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NEMOSCOPE

WINTER 1950

"The Growth of An Idea"

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   So deserving of special attention is "The Growth of an Idea" that the entire issue has been devoted to
its presentation.

   From the humble but firm beginning represented by the first building pictured in the oval on this page, the
College has expanded and grown into an impressive state institution for the training of teachers with physical
plant valued at more than five million dollars.

   The growth of the physical plant has never exceeded and in fact never equalled the growth of the idea of
the preparation of teachers for the public schools of the state and nation.

   In this issue President Ryle reviews the philosophy of Joseph Baldwin and shows how his idea of a
professional school for the preparation of teachers was founded. Dr. Ryle goes on to trace the development
of this idea to the present day philosophy of the College.

   The pictorial presentation of the growth of the institution shows the development from its earliest day
to the present time.
—EDITOR'S NOTE.

[photo caption] Dr. Walter H. Ryle became President in August, 1937.

[photo caption] NORTH MISSOURI NORMAL SCHOOL
Founded in 1867 by Joseph Baldwin

NEMOSCOPE
NORTHEAST MISSOURI STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI
WALTER H. RYLE, PRESIDENT

EDITOR
ROBERT L. MCKINNEY

EDITORIAL BOARD
WRAY M. RIEGER	        PAULINE D. KNOBBS
BERENICE B. BEGGS	C. H. ALLEN
VOLUME IV	WINTER,	1950	NUMBER	2

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Winter, 1950
NEMOSCOPE
PAGE 3

THE GROWTH OF AN IDEA

Address of
President Walter Ryle
On September 10, 1949
Before the Faculty of the College

   Will you go back with me to the fall of 1866? At that time in Logansport, Indiana, Joseph Baldwin, our
main character, had at last come face to face with the question: What shall I make my life's work? He was
now wrestling with one of the great decisions that all men have to face in life. Before we can continue,
we must roll back still further the curtain of the past so we can get a glimpse of the salient events that
made this particular fall of 1866 a crucial one for Baldwin.

   Our hero at an earlier day had come under the influence of the dynamic, intriguing personality of
Alexander Campbell. In fact, he had enjoyed an intimate relationship with this famous churchman, having
lived in his home as one of the family while attending Bethany College. It seems as if Alexander Campbell,
of whom he often spoke in later years, had a profound influence upon his life. While a member of the Campbell
household, he listened to many debates between Alexander Campbell, his brother, Thomas Campbell, and other
leading churchmen and educators that visited in the homes of these two distinguished religious leaders. From
Bethany College Baldwin graduated on July 4, 1852, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and a diploma signed
by his idol—Alexander Campbell. Fifty-two days later he married Miss Ellen Sophronia Fluhart, a student of
Hiram College and a classmate of James A. Garfield.

Joseph Baldwin

   Joseph Baldwin at the age of twenty-five now possessed a Bachelor's degree, a debt, a wife, a preparation
for the ministry, and a desire to preach—but he began to tench to make a living. Shortly after his marriage
he was in Platte City, Missouri, as principal of the Male and Female Academy. Mrs. Baldwin also taught that
year. The next fall we see the Baldwins in Savannah, Missouri. Here he began his first real pioneer work in
teacher education since the Savannah Collegiate Institution was among the early teacher education institutions
in our State. His new venture proposed to do educational work on a college level with the idea of preparing
teachers for the rural schools of Missouri. Joseph Baldwin was beginning to dream of new fields to conquer
in the educational world. He was not yet sure of himself. He was not certain in what direction he should move,
but he was trying to find a way to do a job that he realized ought to be done, a way to attain the professional
preparation of those who were teaching boys and girls of our Country.

Teaching Interest Grows

   As the new school at Savannah was not ready to open in the fall of 1853 he was forced to wait to begin
this new venture until the early weeks of 1854. It is significant, I think, that his second lecture to the
students of this institution was called, "Education—The Greatest Work of Life." To me, it is an indication
that by this time he had begun to veer from the ministry to that of educating teachers as his life's mission. 
At the close of the first year in Savannah he again addressed the students saying:

   The Savannah Institute has for its object the proper development of the entire nature of man. To exalt and
ennoble him, and make him what he once was, a bright, resplendent image of the Deity. To break the fetters of
false system and false education. To teach men to select, to reason, and to decide for themselves. Earth nor
Heaven knows no motive more pure, no object more noble.

