Montclair State College - La Campana Yearbook (Upper Montclair, NJ)

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COLLEGE HISTORY WENTY-SIX years ago, in 1904, a site was selected for the construction of a no rmal school in the woody hills of Upper Montclair. This normal school, known as the Montclair State Normal School, was the forerunner of the present educational institution, the State Teachers College at Montclair, which came into being in 1927. At this time thd State Board of Education made an investigation of the secondary schools in the state and discovered that the majority of teachers there came from homes outside the state and were trained in liberal arts colleges where little emphasis was placed on the professionalization of subject matter. And so, it was decided to discontinue ' in the Montclair State Normal School the training of teachers for the elementary schools and to provide instead cur- ricula for a four year course for the training of teachers for the secondary schools of New Jersey. Consequently, in September 1927, about 3 50 candidates applied for entrance to the four year course. However, because of the high entrance requirements, only 120 freshmen and 3 sophomores were admitted. The following year 22 5 students entered in the freshman class. There are some interesting points about the college which make it distinctive among all educational centers in the country. In the first place, there is a compre- hensive curriculum which embraces all phases of the life of a well-rounded teacher. The student is taught primarily to appreciate the arts, to have a comparative knowl- edge in the fields of history, English, science, languages, and mathematics — thus pro- viding a background for specialization in specific subjects. The subject matter is taught thoroughly from the viewpoint of a scholar, but, at the same time, the work is so professionalized that the student never forgets the object in hand. In the senior year the student spends a period of three months out in the field doing apprentice- teaching under the direction of skilled teachers. The college is so situated that although it is within an hour of the greatest cul- tural and business centers of the nation, it is still far enough away to have a country atmosphere. Situated high up on the hills the campus overlooks the broad expanse of bluish, hazy land with rising hills and the winding silvery Passaic River in the dis- tance. Behind the college rises a range of hills which form an effective color back- ground of dark greens, dull yellows, and blues, which contrast strikingly with the white stucco and red tiles of the buildings and the blue skies. There are at the present time four buildings on the campus. There are two dormi- tories, Edward Russ Hall, which was completed in 1912, and Chapin Hall, which was completed in 1928. The administration building. College Hall, is the principal build- ing and contains the class rooms, auditorium, and library. The newest building to be added is the College High School. This building reflects the newest ideas in school de- sign and is equipped with a miniature stage, library, laboratories, and class rooms. [ 9 ]