John Cowan was headmaster of Central Normal School during the Centennial celebrations in 1973. He trained at Wellington and Dunedin Teachers College as a Physical Education Teacher. He previously taught at schools in Wairoa, Hawera and Gisborne. Cowan was affectionately known as ‘Mr Central School’.
This portrait was published on page 5 of the Central School Centenary (1873-1973) commemoration booklet, with the following text:
“The Centennial of the School afforded me a great deal of pleasure. In the first place it enabled me to share the obvious enjoyment of a great number of ex-pupils representing successive generations in the history of the school from its inception in 1873 on the Main Street site, through Campbell Street from 1890 till 1922 and then in Featherson Street. Although not an ex-pupil I feel that I have a real affinity with those who have been and consider it a privilege to have been associated for almost fourteen years with a school held in such high esteem for so long. Furthermore, the reading of my predecessors' Log Books from 1883, the scanning of Enrolment Registers with unbroken entries since 1880, the interviewing of past pupils sometimes for radio broadcast, and informal conversation before and during the celebrations have built for me vignettes of school life over the century. The size of classes, staffing difficulties, discipline, the inspection, examination and promotion procedures, games children played and teacher-pupil relationships are not only of great interest and some merriment, but also of value reflecting, as they do, the development of schooling locally and nationally. The purpose of the Celebrations was re-union, reminiscence and conviviality and that this was achieved was most gratifying. I was pleased, also, that present pupils were included in the programme. It remains only to thank the Centennial Committee for its long and arduous work under the capable leadership of its Chairman, Mr. W. S. Alcock, and Mr. Rowland Bailey, Secretary of the School Committee, who set the whole business in train.”
See: https://manawatuheritage.pncc.govt.nz/item/7989ae13-e86a-468b-a6b8-1f5ffd296a2c