   It is clear that during this year he had moved one step further from the ministry and one step nearer to
the teaching profession. The next spring he left Missouri and returned to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where
he had been born twenty-nine years before. At this time there was much mental conflict within himself
concerning his life's work. He was still longing for a pastorate but apparently could not locate one to his
satisfaction. While he taught at Platte City and Savannah, he did some preaching, but it was not a part of his 
regular wrork. There is considerable evidence that his wife wanted him to be a teacher. She thought and
insisted that he was a born teacher and not a preacher. Why he left Missouri in 1856 and returned to the
town of his birth is not definitely revealed by the known records of today. There is some indication, however,
that the dislike his wife had for Savannah was an influential factor in shaping his decision. It is significant
that before Baldwin left Missouri he actively participated in the organization of the Missouri State Teachers
Association in St. Louis in May 1856. He also participated in the discussions relative to the establishment of
a state normal school, little realizing that it would be his

[photo caption] THE ORIGINAL BALDWIN HALL
Construction began May 17, 1871, and the building was occupied January 16, 1873.

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destiny after fourteen years rolled by to bring that dream to a practical reality.

At Millersville

   Soon after his return to New Castle, Baldwin entered the Lancaster County Normal School at Millersville,
where Dr. J. P. Wickersham was President.

   The year at Millersville was an important one. While there he was extremely interested in the problems of
teacher education. Apparently, his chief reason for returning to formal college work during the academic year
of 1856-57 was to give some thought and meditation to the field of his growing interest, that of teacher
education, under the guidance of Doctor Wickersham, a pioneer in the field of public education.

   No doubt he was definitely influenced by the program of the Millersville school. Doctor Winship, speaking
at the unveiling of the Baldwin Statue on this campus in 1927, said:

   Baldwin received his professional baptism at Wickersham's Millersville State Normal College and the
professional consecration at that shrine was responsible for his professional evangelism which made him
a sort of circuit rider in Indiana, where J. B. Merwin of St. Louis discovered him for Kirksville.

Establishes College

   Following his year at Millersville, he was invited by J. J. Grigsby, a relative to come to Burnettsville,
Indiana, where he opened the Indiana Normal School in 1858. The following year he moved the school to Kokomo,
Indiana, and here conducted it until conditions arising out of the Civil War forced him to close it in June,
1863. Of this school Mr. Richmond in "A History of Howard County," Indiana, has this to say:

   The first departure from the old routine of teaching was introduced here by Prof. Joseph Baldwin in 1859.
He procured the use of the old Christian Church building in Kokomo, in which he began operations, adopting
what is known as the Normal method of teaching. He succeeded in gathering a large number of students, and for
about three years labored zealously and succeeded in effecting quite a revolution in the mode of teaching 
and management. . .

   This school prospered. Baldwin was beginning to hit his stride. He had found his mission in life. In the
summer of 1862 the citizens of Kokomo built him a $11,000 building that was capable of accommodating six
hundred students. The future looked bright for the young educator. By the fall of 1862, however, dark war
clouds were hanging heavily over the nation. By the summer of 1863 the North was desperately calling for 
recruits. In June of that year Joseph Baldwin closed his Indiana Normal School, and along with many of his
students joined the Union Army. He enlisted on June 24, 1863, six days before the Battle of Gettysburg. For
him war was to mean a captaincy, broken health, and disrupted plans. Many of us can sympathize with Baldwin
for we likewise have had similar experiences. Some of us have twice been called upon to go through such
tragic days. War has a strange way of changing the plans and the courses of individuals as well as the 
currents of civilization. I am inclined to believe that had the Civil War not occurred in all probability
Baldwin would have never come to Kirksville to establish the institution that has meant so much to so many
people. Instead of being looked upon as the Father of the teacher education system of Missouri he would
probably have become the Father of the teacher education system of the State of Indiana.

