributing to its eventual funding shortages after his death in 1919, as the lack of adoption underscored the futility of sustained investment without broader societal buy-in.^[3]^[33]

Factors Leading to Shutdown

The Simplified Spelling Board's operations were heavily reliant on annual funding from Andrew Carnegie, who provided approximately $25,000 per year starting in 1906 but grew increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of tangible progress by the mid-1910s.^[2]^[3] In February 1915, Carnegie expressed his frustration in a letter to board president Haskett du Royster, criticizing the organization's failure to secure adoption in major Eastern newspapers and stating, "I think I hav been patient long enuf," before redirecting his support elsewhere.^[6]^[2] This withdrawal marked a critical turning point, as the board lacked alternative revenue streams to sustain its activities independently.^[6] Compounding the financial strain was the board's inability to overcome entrenched opposition, including a 1909 congressional resolution (passed 142–24) rejecting simplified spellings in official government documents, which underscored broader resistance from political institutions.^[6] Public and press backlash against the top-down reform efforts, perceived as elitist and disruptive to established norms, further eroded momentum, with minimal voluntary adoption beyond a handful of isolated instances.^[2]^[3] Internal disagreements over strategy—Carnegie favored gradual, voluntary changes while the board pursued more prescriptive measures—exacerbated inefficiencies and alienated its primary benefactor.^[6] By 1920, following the publication of the Handbook of Simplified Spelling and Carnegie's death in 1919 without provisions for continued funding in his will, the board became inactive due to depleted resources and the absence of measurable success in spelling reform.^[3]^[6] The combination of fiscal dependency, strategic missteps, and sustained cultural resistance rendered sustained operations untenable.^[2]

Long-Term Legacy

Limited Achievements and Persistent Influences

The Simplified Spelling Board's primary tangible achievement was the temporary implementation of its proposed spellings in U.S. federal government printing, mandated by President Theodore Roosevelt's executive order of August 27, 1906, which required the adoption of simplified forms for approximately 300 common words, such as "altho" for "although" and "thoro" for "thorough," in official documents.^[21] This policy endured only four months before Congress voted 142-25 on December 12, 1906, to withhold funding from the Government Printing Office unless it reverted to traditional spellings, prompting Roosevelt to withdraw support amid widespread political and public backlash.^[21] In education, the Board achieved modest endorsements and experimental adoptions, including the National Education Association's approval of 12 simplified spellings in 1897 and further endorsement of "-t" endings (e.g., "fixt" for "fixed") in its 1916 publications.^[34] By 1916, simplified spellings were used in 175 normal schools, colleges, and universities across the United States and Canada, involving nearly 10,000 instructors and about 150,000 students, with state universities in at least 14 states adopting them for instructional purposes.^[35] Additionally, over 250 periodicals, reaching a combined circulation exceeding 14 million, incorporated at least the Board's initial 12 recommended spellings.^[35] These gains, however, remained confined to progressive experiments and did not extend to broad curriculum reforms, as teachers often resisted due to practical concerns over efficiency and public perception.^[34] Despite systemic failure, the Board's proposals exerted persistent influence on informal English usage, particularly through spellings like "thru" for "through" and "tho" for "though," which appear in modern advertising, brand names, road signage, and digital shorthand, reflecting a selective acceptance outside formal orthography.^[21] Its advocacy also seeded enduring reform movements, contributing to the 1946 merger of remnants with the Spelling Reform Association to form the Simpler Spelling Association and inspiring later groups such as the American Literacy Council.^[2] More broadly, the Board's emphasis on orthographic efficiency informed ongoing scholarly debates about English spelling's role in literacy challenges and educational costs, underscoring irregularities' causal link to learning inefficiencies without achieving widespread policy shifts.^[34]

