East Stroudsburg University - Stroud Yearbook (East Stroudsburg, PA)

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state legislature to divide the Fourth Normal School District to provide for a school in Saran! ton. Seeley Rosenkrans, a local businessman, went to Harrisburg to look after local interest. There was much anxiety felt by the people of East Stroudsburg as to whether or not the school would be accepted by the state. The final victory came on March 22, 1893, when the buildings were accepted. The trustees were elected with Seeley Rosen' krans as president of the Board. The report on the costs of the buildings of the Normal School was given at this meeting. The estimated cost for the buildings was $100,000. To this sum was added a state appropriation of $35,000. The Board of Trustees then started making arrangements for the opening of the school. The first question was the securing of a principal. George P. Bible, principal of Indiana State Normal School, was elected principal of the East Stroudsburg State Normal School on May 26, 1893. The faculty was chosen in June, among them being E. L. Kemp, who was then principal of Palitinate College of Meyerstown. The night of the meeting at which the faculty was to be selected, several trustees called at the home of the president of the Board to help carry the apr plications, credentials, and photographs of those who were seeking positions as teachers in the Normal School. These applications were so numer' ous that they were carried to the meeting in market baskets. For weeks before this election of DOMESTIC SCIENCE CLASS

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FIRST FACULTY 2. They reported that the building itself would not meet the state requirements in that the assembly room was not large enough, and there was no provision for the location of water closets, drainage, kitchen, method of heating, etc. There were also no plans for a model school, which was one of the first requirements of the Normal School Law. 3. The materials used for the construction were the poorest that the committee had ever seen. 4. The roof was too large, and it was feared that under the wind pressure it would not hold upfl The committee then apologized for having to make such an adverse report, but, WThe facts were such that we could not conscientiously do other' wisefl The fact that the buildings are still stand' ing shows that the committee was mistaken in its report. It is interesting to note that the rocks used for the foundation of the building were taken from the farms of Phillip Peters and Brown 'Smith on Franklin Hill, which are in the near vicinity. One of the points brought out by the local men in reply to the report of the Scranton committee was that In Stroudsburg, the State Normal School is away from the smoke of a smoky City, away from the vice and immorality and will prove a quietelnook: to students who come to study? It was announced in October that the buildings would be finished in December in spite of the opposition in Scranton. A bill was then introduced by a Scranton representative in the

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faculty, the trustees were kept busy conferring with applicants who came in person to look after their own interest. Early enrollments of students were registered at the home of the president of the Board. It was announced that the Normal School would open its doors for the first time on Sep' tember 4, 1893. The first term of the new state institution began September 4, 1893, and before the close of the term three hundred and twenty pupils en! rolled. Everyone was so well pleased that nearly all enrolled for the winter and spring terms. The curriculum was largely academic because most of the students came from districts which lacked the benefits of a more advanced course of study. A sisubrjunior school of a preparatory nature was provided for those who needed further education to meet entrance requirements. The curriculum most commonly pursued included psychology, history of education, methods of teaching, school management, ancient, medieval and modern his tory, literature, plane and toptionallyl solid geometry, with such sciences as physics and bet any. A special board was appointed to examine applicants for entrance since the school was not opened until the fall term of 1893. Promotions were made at the end of each year by the state board of examiners. Classes were held in one building, Stroud Hall. The training school, which caused so much trouble while the school was under construction, was housed in what is now SQ and the whole end of the basement of the south wing. The chapel,