Matthew C. Perry ES History
Opened: 1987
OPEN
Matthew C. Perry Elementary opened its doors to serve both children and families in 1955 with only four classroom teachers. In 2017, we became a primary school, serving the youngest students in the community. We now have 24 classrooms and employ 63 faculty and staff.
Matthew C. Perry, our namesake, embodies the characteristics we want to instill in our students--those of problem solvers.
Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794-March 4, 1858) was a Commodore of the U.S. Navy and commanded a number of ships. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West in 1854. He was very concerned with the education of naval officers and helped develop a system that helped establish the curriculum at the United States Naval Academy. With the advent of the steam engine, he became a leading advocate of modernizing the U.S. Navy and came to be considered The Father of the Steam Navy. The USS Commodore Perry was named in honor Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his brother Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.