ABSTRACT
Feeling progressive in the post-war years manifested as a faith in the potential of the freethinking individual to the promises of American democracy. North Manual High School was also "off" from progressive idealism in its racist beliefs that its multi-ethnic/racial, working-class students were uneducable. The vital project of post-war progressive education to develop youth into inner-directed, autonomous citizens took various forms. Like soldiers, teachers had to step up to what was off from progressive hopes: the problems of mindlessness, the legacy of unequal educational opportunity, and the need for independent-minded citizens. Mr. Richard Dadier's pedagogical leadership seemed to merge affect and cognition, as recommended by various progressive educational scholars, who argued for "relevance" or "meaning" as sources of motivation. Dadier’s feelings move within larger blocs of affect circulating around curricular beliefs, national hopes, and optimism in the 'power' of progressive curricula and talented individual teachers to mold citizens.