   While in the army he suffered a severe attack of pneumonia that left his lungs in bad condition. On
March 4, 1864, he was honorably discharged. For nearly a year thereafter he sold school supplies in Indiana,
because he had been warned by his physician not to re-enter the school room for two years. It appears,
however, that

[photo caption] This picture of Baldwin Hall shows it after a portion of the tower was removed.

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he remained out of the teaching profession for less than a year, for in the fall of 1864 he was in Logansport,
Indiana, with his family, as principal of the seminary.

[photo caption] The library wing shown above was authorized by the Legislature in 1901. These two buildings
were destroyed by fire in 1924.

Influence of Merwin

   We are now ready to pick up our story where we began at Logansport in the fall of 1866. Joseph Baldwin was
dissatisfied with his situation there. Ten years have gone by since he returned to his native state to study
under the guidance of Dr. J. P. Wickersham. Now he is an experienced teacher, a school administrator, a
school organizer, a Civil War veteran, a minister of the gospel fired with a burning zeal to do something
for the professional education of teachers of the public schools of our Nation. His basic education had been
completed. At the age of thirty-nine he was nearly ready to launch his life's work. There was no longer any
uncertainty in his mind as to what he wanted to do. His wife who had contended from the day of their marriage
that he was a born teacher had at last won her point. While principal of the seminary at Logansport, he did
considerable work in the county institutes of Indiana. During one of these institute campaigns he met Major
John B. Merwin of St. Louis, who at that time was editor of the Journal of Education. Major Merwin was so
greatly impressed with Baldwin's zeal, enthusiasm, ability, and attitude toward teacher education that he
prevailed upon him to come to Missouri for the purpose of establishing a teacher education institution.
Moreover, at the same time he was receiving urgent letters from J. J. Grigsby, a relative of his, then
living in Kirksville imploring him to come to that town and establish a normal school. Remember this Grigsby
is the same person who influenced him to establish the Indiana Normal School at Burnettsville, prior to the
opening of the Civil War. In February 1867 Baldwin went to St. Louis to confer with Major Merwin and others
with the view of selecting a site for the location of a normal school in the state. Major Merwin recommended
Kirksville. Baldwin was interested in St. Joseph. All factors leading to the selection of Kirksville for the
location of the new venture are not known but this interesting fact is told:

   It so happened that Baldwin had lost his traveling money and wanted $50 that he might proceed on his
journey. Major Merwin offered to lend him the money, as he himself has told it, if Baldwin would go out
to Kirksville at once and look over the situation there carefully, and added that, if he did not like
the place he need not refund the borrowed money.

Arrival In Kirksville

   He came to Kirksville on the railroad as far as Macon, then rode overland in a buggy arriving in Kirksville
on a cold winter day, February 13, 1867. So far as I can learn he did not visit any other place on his
inspection tour. Before leaving Kirksville he made arrangements for the establishment of the school. He
returned to Logansport and moved his family to Kirksville in early spring of 1867. This historic venture
was opened on September 2, 1867. A little more than three years later Baldwin's private teacher education
institution became the Missouri State Normal School of the first district—the first state supported
institution in Missouri, established primarily for the purpose of educating teachers. Thus our College
became the Mother of the teacher education system of Missouri. Today, after the passing of more than three
quarters of a century, we once more occupy the unique position of being the only State Teachers College
in our State.

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[photo caption] Science Hall, the building on the right, was completed and occupied in May, 1906. This is the only building
of the original group still in use.

Fundamental Concepts

   What did Joseph Baldwin believe to be the distinctive work of a normal school? One of the perplexing
problems confronting the pioneer normal schools was that of determining their distinctive mission. The
various pioneer normal school presidents need several views relative to their work. One group maintained
that the work of the normal school should be predominately academic, that is, the words of President H. B.
Buckham of Buffalo, "the best and only necessary equipment of the teacher is scholarship." This group did
not believe that it was sufficient to merely review those preparing to teach in the subjects later. They
believed that the course of study for a normal school should be composed of those studies that would lay
a foundation on which to build an education. They had only scorn and contempt for method courses. The second
group was composed of those who contended that the professional point of view was the correct one, that is, 
that the attainment of the art of teaching rather than scholarship was the crucial need for teachers. They
advocated methods courses along with review work in the common branches at the expense of an academic program.
This group thought that the academic work should continue to be taught by the academies, seminaries, and the
high schools. It was this group that led the way in establishing the first state normal schools. The third 
group regarded a combination of the professional and academic viewpoint as the best way to educate teachers.
Often these two viewpoints would be at war with each other within the same normal school. To many, this
combination of academic and professional work was merely a temporary necessity and as the academic requirements
for entrance to these normal schools were raised the academic studies would gradually give way to the professional.

