University of Wisconsin Platteville - Pioneer Yearbook (Platteville, WI)

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HISTORY Vsfhen the Pioneer State Teachers College, Platteville, first opened its doors on October 9, 1866, a total of five teachers were ready to inf struct the few who attended, and by November the student group numbered eightyffour. By the end of the year there was a total of one hundred forty students. During that first year and until August of 1907 the school occupied the building known as the Platteville academy, formerly a private institution under the auspices of the Congregational Society. During that year the property was formally purchased by the state of Wiscoiisiii after the board of regents had selected Platteville as the site of the first Normal. Until 1888 attendance at the Normal was limited. Each assembly district in the state was allowed to send six students who were nom' inated by the superintendents of their various counties. The requirement was that they be over sixteen years of age and pass a general examination in the common branches of learning. Two courses were offered to the entrants. One was a two year elementary course designed for common school teachers, while a three year advanced course prepared teachers for work in the state graded schools. The student today has the opportunity of entering any one of six various courses which were introduced simultaneously with the change in the status of the school from State Normal to State Teachers College. The department divif sions have been made along the lines of second' ary education, industrial arts, agriculture, upper grade, lower grade, and rural. Various of these departments offer two, three, and four year courses for high school graduates. The four year couse in all except the rural leads to the degree of Bachelor of Education. In 1933 the THE PIONEER OF I936 board of normal regents passed a resolution ref quiring two years of preparation for rural teachers and three years for students preparing to teach in either the upper or lower grades. The summer session of 1934 was the last opporf tunity for anyone to enroll in the one year rural or in the two year upper or lower grade courses. The old academy, now the Wiscoiisiii State School of Mines, was built in 1853 and gradual' ly grew too small for the increasing number of students who came to Platteville. ln 1907 Platte' ville's Normal moved to new and more spacious quarters. By 1916 a new addition in the agriculture and industrial arts building was added on the south campus. Witli the new buildings, new equipment provided ever increasing opportunities. The college plant now includes the school farm, two main buildings, well equipped laboratories of various kinds, a large library, two gymnasiums, and facilities for outdoor athletics. Two gymnasiums have been equipped to provide for physical educationg the girls' gym is located in the main building, the men's in the agriculture building. Land for the athletic field, which was equipped with night lights several years ago, tennis courts, and play grounds was purchased in 1911. The college library is divided into sections for reference books, text books, periodicals, and juvenile literature. The library is open for use each school day, Saturday morning, and Mon' day, Tuesday, Wediiesday, and Thursday eve' nings from 7 to 9 p. m. The school farm now totals one hundred and twentyffive acres, of which twentyfthree acres were purchased in 1916, and one hundred two acres known as the Boyle farm, in 1926. Laboraf tories of the school are equipped for the study of chemistry, physics, and biological science. Practical workshops are provided for students in industrial arts and home economics. In addition to this property the school now owns three other dwellings on the campus. Two of them, known as the Collegiate Inn and Russell House, have been converted into cooperative houses for men. The third is in the process of being converted into a WO1H6l1iS Union in which students may entertain or spend an occasional leisure hour. During the last summer the plot of ground in the southeast corner of the campus was converted into a space for parking cars. The training school provides opportunities for seniors of the college to do practice work in teaching under supervision. Page Smfmzlfnz

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BOARD OF REGENTS MRS. WILSON CUNNINGHAM JOHN CALLAH.RN Superintendent Public Instruction fExfOHicioj fffff Madison EDWARD J. DEMPSEY f 1 Oshkosh W. L. SEYMOUR f Elkhorn MRS. W. CUNNINGHAM Platteville J. H. GRIMM - f River Falls JOSEPH PADWAY f f f Milwaukee MRS. C. H. CROWNHART f Madison ROBERT E. CURRAN f - Superior A. W. ZERATSKY f La Crosse ARCHIE V. HURST f Eau Claire GEORGE H. MAR'r12Ns - Stevens Point EDGAR G. DOUDN.'K, Secretary Madisolu Paz1eSixtL'cn

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The completion of seventy years of teacher preparation at Platteville State Teachers College distinguishes the year nineteen thirtyfsix. A total enrollment of four hundred seventyfsix students is registered in the college, one hundred eightyfthree in the training school, and three hundred eighteen in the summer session for nineteen thirtyffive, making a total of nine hun' dred seventyfseven students. The administrative committee which was or' ganized as an experiment two years ago has be' come a permanent administrative body of the school. The committee, which is elected by the faculty, gives advice after thorough study ref lating to student activities, general procedures and improvements, program and curricula prob' lems, and similar matters. Some of the most important projects carried out by the committee have related to entrance requirements and cur' ricula revisions. Perhaps the most notable difference to stu' dents returning last fall was the number of new teachers. Miss Mary Robards filled the vacancy left by Miss Margaret Donley, critic of the first grade, who received a similar position at Charlesf ton, Illinois. Miss Elisa Ann Neal has taken Miss Gladys I'Iansen's former position as critic of the third and fourth grades. Miss Hansen is now at Iowa State Teachers College. Miss Irene Haan has taken the position in home economics left vacant by Miss Lucille McCall who has a similar position at Iowa State Teachers College. Since Mr. Oren Hartchen resigned to go to McGregor, Iowa, Dr. Glenn V. Gundy took over the teaching of sciences. Miss Ro' wena Witt of the English department resigned at the close of the past school year to become the wife of Mr. Morris Matson, a chemist, of Menasha. Dr. Rachel Salisbury has Miss Witt's former position. Miss Grace March, '32, holds the position in the science department, formerly held by Mr. Leslie Beadle. Two substitute teachers joined the college faculty during the illness of Mr. G. W. Schmidt and Mr. J. A. Wilgus. Miss Jacoba Balt taught the foreign language classes of Mr. Schmidt, and Mrs. Edward C. Thompson took the history and social science classes of Mr. Wilgrls. Both were from the University of Wisconsin. Under the direction of Mr. H. C. Wilkerson a more thorough testing program was carried out than ever before. Each new student's test' ing record was analyzed so that the individual's strength and weaknesses are readily seen on a graph. State aid has made it possible to have two regular assistants in the library. They are Miss Page Eighln 71 ADMINISTRATION Magdalene Thompson who does research work and Mrs. Bernice Cardin who has charge of the reserve books. This year these books are sepaf rated from the usual reference books making it possible for them to be more easily obtained and accounted for. Numerous improvements on the buildings have been made. The main room floor was taken up, relaid, sanded, and varnished. The stage was enlarged by extending the front four feet, thus doing away with the short curtain that hung from the stage to the floor. New stage flooring was laid, also. Further changes are planned for the stage by moving the back curtains forward and making a proscenium arch. Several thousand dollars was spent on the Women's Union which is expected soon to be in use. The walls and some of the ceilings of all the rooms and corridors of the main building were thoroughly washed. Much painting, varnish' ing and replastering was done throughout the building where necessary. This year, as last, the summer school session will stress greatly extra curricular activities. In addition to all the activities that were offered last summer such as golf, under Dr. C. E. ShultZ and Mr. R. E. Moody, baseball, under Coach L. J. Leitl, swimming, under the direction of Miss Agnes Otis Brigham, and tennis, under Mr. H. C. Wilkerson, horseback riding will be offered under Mr. E. J. Stoneman's supervision, archery for women, under Miss Brigham, and a class in story telling directed by Miss Roberta L. Lockart will be given in the evenings for recreational purposes. Since typing proves such a valuable asset to students, a course will be offered during this summer school session. THE PIONEER OF I936