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

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History of the Illinois State Normal University DR. E. C. HEVVETT. of vs X 4: as 5 cxn JW? 1 J f v VERX institution ot learning that amounts to any thinv, has a body of tiaditions and customs, and fatts of its ea1l1e1 and later l1lStO1X,XXll1Cll should bers during all its subsequent histoiy fo this statement, the Illinois btate Normal Unixeisity is, by no means, an exception, and to help its members of the present generation to a knowl '.-'-': 'i '..'f::' f:Jf'lfxlfff-Ez'-Y-EQ, , I 7 ' K ,' , ,' A , , ' l ' , ,Q , f - IL, rs .NG BZ ctw' I . IL, I . I I I I K I L. L'J 'L':':v-f. f C . . I Y Y . V. V Y :fuYif'Q1gs-1533159 if . i ' , ' , i ' s , ' ' ' i t o in TQ12-'Iii 21? c c - c 3-,I GQ ltxxvlilfgjyygffi possess a profound interest for all its loyal mem- zise:-'ei 2231651611-beilv. . .- - - . f r - .- ,eff ua A. N , X .7 N . 1 ., I I Q5 D . .g ., I ' . Y I . Y K V f ' i l I .L I . Ik I I ,. I . 4 I' V I7 v - edge of these things has been my motive in responding' to the re- C1 1 r l lg k P quest to prepare this article for publication. Colleges and universities have existed for ages, but normal schools belong to modern times. It was during the last century that the idea of schools for the special preparation of teachers for their work, sp1'ang up in this country. The iirst school with this name, and for this purpose, on the western continent was opened just sixty- five years ago on July 3, 1839, in the historic village of Lexington, Massachusetts. ln the beginning it had three young women for its pupils and one old gentleman, a Unitarian clergyman, for its faculty It began in the face of much opposition. Many good and learned men believed it was not needed. They said, If one knows a thing he can teach it. There is no need of special schools to prepare him to do it. Wlieii we think of the present number of normal schools in America, and of the great work that they have done, it seems almost incredible that such an opinion should have been almost universally prevalent but little more than half a century ago. And let us remem- ber that our institution was established less than twenty years after that lirst one at Lexington, and wl1ile this opinion of normal school work of which I have spoken was still strong in the minds of a great many intelligent people. I shall try in this article to set forth only at few of the leading facts in the history of our institution. Space will allow nothing '7 H,lllII'1l mln Illlirllf Illlfllllllff.,l'iili,ll'lQ l3m'vKWAI,'l'IClt. i,Sl1l1'llIll'f,l H'fllfugjfIlf flu' lfllfw lllillys !I'lllAI'll oil14'rsfr'ul'1' llllillllll' llIll1I,4'NllfNl'.H +SI,THANNA I5l,n'1cnxs'1'A1-'ia 13

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inore. A very full and interesting account of the iirst twenty-live years of its history was prepared in 1882 by John W. Cook and James V. McHugh, with the title, A History of the Illinois State Normal University.'7 Whether any of these valuable hooks are still in the - I s MEN. CIIAS. lil. IIUYICY, FIRST l'RICSIl?l'IN'I' I. H. N. I'. market, I mln not knew. But they can he found in the Iiln'n1'ies, :intl every true member of the Nornial Ilnix'e1'sity slmuhl nmke himself familiar with their contents. About 1854-5 and 6, there was a general IIIUVOIIICIIIN in Illinnis for some sort of state institution of learning. The state llCl1,lZLI.llllCl 't1'wmwInf-nmjnwr, tlflusllinyf nuliflsj, llllf HIIIIIIIVI' mil, -lI.xYxlnNla 4 7. leil,,-XVK. fly 1ll'fIlI'l'Nl will lln' flll'1'lIIl 151' ll is l'I'I'bU-Wifllf-fIlll'l' llfrm llfwsful li 451' lf is 1rr5jm1n'nl. -Wil. J. llxnmx. 15 mnclax U35