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

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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 In 1855, the appropriation was withdrawn for various reasons.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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.,f X ,,-- Zfff .- , - S 'HX' i'r i 0 .1f A , 's- 'v s' wx-4' -1 N X ifipc N E iam ' C' Qi is T55 2 I f Jmm I 16 ' T T 1 lm' i ' Q-T3 5 S t M ' Y f We 9. , ' '1 S i 0 'ifmm I i l TJ 3' T -' The development of an educational institution may be con- sidered from several standpoints. One standard of measuring the growth of a college is the increase in the number of its students from year to year 5 again, we may consider the installa- tion of new courses and the strengthening of the old5 we may consider its growth from the standpoint of its alumni, who, by their loyalty toitheir Alma Mater, are always influencing the conununity and are silent factors in increasing the number of a college's friends and thus building up the institution 5 but, perhaps, the best standard of measuring the development of a college is to consider its material progress-the buildings that have been erected from time to time as the growing needs of the college demand. ' At this time in our history, when the name of our school has been changed to the Iowa State Teachers' College, when a single board of control has been appointed to guide the destinies of all three of Towa's educational institutions+at this time it is but natural for us to glance back over the many years inter- vening bet.ween the founding of our school and the present time in which we are truly a college, The Muse o-f History carries us back to the middle of the last century. The Iowa General Assembly had repeatedly given evidence that its members believed it the duty of the State to give teachers a special education to fit themselves for their ch'osen life work. By an act approved January 15, 1849, the state was divided into three districts, and a Normal School located in ea.ch 5 namely, at Andrew, in Jackson Countyg Oska- loosa, Mahaska County, and Mount Pleasant, Henry County. If we consult the early archives of the state, we find that one clause of' this act says: The stun of five hundred dollars is hereby appropriated annually to each school. Provided, always, that the friends of education shall furnish funds to the amount of not less than five hundred dollars, to erect such buildings for the use of the said normal schools as the Board of Trustees may deem necessary. Under the stimulus of this act, two small buildings were

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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.