Page:A history of the Michigan state normal school (now Normal college) at Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1849-1899 (IA historyofmichiga00putniala).pdf/18

 A HISTORY OF THE

10

furnished, the Board opened the

first

State normal school in this

country at Lexington on the third day of July, 1839. This school was subsequently removed to West Newton, and later to Framingham where it still continues to prosper. A second normal

This school school was opened at Barre on September 4, 1839. third normal school was was afterwards removed to Westfield.

A

Bridgewater on September 9, 1840. New York established a normal school at Albany in December, 1844, with David P. Page as Principal. Connecticut opened a normal school in 1849 at New Britain with Henry Barnard as Principal. These were the only State normal schools established before our own at Ypsilanti.

opened

at

PRELIMINARY WORK IN MICHIGAN. In his report,

made

in 1837, outlining a school sj'stem for the Pierce referred to the normal schools in State, Superintendent not recommend the immediate establishment of did but Prussia,

such an

institution.

He hoped

that the proposed branches of

the University would supply the facilities needed for the preparaThe second Superintendent, Mr. Sawyer, tion of teachers. referred in his report to the newly established normal schools in

Massachusetts, but did not urge the opening of one in Michigan He apparently anticipated the organization of a " normal school in the near future, for he said, Until a regular school for teachers shall be established in the State, it is right at that time.

that one or

more

of the

branches of the University shall make

teaching a part of its instruction." The next Superintendent, Mr. Comstock, referred to normal schools and their work with-

out any special recommendation. Superintendent May hew declared normal schools to be indispensable to the perfection of " such an institution any system of national education, and that

would be productive

of incalculable

good."

The

report of the Board of Visitors of the University, made " Father Pierce," urged the in 1847 and probably written by

establishment of a normal school and an appropriation of Salt Spring Lands for this purpose. In his message to the Legislature in 1847 Gov.

Ransom

said:

"

I

am

not aware that further