My hat is off to those who attend normal schools, or should I say here is an apple.
Today, a normal school is an anachronism. It was called normal, because there they learned the norms of education. Today it is called a teacher’s college, or simply a state university such as Emporia State University.
In 1863 Emporia State University was established as Kansas Normal School, a school for training teachers.
Lyman Kellogg was the first and for a time the only teacher at Kansas Normal before he left after a few years to become Kansas attorney general. The school’s first class graduated in June of 1867, and consisted of two women, Mary Jane Watson and Ellen Plumb.
Mary Jane Watson (left) and Ellen Plumb (right)
Mary Jane Watson continued with the normal school, teaching Mathematics and Geography classes from 1867-1868 and 1870-1872. She continued to teach in area schools until 1887 when she married. Ellen Plumb became principal of the Model School from 1868-1870. The school was limited to 30 students and intended to allow teachers to practice their skills. She later opened the City Bookstore, commonly called Ellen Plumb’s in downtown Emporia, Kansas and became a member of Emporia’s first suffrage club.
Kansas State Normal School, 1878
By 1889 Kansas Normal had not only become the largest teaching school in the state, but also the largest normal school in the country. In 1923, the normal school’s name was changed to Kansas State Teachers College to reflect its broader appeal as a collegiate school offering bachelor and master degrees.
Check out Emporia State University.
Kansas One Room Schools 