University of Northern Iowa - Old Gold Yearbook (Cedar Falls, IA)

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founding of a normal schoo-l at Cedar Falls, was the fact that in April, 1868, provision was made by the Twelfth General Assembly to erect a building for the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Cedar Falls at an expense of twenty-ive thousand dollars, provided twenty acres o-f land suitab-le for a site was donated to the state. You will notice that in the early days, the state, Miller a most effective and successful legislator. February 1, 1876, Mr. Hemenway introduced a bill for Nan act to establish and maintain a school for teachers. February 9, 1876, Senator Miller introduced the same bill into t.he Senate, and it passed by the following vote: yeas 26, nays 14, absent or not voting' 9. It is a peculiar fact that the passage of this bill elicited no before carrying out a project, always demanded a donation of some kind from interested par- ties in order to carry on the debate whatever in the Senate. Many that were bitterly opposed did not expect the bill to get a constitutional majority, - and work. This shows that the lib- 7 page ..,.. gp A , . . thus gave it little attention. But erality of 'the state toward edu- 1 2 355 2, 'W f a very lively contest took place cation at that time was very ' l in the House. The parliament- mu. - t ... a sr t r.r ary tactics use to the Several years later, Senator 'i 1 I. passage of the bill are rarely E. G. Miller, of Black Hawk , ,.. ,,:-, ,.-,,, , p p',- '.p. .- Q V 1 ' IH '- X7 p .'eip ,gi f ,V eqqualed. After much debate, it county, a believer in normal A '-.' r .ti ' X' ' ' :,- .Q Vt A passed the House by a vote of schools, saw the Soldiers' CT- i ',.., ' I, ,...f .--gpg in ' Q I ,I y 52 to 33, 14 members being ab- phans' Home at Cedar Falls, cii' ' iff '1., I . ' ' f I ,ig-:fl sent or not voting. and said: This is the place H f S. 'p So concisely and accurately for a state normal school. He f 1, te ', ' t' . Vgiifffflffi .'t'f was the measure framed that thought it would be an easy ,.. A ' ' if n by gy, at no time since its becoming - . 1 i 1 i..Le4 1 r 'A 'ftt p -Q , . .. 1. , thing to make the -people of I ., ,QOH 4? a lan has the Boaid of 'liustees Iowa see the merit of the plan and utilize the soon-to-be-va cated public building and at the '.n 1n - ,- THE FIRST FACULTY, 1876 ' or the executive officers of the sta.te suggested any amendment same time take a. long step for- COL' J' M' PATTE J. C. GILCHRIST D. S. WRIGHT FRANCES YVEBSTER LI. XV. BARTLETT ward in the .cause of education. Senator Miller introduced a bill llarch 3, 1874, calling for a normal school. Early and late was this measure advocated, but the support it received was so discouraging that it was not even pressed to a vote. The advocates of a normal school were disappointed, indeed. Very fortunate was the election to the House of Hon. H. C. Hemenway, of Cedar Falls, as this added to Senator or revision, while the few slight changes occurring now and then have not modified the main features of the original measure. V The Normal School bill was approved by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood, March 17, 1876, who selected as directors, Har- mon C. Hemenway, of Cedar Falls 5 Fldward H. Thayer, of Clinton, Sherman G. Smith, of Newtong Gifford S. Robinson, of' Storm Lake, Lorenzo D. Lewelling, of Salem 5 Williaiii Fat- tee, of Clarksville, to begin service on J une 1, 1876.

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erected, but the schools never went into very successful opera- tion, because the amount appropriated was such as not to encourage the development and the progress that the statesman- ship a.nd the assumed liberality had hoped. In 1855, the appropriation was withdrawn for various reasons. The school at Andrew was never coni- pleted. The school at Oska- loosa was opened for work in the court house. A brick building, 345:52 feet and two stories high, costing about two thousand dollars, was completed in 1853, but ' was soon purchased by pri- vate parties. Thus ended the irst attempt to- establish a state normal school. The next step forward Was the installation of a normal department in 1853 by the state university. This, however, was aban- doned in 187 3, but the in- xcident renewed the agita- tion aniong teachers and people for the establishment of a new institution, spe- cially organized, equipped and managed' for the work of training and educating public school teachers. The difference of opinion among the friends of the measure was so decided that it seemed scarcely possible to unite them, upon either a pla.n or a location, while the large contingent of prominent men of in- fluence who were unfriendly to any special school for the train- ing of teachers made the proposed movement very hazardous. Perhaps an event that contributed unintentionally to the 1 i E

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The Board of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home met in Cedar matron, under the direction of the steward, shall control the Falls on J une 7, 187 6, for the purpose of turning over to- the dormitories, and ohserve that the rooms are kept clean and in Normal Bo-ard the property as required hy law. The Board good order, shall care for the sick, superintend the Work of then elected Professor J. CL Gilchrist as principal of the the kitchen, bakery, dining-room and laundry, and in these school. A steward and a matron Were also elected. A clipping respects take that general care and supervision which belongs from the old records of the school- reads as follows: 's'The to the nlistress of a household. ' p 9