Professionalization

   None of these three groups cut the pattern for the Midwest normal school of the last century, that was to
be the outstanding pioneer service of Joseph Baldwin while president of our College. How did his conception
of a normal school differ from the prevailing views we have briefly reviewed, or as previously stated? What
was his conception of the distinctive work of a teacher education institution? He believed that a normal
school should be a professional school primarily interested in the professional education of teachers whose
program should provide sound academic scholarship along with professional training. He did not believe in
the academic and professional courses existing side by side, each contending for "a place in the sun," but
rather they should be integrated into a common program for a single purpose, the preparation of teachers
for the public schools. In other words, he was truly a pioneer in the field of the professionalization of
subject matter. Speaking before the graduating class of this College in June 1871, he said this concerning
his conception of the distinctive work of a normal school:

   The normal school should be complete in itself. As the appendage of the college or university it has never
attained success. With the one central idea—the professional education of teachers—incorporated in every
nerve and fibre of its work, it should be as complete in all its appointments as the college. Its course of
study should be as full, its buildings, library and apparatus as extensive, and its faculty as able. It
should be all that the college is, with the professional added and embodied.

   The idea of separating the professional and the literary courses is strictly impracticable. The material of
which teachers are to be made requires the most thorough discipline as well as the professional training of the
normal. That the best time to learn how to teach is while learning what to teach I must regard as axiomatic.

   It is clear from Baldwin's own words that he considered a normal school a professional school on a par
with the other professional schools of his day and that he thought the program for a professional school
for teachers should constitute academic and professional studies so integrated that they become an integral
part of the common program for the educating of teachers. This was a new concept in the field of teacher
education.

   Thus far in our discussion we have been concerned with the historic past. Though sketchy, I have tried
to relate the salient points in the simple story of how the central idea upon which this teachers college
was founded evolved in the mind of Joseph Baldwin. At this point let us turn our thoughts and attention to
the living present.

Objectives of Today

   Most of what I shall say during the remainder of our discussion will, to a groat extent, be my personal
opinions and viewpoints. I do not seek to dominate the thinking or to change the viewpoint of any member of
this faculty; I feel, however, that you as a member of this distinguished faculty, have a right to expect the
President of the institution to make clear his philosophy of teacher education. I

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do not intend to make new pronouncements but rather to synthesize what many of you have heard me say on other
occasions. I assure you I am sincere. They are my convictions.

   Let us now seriously ask this question: What is the function of a teachers college, or any teacher education
institution? You often hear this question raised among professional and lay people. This question has grown
more acute during the past quarter of a century. Is not this a strange situation in our educational scene of
today?

Why a Teachers College

   The first state supported teacher education institution was opened at Lexington, Massachusetts, on July 3,
1837, 112 years ago. It has been 82 years since our college opened its doors. During this period of time
we have witnessed the establishment within our State of four other teachers colleges. Today they have
become state colleges, thus leaving the State Teachers College at Kirksville the only teachers college
in the State. Serious-minded people are still asking, "Why a teachers college?" It seems to me that 
this is an amazing situation in American education, one difficult to comprehend. How can such a question
be justified, especially when one considers the present situation confronting our public schools and the
urgent call from all sections of our nation for educated teachers? The situation confronting the public
schools is more critical than it has been for many years. Do you ever hear these questions raised in 
educational circles: Why a medical college? Why a school of engineering? Why a divinity school? Why a
college of osteopathy? Why a school of journalism? Do you ever hear business schools or schools of beauty
culture questioned? Has this unrest among teachers colleges been produced by an oversupply of qualified
teachers in our Country? No, even to a casual observer, this is not the cause. There is a great need today
for properly educated teachers for the children of America and the need is growing. There is little 
hope that enough good teachers will be available for at least the next ten or twenty years.

