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

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Page Twenty-Five gluhrx ments in all the sectarian colleges already in operation. The persistent and persevering efforts of the friends ol' the normal school free from all entangling alliances won the day. From present indications, however, it seems that the wish of those who favored an agricultural department in connection with the school is soon to be realized, at least in part. The physical sciences are largely agricultural in their trend. Elementary agri- culture is now a lixed study in the C'lll'1'I'L'IlfIlllI, instruction being given in both the theory and the practice of that industry, so that Mr. Bakewell's -Xgricultural Che1nistry is an established fact. The act which established the normal university created C. B. Denio of jo Daviess county, Simeon XVright of Lee county, Daniel XYilkins of McLean, county, C. E. Hovey of l'e- oria county, George B. Rex of Pike county, Samuel NV. Moulton of Shelby county, John Gillespie of Jasper county, George Bun- sen of St. Clair county, XYesley Sloan of Pope county, Ninian XY. Edwards of Sangamon county, John .Eden of Moultrie county, Flavel Mosley of Cook county, XVilliam H. NVells of Cook county, Albert R. Shannon of XVhite county, and the Su- perintendent of Public Instruction, ar 0fHc1'0, with their asso-ci- ates X X X and successors, a body corporate and politic, to be styled the Board of Education of the State of Illinois, whose duty it was to make all laws necessary for the govermnent of the normal university. These gentlemen met at the oliice of the State Superintendent who was, ar 0f7icz'0, secretary of the Board, and organized by electing Samuel XV. Moulton, president. It was the duty of the Board to fix the permanent location of the school at the place which offered the most favorable induce- ment for that purpose: Provided, that such location shall not be difficult of access, or detrimental to the welfare and prosper- ity of said normal university. That the school was to be located at the point making the highest and best bid was widely advertised, and several locali- ties became competitors. On the seventh day of May, 1857, the State Board of Education met at Peoria, as announced, to open the bids, and the bid of McLean county being far ahead of any other, it was awarded the prize. The Board of Education next appointed a committee to visit some of the leading normal schools of the eastern states in order to determine more intelligently upon a building for the Illinois State Xormal Ifniversity. The labor of the committee was not fruitless, although the plan selected was not that of any build- ing examined, but was the joint production of Charles E. Hovey and the architect, Mr. Randall. As soon as the plans and speci- fications could be prepared a contract was entered into for the

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Mizinriml Svkrtrh. A On the eighteenth day of February, 1857, the bill establish- ing the Illinois State Normal University was signed by NVilliam H. Bissell, the first republican governor of the State. This was an important step in school legislation as it recognized the duty of the State to prepare the teachers of its public schools to ren- der more efficient service. The motive prompting the act was not charity, but self-interest. The a system of free public schools to property of the people. Property to be educated were taxed on the children, and it was no more than money was thus taken that they State had recently established be supported by a tax on the owners who had no- children sa.me basis as those who had simple justice to those whose should receive in return the greatest possible benefit to themselves and their property. Many of the friends of education believed this would result from the establishment of a normal school. The friends of education in the State were much divided among themselves as to the kind of school to be established. Some wanted a normal school whose entire aim should be the preparation of teachers for the public schools of the State. Others wanted a normal school with an agricultural department attached. Still others believed that an industrial university with a normal department should be established, while a fourth party claimed that the wisest course was to establish normal depart- Page Twenty Four

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Elin' fdnhrx Page Twenty-Six construction of the building, which was to be completed Septem- ber 1, 1858. The corner stone was laid with imposing cere- monies September 29, 1857, and the work was pushed vigorously during that fall. Charles E. Hovey was elected principal of the normal uni- versity and Ira Moore, assistant. These gentlemen opened the school in Majors Hall in Bloomington on the hfth day of Uc- tober, 1857. There were QQ Q27 according to Principal Hoveyl pupils present the first day, and the number increased to 127 dur- ing the academic year. The prospects of the school were -very favorable, and all looked forward with pleasant anticipations to the time, presumably near at hand, when the school should be housed in the palatial building which was being erected on the prairie, near the junction But alas for human hopes! Owing to financial embarrassment, due largely to the panic of 1857, no work was done on the building in 1858, and conditions became very discouraging. Through the indomitable will and financier- ing skill of the Principal of the school, however, aided by the loyal support of the Board and other friends, means were pro- cured for resuming work in 1859, and in June, 1860, the build- ing was far enough advanced to enable the first graduating class to hold its exercises in the Assembly room, and in the fall of that year the school moved into its permanent quarters, although the building was no-t completed until the early part of 1861. XVhen the school moved into the new building it was in a prosperous condition. The attendance had been growing steadily from the beginning, requiring the addition of several members to the faculty. Moreover, there was a well-organized Model School in which the art of teaching was exemplihecl. The friends of the school were delighted at the prospects of its use- fulness and success. But the Civil'NVar breaking out in 1861, those prospects were clouded for a time, as nearly all of the faculty and male students enlisted in the service of their country. The school, however, was continued, and Perkins Bass, a mem- ber of the State Board of Education, was chosen acting presi- dent for the academic year 1861-2.5 At the close of this year Richard Edwards was elected president, and continued to ad- minister' the affairs of the school until 1876. Under his ad- ministration the normal university prospered in a remarkable degree. The attendance increased rapidly, and professional en- thusiasm reached its high-water mark. Dr. Edwards was so enthusiastic himself that every one of his pupils felt XYoe is me if I do not teach schoolf' In his masterful way he so pointed out the great possibilities for bettering humanity that were open to the teacher that the matter of salary appeared a secondary affair, or at least it did not overshadow everything else.