Milne, John, House
804 Park Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NMThe Milne House is of state significance as the home of John Milne, one of New Mexico's leading educators. Milne had the house built in 1917, six years after he was named Superintendent of Schools for the Albuquerque School District. For the following 39 years until his death in 1956, Milne lived in the house while directing the growth of one of the largest schools districts in the country. During his tenure as Superintendent--at 45 years a national record for such service--Milne initiated and/or encouraged many innovations in State education. He developed an integrated school system in which neither race nor special learning problems were allowed to isolate or handicap any student. Spanish-speaking children were encouraged to look upon their language as an asset rather than as a liability. He also integrated use of the media into educational programs. Albuquerque's phenomenal growth, during this time, placed extraordinary demands on its school system. Milne guided this expansion from five to 67 schools with a student population of over 40,000 while providing for future growth with farsighted purchase of school sites. Called "Mr. Education" by many New Mexicans, John Milne was eulogized by the Albuquerque papers as "one of its most valuable citizens. ... It was through his diligence and foresight that the school system was able to keep pace with the phenomenal growth of the city."
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.