Education For Democracy

   Those who launched the new government under the Constitution of 1787 soon realized that if it were to
survive their own generation they must provide for schools to educate the youth of each generation to
understand the principles, the privileges and the duties of a free people. Our founding fathers fully
realized that free institutions cannot long endure unless the right kind of an educational program is
maintained. Democratic processes cannot long endure unless they are supported by a free people, well informed
in the general principles and methods of successful democratic living. Early in the history of this nation
our public schools became the keystone of the democratic faith in America. This faith has grown until today
Americans have a childlike faith in the power of their public schools. This faith is so deeply embedded in the
life of the people that they willingly support the public schools through taxation. The education of all the
people at the expense of all the taxpayers has become axiomatic in democratic America. Many Americans believe
that our success in establishing and maintaining a government which rests on popular action is due largely
to the fact that we have educated each generation in the principles and methods of the democratic processes. 
No one has pointed this out more clearly than Daniel Webster:

   On the diffusion of education among the people rests the preservation and perpetuation of our free
institutions. I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe. Our destruction, should it come
at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of government—from
their carelessness and negligence—I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place
too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct—that 
in this way they may be the dupes of designing men. . .Make them intelligent, and they will be
vigilant—give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.

Need for Educated Teachers

   As the "people's schools" became established, there grew a desire among their supporters for better
educated teachers. Thus another interesting chapter was opened in the history of American education—the
struggle to establish and maintain professional

[photo caption] None of the long-familiar pine trees are left on the main campus.

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[photo caption] The debris from the burned buildings was used to fill the old lake, which by 1924 had
come to be regarded as a menace to health.

schools for the education of teachers. Out of this struggle came the Twentieth Century teachers colleges,
of which ours is a typical example. The teachers colleges have exerted a wholesome influence upon public
education throughout the nation. These institutions have gained a secure place in the American scheme of
public education of which they are an integral part. In spite of tremendous opposition they have succeeded
beyond the expectation of their founders. Why have they succeeded? It appears as if their success is due
chiefly to two factors: First, the soundness of their contention that teachers needed specific education
in a professional school devoted to the problem of educating teachers for the public schools; second, that
those educated in these institutions were usually better teachers of boys and girls than those educated
elsewhere. In other words, the quality of their products was one of their great assets. Let us hope that
that is true today. They have also made an important contribution towards the development and the improvement
of the public school system.

Teachers Colleges Should Provide Educational Leadership

   If the position I have assumed is basically sound, then the primary task of a teachers college is the
education of teachers for the kindergarten, the elementary schools, the rural schools, the secondary schools,
and the public junior colleges. Yes, it has an obligation to prepare elementary and high school principals,
supervisors and specialists of various kinds and administrators. It should furnish educational leadership and 
professional services to those working in the public schools. It must also assume the leadership in a
relentless campaign to arouse American people to the realization that the task of a teacher is a professional
one, and that the uneducated teacher is dangerous to our way of life. Such colleges must take a firm stand in
defense of teachers being professionally educated and insist that every boy and girl in America has a right
to the stimulation and guidance of professionally trained teachers. The average American is not prone to seek
the advice of a lawyer who has not been professionally educated.

  When an American wants professional advice he seeks the expert, the best trained person he can find. Why
should we allow our children to be taught and influenced during their most impressionistic years by a teacher
who has not been professionally educated? In my judgment the most acute problem facing American education
today, in the year of 1949, is well-qualified teachers for the public schools. I think this will remain an
acute problem for years to come. This is the great challenge facing a teachers college or any other
educational institution primarily interested in educating men and women for the teaching profession. Such
institutions have no choice in the matter. The people expect them to meet the challenge without equivocation.
It is an obligation imposed upon them by law. Therefore, the primary task of a

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Twentieth Century teachers college is the same as the normal schools of yesterday—the education of teachers
for the schools of America. When this ceases to be their primary function they will have lost their unique
place in American education. They can no longer honestly appeal to the American people for financial
assistance and moral support as teachers colleges.