Reasons for Ultimate Failure

The Simplified Spelling Board's ultimate failure stemmed primarily from the withdrawal of Andrew Carnegie's financial support, which had sustained the organization since its founding in 1906 with annual grants of $25,000. By 1915, Carnegie expressed frustration over the lack of tangible progress, stating in a letter, "I think I hav been patient long enuf," and ceased funding thereafter.^[2]^[3] Upon his death in 1919, Carnegie's will included no provisions for continued support, rendering the board financially unviable and leading to its inactivity by 1920.^[6] Public and political backlash further eroded the initiative's viability, transforming it into a target of widespread ridicule. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt's executive order mandating simplified spellings in federal documents provoked swift congressional resistance, culminating in a House resolution passed 142-24 opposing the changes as an overreach of government authority.^[2]^[6] Media outlets and the press mocked proponents, including Roosevelt and Mark Twain, portraying the reforms as frivolous or unpatriotic, which damaged credibility and public enthusiasm.^[2] This derision highlighted an underestimation of entrenched cultural attachments to traditional English orthography, which many viewed as a repository of historical and etymological value rather than mere inefficiency. Institutional resistance from educators, academics, and printers compounded these challenges, as key gatekeepers of language dissemination refused adoption. Education leaders often framed opposition in terms of preserving pedagogical stability and efficiency, arguing that abrupt changes would disrupt learning without proportional benefits.^[34] Practical barriers, such as the costs and logistical difficulties of retooling printing presses and updating dictionaries, deterred publishers, while the board's expansion from an initial list of 12 words to over 300 overwhelmed potential implementers.^[2]^[3] Fundamentally, the top-down approach lacked the grassroots momentum and centralized enforcement mechanism needed to overcome English's decentralized evolution across dialects and nations. Without broad voluntary uptake or authoritative mandates, proposed simplifications—such as "thru" for "through" or "hed" for "head"—failed to permeate everyday usage, persisting only in niche contexts like informal signage.^[6] The board's final publication, the Handbook of Simplified Spelling in 1920, symbolized its exhaustion rather than revival, underscoring how linguistic reforms require sustained societal consensus absent in this case.^[3]^[2]

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[24]
Teddy Roosevelt Tried To Change How We Spell Words
Dec 12, 2023 · Today in 1906 a vote in Congress put an end to one of President Theodore Roosevelt's top priorities: simplifying the way we spell words.Missing: Orthography | Show results with:Orthography
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Simplified Spelling Board's 300 Spellings - Children of the Code
The Simplified Spelling Board's 300 simpler spellings which US President Teddy Roosevelt designated for use in government documents in August 1906.
[26]
When Theodore Roosevelt Tried to Reform the English Language
Nov 3, 2016 · CARNEGIE AND THE SIMPLIFIED SPELLING BOARD The Simplified Spelling Board was founded in 1906 by the Scottish-born steel magnate and ...Missing: organization | Show results with:organization
[27]
THE DIZZY RISE ( AND ENSUING BUST) OF SIMPLIFIED SPELLING.
For in 1906 the Simplified Spelling Board began functioning in New York, and there was every indication that its triumph would be swift and massive. It had ...Missing: publications | Show results with:publications
[28]
https://www.twainquotes.com/19060312.html
[29]
Simplified Spelling and the Cult of Efficiency in the “Progressiv” Era
Nov 8, 2010 · Although some critics invoked the efficiency idiom against Simplified Spelling, questioning its utility and practicality, others denounced ...
[30]
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=English+Spelling+and+Spelling+Reform&author=Lounsbury+Thomas+R.&publication_year=1909
[31]
Arguments against Spelling Reform | - The English Spelling Society
Spelling reform would be dumbing down. A spelling based on how words are actually pronounced would be pandering to those who can't be bothered to learn or who ...
[32]
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=How+Doth+the+Simple+Spelling+Bee&author=Wister+Owen&publication_year=1907
[33]
Word Nerd: Simplified Spelling - Rebellion Publishing
May 14, 2015 · ... Simplified Spelling Board is one of the most delightful, gloriously ... Carnegie wrote often in frustration that he was getting too ...
[34]
Complexities of Efficiency Reform: The Case of Simplified Spelling ...
Jul 19, 2017 · Progressive Era advocates of spelling reform argued that adopting “simplified” word forms would increase the efficiency of American schools.
[35]
Is Spelling Reform, Ten Years Old, a Success?; Professor Brander ...
So desirous was the Simplified Spelling Board of arousing as little opposition as possible that in its first list of Three Hundred Words in simpler spelling ...