University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - Periscope Yearbook (Eau Claire, WI)

Page 8 text:

HARVEY A. SCHOFIELD, PH. B. PRESIDENT APPOINTED HEAD EAU CLAIRE STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE 1916 HAS SERVED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE THEN AS PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY 1916-1936

Page 7 text:

Twentieth Anniversary 1916-1936 In 1909, partly through the efforts of Mr. Emmet Horan. Eau Claire’s representative on the State Board of Normal School Regents, the ninth Wisconsin Normal School was established at Eau Claire. The first session, a Summer School, was conducted during the summer of 1916, the old Senior High School, which is now the Junior High School, being used, as the present college building was not complete. The regular school term of Wisconsin’s ninth Normal School opened in September, 1916 in the building still occupied. Now, after twenty years, eight teachers of the original faculty of twenty-four are still here. A few changes have been made in their original teaching assignments, but for the most part each is teaching his original work. The eight are as follows: H. A. Schofield, President since the school was started; C. J. Brewer, Principal of the Training School and also Vice President the entire twenty years; Katherine Thomas, critic for the seventh and eighth grades at first, and now Junior High School critic; A. J. Fox, Manual Training instructor at first, and now of the Education Department; B. W. Bridgman, Physics and Chemistry at first, and of the Physics Department now; George L. Simpson, Athletics coach and Geography instructor at first, and now Geography and Physiography; Hilda Belle Oxby, instructor in German and Latin then, and now English and German instructor; Blanche James, Mathematics instructor both then and now. The Periscope staff has chosen as an appropriate theme for its book this year the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the school. In recognition of and appreciation for the unselfish work and sincere interest and co-operation shown by them, the staff therefore dedicates the 1936 Periscope to the eight members of the original faculty who are still here, and who have worked so earnestly for the best interests of this institution.

Page 9 text:

The College 1916- 1936 The Eau Claire State Teachers’ College has passed through several stages in its development to its present position. The school was started in 1916 as the youngest of the nine Wisconsin Normal Schools. At first, in common with the other Wisconsin Normal Schools, our institution offered the one-year certificate and the two-year and three-year diploma courses. In 1926, by an act of the legislature, all of the Normal Schools in Wisconsin were made State Teachers’ Colleges with full collegiate rank and the authority to grant the degree of Bachelor of Education. Until 1934, the only four-year course offered, and, therefore, the only one leading to a degree, was the High School Teachers’ course. In that year the minimum training of rural school teachers was increased to two years, and of grammar and primary grades teachers to three years. Also, in 1934, four-year courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education were organized so that one may take either a three-year elementary course or a four-year course leading to the Bachelor of Education degree. These steps in the development of the present Eau Claire State Teachers’ College program have been common to all Wisconsin Teachers’ Colleges, each in keeping with educational progress throughout the country. This college is like the other Teachers’ Colleges of Wisconsin except that wc train teachers for only the regular school subjects, whereas some of the others specialize. When the leading Teachers’ Colleges of the United States decided, a few years ago, to form the American Association of Teachers’ Colleges and make the organization an accrediting agency, Eau Claire became a charter member. Since then, the ever higher standards of the association have consistently been met by this college.