Our Own Program

   At this point in our discussion we should raise the question, "What should be the program of a teachers
college in the middle years of the Twentieth Century?" This is a question that this faculty must face
realistically, both individually and collectively. Many leaders and thinkers in the field of teacher
education are persuaded that a four-year program is too brief a time for educating a person for the
teaching profession. Such a program is outmoded and should be discarded for a new one. I believe that the 
curriculum of a teachers college should be a five-year program of which the first two years should constitute
general education and three years of professional education; all of which should be integrated into a unified
program for the preparation of a teacher for our public schools. It is the unique responsibility of a teachers
college to see that the public school teachers receive the right kind of education. That being true, what they
do in reorganizing their educational program is of primary importance. It will greatly influence the kind of
social order that our country will have in the next century. We, as a faculty, must do our best to meet this
challenge. The future of our college depends on how we meet this issue. We must see that its program meets
the demands and serves the needs of the people or be relegated to the boneyards of the past; furthermore it
must meet the realities of contemporary life realistically. It must not become self-satisfied, grow old,
lose its vigor and drive, and become steeped in the traditions and glories of its past. It must keep its
youthful vigor and its pioneering spirit. Only those who live in the spirit of the times shall live. A most 
important responsibility rests on our shoulders. I do not believe you can discharge this responsibility
with a four-year program. It will take five years to properly educate a teacher for our public schools
for today and for tomorrow.

Must Professionalize

   The first two years, the freshman and sophomore years, of a five-year program should be devoted to
general education, or using the terminology of other professions, pre-professional work for the teaching
profession. In organizing a curriculum for a general education program it is essential for us to keep in
mind that we wish to prepare the individual for successful living, for a teacher is first a citizen of a
community, then a practitioner of his chosen profession. A teacher needs and must have a comprehensive

[photo caption] Since 1925 the Greenwood Elementary School has been used as a laboratory school for 
practice teachers. The building shown above has been replaced by a more modern one.

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[photo caption] THE CAMPUS TODAY

[photo caption] 1867   Joseph Baldwin   1881

[photo caption] 1881   W.P. Nason   1882

[photo caption] 1882   J.P. Blanton   1891 

PROGRESS OF SEVEN ADMINISTRATIONS. . .

   More than eighty years ago on September 2, 1867, as the country begin to set its house in order after
the long and devastating war between the states, Joseph Baldwin, pioneer educator, working for the
preservation of democratic ideals established in Kirksville, Missouri, one of the first institutions west
of the Mississippi River devoted primarily to the education of teachers.

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. . .DEVOTED TO A GREAT IDEAL

   An all-embracing idealism guided Baldwin in shaping his pioneer institution. Said he, "to elevate teaching
from the position of a vascillating empiricism to that of the chief of the arts is the world's supreme work."
With emphasis upon sound scholarship in the great fields of knowledge, a thorough understanding of the facts
and processes of professional education and expertly directed experiences in the laboratory school, he cut
the pattern for the American Teachers College as it is known throughout the world today.

   Seven administrations have kept faith in this far reaching ideal and in this pattern for teacher education.
From this pioneer institution have gone forth teachers and leaders to help shape the destiny of America.

[photo caption] 1899   John R. Kirk   1925

[photo caption] 1925   Eugene Fair   1937

[photo caption] 1937   Walter H. Ryle

[photo caption] THE CAMPUS THEN

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[photo caption] The Model Rural School was conceived and erected under the direction of President John R. 
Kirk. Located on the southeast corner of the campus, it was opened in September 1907 with an enrollment
of fourteen children who were transported from several miles west of Kirksville.

