Page:A history of the Michigan state normal school (now Normal college) at Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1849-1899 (IA historyofmichiga00putniala).pdf/17

 INTRODUCTORY.

FIRST NORMAL SCHOOLS.

In 1681 the celebrated Abbé de la Salle established a school for teachers in the city of Rheims, France. About 1697 Augustus Herman Franké organized teachers’ classes in connection with his famous school at Halle. These classes attracted the the attention of educators in all parts of Germany. Among those who came to Halle to secure the advantages of Franké's instruction was Johan Julius Hecker, who opened a seminary for teachers in Stettin in 1735, and another in Berlin in 1748. This latter school was afterwards removed to Potsdam and was made a State institution, as was also the school at Stettin. These were the first State Normal schools ever established. The school at Potsdam still exists and has been the model after which most of the normal schools of Europe have been fashioned.

FIRST NORMAL SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTRY.

In 1823 Rev. S. R. Hall established a private school in Concord, N. H., the chief purpose of which was to train teachers for the public schools. Mr. Hall has sometimes been called the American Hecker.

The Massachusetts Board of Education was organized in 1837 and immediately elected Horace Mann to be secretary of the Board. The first subject which occupied the attention of Mr. Mann was the necessity of providing for the better preparation of teachers for the schools of the State. In March, 1838, Edmund Dwight, a member of the Board of Education, offered to give $10,000, to be expended under the direction of the Board, to provide facilities for educating teachers, provided the Legislature of the State would appropriate an equal amount. The Legislature accepted the proposition of Mr. Dwight and placed $10,000 at the disposal of the Board. With the means thus