Charles Fergus Binns was one of the most influential ceramic educators in the United States. Trained in England at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Works in Staffordshire, he came to this country in 1897. By that time, he had already published and lectured widely on ceramics. He played a pivotal role as an educator, heading the New York State School of Clay-Working and Ceramics (now the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University), the first American institution to grant a degree in ceramics.

Binns taught ceramic technology, offering instruction in clay bodies and glaze chemistry. Among his most notable students were Arthur Baggs of the Marblehead Pottery, Frederick Walrath, Adelaide Robineau, and Mary Chase Perry.

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