To no one man can go the full credit for establishing and building the free public schools of California, any more than can any single individual be given full credit in any complex community undertaking. But in any communal activity, one man usually stands out, and in the case of the schools of California, John Swett is that individual. Much has been written about Swett, the man, but little has been written about his contributions to the school structure of his adopted state. The latter is the problem with which this paper deals. In view of an ever increasing interest on the part of the public in the schools of California, it was felt that a study dealing with their beginnings, and with the man who was chiefly Instrumental in organizing and developing them, would aid in overcoming this omission.