William Albert Wirt

Life & Legacy

William Albert Wirt (January 21, 1874 – March 11, 1938) was a superintendent of schools in Gary, Indiana. Wirt developed the Gary Plan for the more efficient use of school facilities, a reform of the Progressive Movement that was widely adopted in over 200 cities by 1929.
Wirt was born in Markis, Indiana. He graduated from DePauw University and did postgraduate work at the University of Chicago. He taught high school mathematics in small towns in Indiana and was superintendent in Blufton Indiana, 1899–1907. His new methods at Blufton gained national attention and he then became superintendent in Gary.