Photo of the Normal School, Kirksville, Missouri - photo taken in 1912.

Original building, Baldwin Hall - in center, Completed in Jan., 1873

Library Hall, at left, completed in Dec., 1901.

Science Hall, at right, completed in May, 1906.

Quarterly Bulletin                                                                                                        Page 5 

A Foreword. This Bulletin is to furnish information to studious persons who wish to become good teachers. It is also to show people at large what contributions the institution is making to educational advancement in the state.

The Missouri Normal Schools have been somewhat unique in the history of education in our country. For more than forty years, the Boards of Education in Missouri have relied upon the Normal Schools to furnish teachers, principals, and superintendents, for all grades and kinds of public schools. This demand of the people has tended to keep the Missouri Normal Schools in the very forefront of the institutions for preparing teachers. In other parts of the country, institutions of the rank and character of the Missouri Normal Schools are commonly designated as Teachers Colleges, or Normal Colleges, or Normal Universities.

The Normal School at Kirskville offers for teachers combined academic and pedagogic courses extending three years, four years, and five years, above the high school curriculum. This is done without any abnormally small classes and without humoring any special ambitions of any over-enthusiastic specialists. The Institution simply meets the necessities of a progressive community. It has no fads. It allows no "snap" courses. It has no easy avenues to graduation. It courageously undertakes to make its certificates and diplomas rather more difficult to secure than those of any competing institutions. Its management has always in mind the unprotected girls and boys of the public schools, who need efficient instruction.

Origin of This Normal School. In 1867, Joseph Baldwin, aided by W. P. Nason and J.M. Greenwood, opened in Kirksville a private Normal School which, through their vigorous agitation, became on January 1, 1871, the First District Normal School of Missouri. Its purpose, as shown in early Bulletins and the law creating it, was to furnish teachers for all the public schools of the state. In the early 70's (1870's) a small group of men undertook a campaign for public high schools, in order to articulate all the lower schools with the colleges and the universities. These leaders in the long continued agitation for a completely articulated school system, were Dr. William T. Harris, then Superintendent of Schools in St. Louis, and later United States Commissioner of Education; Joseph Baldwin, J.M. Greenwood, and W.P. Nason, of this Normal School; F. Louis Soldan, Principal of the St. Louis Normal and High School and later Superintendent of Schools in St. Louis, E.B. Neely, Superintendent of Schools at St. Joseph; Geo. L. Osborne, Superintendent of Schools at Louisiana, Missouri; J.B. Merwin, Editor of the American Journal of Education, St. Louis, Missouri; and a few others.

No one west of the Mississippi was ever more active or eloquent in pleading for the completely articulated public school system, than Dr. Joseph Baldwin, the first President of this Normal School. It was under the roof of these present Baldwin Hall and at meetings in St. Louis that these men mapped out and proclaimed the first general scheme for articulated education in Missouri, from kindergarten through the twelve years of the public school grades to the university and other institutions of higher learning. These men had visions and constructive ideality. They made their unmistakable and everlasting impress upon the civilization of their state.

About Entering School…                                                                                       Page 10

When to Enter. The best time to enter the Fall quarter will be Tuesday, September 10^th.  Programs are to be made that day.  It will be difficult to make programs on the day following because the Faculty members will be busy most of that day planning class room work with their several classes.

As a general rule it is best to enter any term on the first day of the term.

The Making of Daily Programs. Students should inspect the tabular view of courses of instruction.  They should compare the elementary course with high school courses.  They should understand that all the work done in good high schools is accredited and that each of them may begin studies in this Institution at points where the studies were discontinued in other schools.  This, of course, is done at the student’s risk.  If he cannot carry successfully the new studies, he will be asked to change over into classes of such advancement that the studies can be carried.

Faculty Members Make Programs. All members of the Faculty are to be at the President’s Office from 8 to 12 a.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, September 10^th, for the purpose of assisting students in making programs.  It is recommended that students come to Kirksville and make boarding house arrangements on Monday, September 9^th.

Beginning of Recitations. Class room exercises will begin according to daily program at 8 a.m.  Wednesday, September 11^th.

Bring Grade Cards. Students should bring with them their grade cards, certificates, diplomas and whatever other written or printed evidences of school work they may (pg. 11) have.  We desire to avoid examinations.  We desire to classify students and make up their programs from their credentials and from what they can say of themselves.  We desire to economize time.  But no student will be able to remain many days in any class which has work to difficult or too easy for him.  Re-classification is a very simple and easy matter.

Bring Former Text Books. It is well for students to bring with them the principal text books and reference books formerly used and studied.  These books are useful in many ways.

Official Program. The student’s official program is issued in duplicate over the signature of the President of the Institution.  Prior to issuance of such program, the student must present a receipt from the treasurer of the Institution showing that the Incidental Fee has been paid.

Incidental Fee. The Incidental Fee is $6.00 for each term or quarter, i.e., for a period of from eleven to thirteen weeks.  Students go to the Citizens’ National Bank and pay Incidental Fees to Mr. Ethel Conner, Treasurer of the Board of Regents.  No programs are made until receipts for Incidental Fees are presented at the President’s Office.  In no case are Incidental Fees refunded.

Gymnasium Fee. The first time a student enrolls during any twelve months’ period, the total fee is $7.00, being $6.00 for the general Incidental Fee and $1.00 for the Gymnasium Fee.  The $1.00 Gymnasium Fee pays for hot water and other expenses in the bath rooms and admits the students to the privilege of all games on the Athletic Field and Campus for one year.

Room, Board, etc. Room rent, meals, light, fuel, etc., cost from $3.50 to $4.50 per week, owing to the kind (pg. 12) and quality of accomodations and distance from the buildings.  A majority of the students probably pay about $3.75 per week.  Some reduce their expenses in various ways.  There are a few who get along on from $2.75 to $3.25 per week.  Some students rent rooms and board in clubs; some do light housekeeping.  There is a great variety of ways whereby students may economize if they desire to do so.

This Institution is co-educational.  But it is recommended that young men and young women have rooms in separate rooming houses.  The Faculty will not recommend boarding and rooming houses, wxcepting with the idea that such houses, so far as rooming is concerned, will be exclusively for young men on the one hand or exclusively for young women on the other.

Enrolling in the Practice Schools. Parents wishing to have their children enrolled in the Practice Schools or Rural School, should see Miss Susie Barnes, Director of the Practice Schools, or Miss Florence M. Lane, Teacher of the Rural School.  This may be done on Tuesday, September 10^th.  City and rural children may be enrolled in the general Practice Schools having their headquarters in the Library Building.  None but rural children will be enrolled in the Rural School. 

This transcription is brought to you by Charlotte Belden - Moberly, MO
It is in Work !!!  More to be added as time permits.
Charlotte purchased the 1912 Bulletin Book from the First District Normal School in Kirksville, MO at an antique store.  It is almost like a yearbook of sorts, with Faculty & Students enrolled from June 1911 to June 1912.  It also has many photos of students.  She will be glad to do lookups from this book.
Just e-mail her: Charlotte Belden CJBelden at mcmsys dot com