Boston State College - Bostonian / Lampas Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Library in 1937 Administration Bldg. in 1937 North Hall in 1937 Library in 1937 Graduating class of 1937

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(Final Chapter) History of Boston State College By Dennis McNamee I feel honored and privileged to be writing this piece, for it is the last chapter in the history of Boston State College. Barring devine intervention, by the time this yearbook goes to print Boston State College, the most economically viable school in the state, boasting the highest cumulative grade average of state schools last year, will have been absorbed by the University of Massachusetts. Due to Governor Edward Kings ' Reorganization Plan, Boston State no longer exists as a separate entity. A school that has greatly served the Commonwealth for One Hundred and Thirty Years has been closed to save the taxpayers of Massachusetts money. This reasoning is ridiculously ironic since Boston State is the least expensive State College to run. The Board of Regents, a peculiar body of businessmen and bankers charged with implementing and controling the Reorganization Plan, worked out with the closing of Boston State in virtual secrecy. The head of the Board, Chancel- lor Duff, was even given a raise as a reward for a job well done. Saving the taxpayers money indeed. To make matters worse, both students and faculty were kept in the dark about the future of Boston State. Teachers were and are unsure about their job status. Students were and are still worried about their future once the school closes. Governor King has made an embarrassing mess of what was supposed to have been a feather in his political cap in his drive for re-election. As anyone reading this knows, Boston State isn ' t going down wi thout a fight. Many students and faculty have made loud and valiant efforts to save the school but they have been in vain. Fm not naive enough not to know that this kind of political manuevering doesn ' t happen all the time. The small fish are swallowed by the sharks; but that doesn ' t make it right. The politicians are closing my school and it ' s a damn disgrace. Having said that, here is a brief history of a school that deserved a better fate.

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In 1851 Nathan Bishop, first Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, upset that women in grammar schools teaching themselves, recommended that they receive further education to prepare them for teaching the elementary grades. In July, 1852, the Boston City Council ordered that A Normal School should be established in the Adams School House as part of the system of public schools. The building was located on Mason Street, which ran parallel to Tremont Street. The Schoolhouse itself was old and very small, and a public reading room occupied the first floor. The Normal School occupied the second and third floors. It was the seventh Normal School in the country and the second City Normal School. Eighty six young women, aged sixteen to nineteen, were enrolled in the first class. The program was for a period of one year. Loring Lorthrup was the first Headmaster, serving 1852 to 1856. In 1854, due to prodding from the Superintendent Bishop, the administration recognized the need for more preparation and the school was renamed the Girls High and Normal School. Tougher entrance exams were given and more subjects added. Among these subjects were Physical Geography, Natural Philosophy and Laws of Health. The Curricu- lum also stressed the need for training in high moral character. This double service school existed from 1854 until 1872. Foreign Languages also became part of the curriculum in this period, specifically French, Latin and German. Interestingly, students took an active part in the running of the school in the early years. They assisted with the administering of admission exams, did substitute teaching and helped out as tutors. There were two other Headmasters during this period, William Henry Seavy (1856-1868) and Ephraim Hunt (1868-1872). Headmaster Hunt felt that Natural Sciences were very important and initiated the first scientific experiments done at the school. There is not existing list of casualties. The two schools were separated in 1872 and Larkin Dunton became the fourth Headmas- ter of the Boston Normal School. Enrollment had jumped from the original eighty-six to about six-hundred students. Students were now admitted from High School and received both academic and profes- sional training. Under Headmaster Dunton the one-year teacher training program was lengthened to one and one-half years in 1868 and to two years in 1892. A program for training Kindergarten teaching, then in its infancy, was also introduced during this period. Also, many students came to Boston Normal School from other towns and then returned to their own communities to teach, since teachers in Boston were required to reside in