Illinois State Normal University - Index Yearbook (Normal, IL)

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The Invitation I7 its faculty and in all one hundred eleven of its students enlisted. Three of the new professors called to fill the vacancies, as well as Ira Moore and E. C. Hewett, who had come in 1858, were graduates of the Mass- achusetts State Normal School in Bridgewater. Here they had been under the instruction of a West Point graduate, Nicholas Tillinghast, who, by his thoroness, his accurate temper, his devotion, his fidelity to the truth, and his unsparing contempt for sham, for laziness, and frivolity, stamped these sterling qualities upon his students. Of these five Bridgewater men, Richard Edwards was president from 1862 to 1876, Edwin C. Hewett from 1876 to 1890. Albert Stet- son and Thomas Metcalf served in the faculty twenty-five and thirty- three years respectively. Most of the other teachers were pupils of the five. Hence during these years, 1862-1890, the institution underwent little change. Into all its students it breathed its peculiar life, and that life was the spirit of Tillinghast. The school won a great reputa- tion for thoroness in the common branches. Every student owned a copy of Lippincott's Gazetteer. He learned to read with the fervor of Dr. Edwards, to pronounce with the precision of Mr. Metcalf, to spell the sesquipedalian terms of the dictionaries under the leader- ship of Dr. Hewett. The period, 1888-95, saw many significant changes in the life of the institution. Buel P. Colton, who had studied biology at johns Hopkins under pupils of Huxley, introduced his methods into the department of science. In the same year Charles DeGarmo returned to the institu- tion after three years of philosophy and pedagogy at Halle and Jena. Several of the faculty became interested in German thought and met weekly in a philosophy club, under the leadership of George P. Brown. In 1890 John W. Cook became president. Himself the product of the old spirit, for he had been identined with the institution for twenty- seven years, he saw its limitations, as well as its power, and soon with characteristic energy began to strengthen the school. The training department received his first attention. A new building was erected. Frank McMurry, Charles McMurry, and C. C. VanLiew, all of whom had studied with Dr. Rein at Jena, came into the department of pedagogy and practice. The courses in psychology and pedagogy were lengthened. The elementary course in the model school was reorganized along Herbartian lines, three critic teachers were employed, beside paid student-assistants to care for the various school rooms. The various departmental and society libraries were consolidated and put in charge -of a regular librarian, instruction in physical training was provided, and in 1895 a beautiful fire-proof building erected to contain gymnasium, library, museum, and scientific laboratories. The years, 1893-98, saw a rapid growth in the attendance in the Normal department. This expansion was due in part to the business depression with its restricted opportunities for employment. A deeper cause was the growing recognition of the value of professional training for teachers, the same conviction that has since 1895 established three additional State normal schools in Illinois. Because of the crowded condition of the school, the high school was discontinued in 1895. Prior to this date a uniform three-year course had been provided for all normal students. Any desiring additional instruction in ancient or modern languages entered the high school classes in these branches. It was now found advisable to establish a two-year course for students of superior preparation, and a four-year course, including Latin and Greek or German, for such as were looking to a future college course.

