Eastern Michigan University - Aurora Yearbook (Ypsilanti, MI)

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January, 1870, the Board of Education accepted the linished building, and changed its name from Normal Museum to t'New Normal School Building. It was devoted to the use of the Training School until 18872, and since then has been occupied partly or Wholly by the Conservatory of Music. No department of the Normal College has been more side, promised a permanent abode. Altho the plans ex- ceeded the appropriation, they Were retained, and the cen- tral portion of the Training School Building was completed within the limits of the appropriation. By April 1, 1897, this structure was ready to be occupied by most of the grades. Three years later the wings Were added, and in 1909 the new addition was completed. uf' Vfinxifr , w I ff H: 'T f'l - ri' qw? migratory in its habitsn than the Training School. It was moved from its cramped quarters in the Main Building to the present Conservatory Building, and there it had a home until 1882, when it became domiciled in the new rear addi- tion of the Main Building. An appropriation of 3525.000 made by the legislature in 1895, and the city's donation of a site of over three acres adjoining the campus on the west Of all the college buildings none is endeared to the stu- dents by stronger and more tender associations than the Gymnasium. Early in the history of the college the value of physical training Was recognized, and a very modest structure, situated on the ground now occupied by the ex- treme rear of the Main Building and provided with meagre equipments, served as a gymnasium. This building was de-

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State Board of Education from Ypsilanti, -laclcson. Mar- shall, Gull Prairie, and Niles. Ypsilantiis offer of a cash subscription of 313,500 and temporary rooms, and its pro- posal to pay, upon certain specified conditions, for a term of five years. the salary of the principal teacher of the model school. were accepted. A plat of ground, tothe extent of four- acres, was also donated by the town. To this, the Board purchased an addition making the original site C011- tain nearly six acres. Upon it they proceeded to erect a suitable building for the school. Qu Cctober 5, 1852, the formal dedication took placeg and on March 29, 1853, the Michigan State Normal School opened its doors. The Hrst term continued for seventeen weeks. The second term commenced on the first Tuesday of the following Gctober and lasted twenty-three weeks. The buildings of the institution are indicative of its growth. At first one building met the needs now supplied by live. each of which is larger than the original. The orig- inal building, which was a brick structure three stories high, is the nucleus of the present Main Building. The first lioor provided a room for the model school. one for the department of physics and chemistry, a small reception room. and a library room. On the second floor were sev- eral recitation rooms and the main schoolroom. One large room and a number of smaller ones constituted the third floor. I On Friday night, October 28, 1859, this building with most of its contents, was destroyed by fire. Nothing re- mained of the structure but the bare brick walls. Tempor- ary quarters were provided at once, and the work of resto- ration carried on with such energy that the restored build- ing was ready for occupancy at the opening of the spring term in .-Xpril. 1St5tI. Not only was the external appearance of the original building changed in the restored structure, but the interior was also improved. ln 1818 an addition was built to the front. a large part of the rear wall torn down and rebuilt, the roof raised to correspond to that of the addition, and the interior remodeled. lt is an interesting fact that the erection of the tower at the northeast corner was made pos- sible at this same time by a donation of Sl4'Z,t'ltltl from the citizens of Ypsilanti. A rear addition over a hundred feet long and two stories high, was erected in 1882. Six years later the north and south wings were added. The second building to be erected is the one now known as the Conservatory. lt was originally intended for the use of the State Agricultural Society. and was to contain an agricultural museum. flts erection was begun in 1861, but it was not roofed over until late in the autumn of 1865. lt remained in an uneompleted state until 1869, when the leg- islature appropriated funds for its completion. Then in

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stroyed by fire in the summer of 1873, and for twenty years only such rooms as were available could be appropri- ated to instruction in physical training. Finally, however. the legislature voted 820,000 for the erection of a building for physical culture. A site was purchased by voluntary subscription and the handsome Gymnasium erected. On May 18, 1891, it was dedicated-a blessing to the schools and teachers of Michigan. It was not until nine years later that the Science Build- ing, a large and substantial structure with splendid equip- ments. was completed at a cost of ?f315,000. A history of the Normal which did not include Stark- weather Hall, would be incomplete. Its location on the campus and its intimate connection with the life of the col- iege, make this a beautiful home of the Students' Christian Association essentially a college building. It was built in 1897-the gift of Mrs. Mary Starlcweather to the Students' Christian Association. ' The grounds upon which these buildings and the athletic helds are located have been increased, largely through the generosity of the citizens of Ypsilanti, until they extend over forty acres. But buildings with their libraries, laboratories, and appa- ratus, and grounds with their athletic fields are not the only things that indicate the progress and efficiency of an insti- tution of learning. The steady growth of its teaching force. the continued increase in its attendance, and the constant development of its courses of study are of still greater sig- nificance. - Xiihen the school opened in 1852, the number of teachers was Eve. In 1880, the number had reached twelve, and in 1902, fifty-three. At present the faculty consists of more than eighty noble men and women who are the life, the immanent spirit of the college. The strengthening of theiteaching staff presupposes a proportional increase in the attendance. During the first term only twenty-seven students attended the school. The average enrollment for the first decade of the existence of the college was two hundred ninety-seven, for the next two decades it averaged three hundred forty-six, from 1880, Eve hundred thirty-seven. The average growth of the following ten years was almost double that of the pre- ceding decade, and up to April 1, 1909, the attendance for the year had reached the high mark of two thousand tive hundred thirty-two. The constant change and development of the courses of study in the Normal College curriculum are the results of experiments. XVhen the school opened in 1853, but two two-year courses, English and Latin, had been adopted. Space does not permit an extended account of this interest- ing phase of the history of the college. Let it suffice to say that radical changes were made in these courses at different times, and that, in 1889 an advanced course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Pedagogy, was provided. Provisions were also made for the degree of Master of Pedagogy. Later. in 189'7, in recognition of the fact that work of col- legiate grade was being done, the legislature Hauthorized the State Board of Education to designate the school, in the courses leading to life certificate and degree, by the name of Michigan State Normal College. In 1903 courses were or-