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I5 Index Historical Sketch I Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818 the federal government provided endowments for higher education known as the college and seminary funds. For nearly forty years no permanent disposition of these funds was agreed upon. Some wished to found a 4 US state university such as Virginia had established at 5322, -Ei H , . 1 .3.o hi' 1 - 'C :'Q.'!9:5i'eb.z'v'- A QQ Monticello, the friends of the various denominational 'ii' 'lf ,: . colleges urged a division of the funds among them, ef: in the backward condition of elementary education led ,gl 5 'S others to advocate an institution for the training 5353? 'l of teachers. With the powerful backing of the f , I Prairie Farmer and the State Teachers' Association the last idea prevailed. On February 18, 1857, Governor Bissell signed the act creating the Illinois State Normal University. Among the various competing cities Bloomington secured the in- stitution by offering SI4I,OOO. A noble building was planned, con- tracts were letg the foundation was built, then the financial crash of 1857 brought building operations to a standstill. In two years, work was resumed, the building completed and dedicated in January 1861. Meanwhile the school had opened. On October 5, 1857, nineteen students had gathered in Major's Hall in Bloomington to greet the principal, Charles E. Hovey, and his assistant, Ira Moore. Both were men of rare ability, but the outbreak of the Civil War summoned both to the Union army. President Hovey led a regiment and became a brigadier general. After the war Mr. Moore became president of the St. Cloud, Minnesota, Normal School and later accepted a similar position at Los Angeles. ' In the fall of 1860 school was opened in the incomplete new build- ing. The faculty had increased to ten, the student body averaged about 175. In 1857 Mary Brooks, an accomplished primary teacher, was brought from Peoria, to open an experimental school as a supplementary feature of the Normal University. This became very popular. Pro- vision was made in the new building for a model school of all grades. All the children from Normal and many from Bloomington were en- rolled in the model school. Its high school department soon won a high reputation. Such men as W. L. Pillsbury and H. J. Barton of the University of Illinois, Edmund J. james of the Northwestern Uni- versity, Charles F. Childs, Lester L. Burrington, and O. L. Manchester have been its principals. The model school in the early days was mainly a school for obser- vation. Not much teaching was required of the normal students, and that was not carefully supervised. In 1867 the school had grown so large as to demand an additional building, which was erected by the school board of the village. In 1868 the Normal University dis- continued the supervision and instruction of the pupils in the new building. Not until 187 3 was the value of practice teaching adequately recognized. In that year the Training Department was organized with Thomas Metcalf as its first principal. The war made serious inroads upon the Normal University, six of

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I8 Indax The trustees of the Northern Illinois State Normal School desiring to open their school with the highest possible prestige, induced President Cook to take charge of the school at DeKalb. Upon his resignation, in 1899, Arnold Tompkins, of the chair of education of the Univer- sity of Illinois was called to the presidency of this institution. He had been a student and teacher in the Indiana State Normal School, at Terre Haute, and had later won distinction as an educational writer and lecturer of rare power. After a single year of service he accepted the principalship of the Chicago Normal School. The most signifi- cant event of his adminstration was a thoro-going revision of the course of study, adapting it to the varying needs of different grades of students, and providing various elective courses for the training of special teachers. In the reorganization of the training department the instructor in the method of the recitation was made the supervisor of practice and eight critic teachers were provided for the eight grades of the model school. In IQOO David Felmley, for ten years teacher of mathematics, became president. The subsequent development of the school has been largely along lines planned by President Tompkins. The more generous appropriations of the legislature have made it possible. A kindergarten has been established to supplement the primary work. Additional teachers of geography and natural science have been em- ployed. Special teachers of vocal music, physical training, and manual training have been added to the faculty. A school garden has been laid out and the grounds placed in charge of a competent landscape gardener. The buildings have been improved and beautified, and the equipment of every department has been enlarged. After the abolition of the high school, in 1895, the attendance in the lower grades of the model school steadily declined, and became too small for the needs of the training department. After a long prelim- inary discussion in April, IQOI, an agreement was made with the lo- cal school board providing for a union of the model school with the local school system, somewhat similar to that existing prior to 1868. The arrangement has proved, on the whole, satisfactory to the local school board and to the normal school authorities, but has not yet won the approval of some citizens of Normal. SUMMER SESSIONS. At various times in the history of the school an attempt has been made to provide instruction for teachers unable to attend during the regular terms. Summer institutes from two to three weeks in length were held in the sixties, in 1895, 1896, and 1898. For a few years about 1885 the school year began early in August to afford a month's instruc- tion during the summer vacation. With the enactment of a law in 1872 requiring all teachers to be examined in the elements of the natural sciences came a strong demand for special summer courses in these branches. In 1875 a summer' school was provided with the eminent naturalist, Burt G. VVilder, of Cornell, as chief lecturer. The attendance was limited to fifty. The school was continued as a private enter- prise at irregular intervals until 1899. Beginning in IQOO the insti- tution has offered its regular courses in six weeks' terms, the students reciting twice a day in each major subject. For three years two con- secutive terms have been offeredg the attendance in the past four summers has been 444, 453, 601, 629. Tuition is now free. Almost every county in the state has been represented in these summer schoolsg