knowledge of the social, economic, political, and religious forces confronting the social order. In our
general education program we seek to develop in the prospective teacher a certain maturity of judgment
and breadth of understanding that comes only to those who have lived vicariously through the ages of man's
recorded experiences. These great experiences of the race are to be found in the history of civilization,
the humanities, the fine arts, the music, the drama, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. A general
education program should give the prospective teacher a comprehensive understanding of the continuity of the
evolution of human society, a grasp of the basic laws of science and an appreciation of the great spiritual
experiences of the human race. I believe that the professional education of teachers should be based upon
a well-organized and implemented two-year program of general education. During these two years no thought
of specialization should enter into the educational program of a prospective teacher. He should be interested
solely in broadening his basic knowledge. Do we as a faculty live up to our philosophy of general education?
Do we at times encourage prospective teachers to commence specialization in the

[photo caption] Until the completion of Stokes Stadium, built in 1929-30, athletic contests were conducted on
the playing field on the northwest part of the campus where Baldwin Hall now stands.

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freshman and sophomore years? That is a mistake easily made, for most of us are specialist minded, but we
should be on our guard to see that we keep inviolate our philosophy of general education.

General Education Concepts

   I think the time is fast approaching when this faculty should re-study the organization and contents of
our general education courses, especially the comprehensive courses. We must not let ourselves fall into
the error of thinking that we are finished—that our work is done. No, men and women of the faculty, our
task is certainly not finished. I doubt whether any of you believe that the organizations, the contents,
and the methods of instruction of these courses measure up to the philosophy underlying our general
education program. During recent years we have not been working much on this phase of our educational
program because we have been concentrating on other problems of our college, for instance, the graduate
program. In the last few years marked development has been made in the field of general education. I wish
to suggest that we give some serious attention during this academic year to the problem of general education.
Within a short time I shall appoint a committee of faculty members to restudy our general education program.
I hope this committee will furnish the leadership for a study which will involve every member of this
faculty. The last time such a committee was appointed was in the fall of 1938, that was eleven years ago.

Professional Education Concepts

   The last three years of a five-year program of teacher education should be devoted to professional work,
which should include at least four things: First, the prospective teacher must specialize in some field of
human knowledge augmented by one or more minors which may or may not be in related fields. His main interest
may lie in one of the disciplines of the academic or applied fields.

   This phase of a teacher's education should be broad and thorough and based upon genuine scholarship, for
thorough scholarship is the keystone of a teacher's education. A teacher of youth must have a depth and a
breadth of understanding of that which he wishes to teach, along with an appreciation of the broad
interrelationships of that which he teaches with the general scheme of the intellect and the unity of thought.
The curriculum of a teachers college should be broad and all-inclusive. Any discipline that contributes in
any way to the education of a teacher has a place in its program. Yes, I can justify such disciplines as
geology, Greek, Old English, astronomy, pottery, sculpturing, et cetera, if they contribute to the preparation
of our public school teacher. The curriculum of a teachers college should be as broad as any that is found in
the best of our colleges and universities.

Scholastic Disciplines

   The instruction in a teachers college must be more thorough than in any educational institution, for a
teacher should not be merely a student of, but a master in, the disciplines which he is called upon to
teach. It is not sufficient for a teacher to have merely a general knowledge of the discipline which he
teaches, but he should know it thoroughly, including the discipline forming its background, that is the basic
reason why the curriculum of a teachers college should be composed of many branches of knowledge. When it comes
to specialization in some field of human knowledge I believe that it is better for a teacher to know much of a
few things than to know a little of many things. There is no substitute for thoroughness in scholarship in the
education of a teacher.

   The instruction in a teachers college should differ basically from that usually found in colleges and
universities. The various courses taught should be professionalized, and if we as a faculty, fail to do
this, then we are doing no more than the colleges of arts and science are doing.

   Professionalization of subject matter is fundamental to the professional education of a teacher. It is a
point of view—an attitude. This means that you as teachers of teachers are interested in presenting subject
matter from the viewpoint of what a prospective teacher is going to do with it rather than in presenting the
subject matter for its sake. Why do you teach history, literature, mathematics, music? Is it for the sake of
the subject? On the other hand, are you teaching history, literature, mathematics, or music with a view of
educating a teacher? What is your attitude towards subject matter? Is it an instrument in your hands for
molding a teacher? If so, this is truly purposeful teaching. This is the basic nature of the educational
program for any of the professions. A teachers college is interested in professionalizing subject matter
because it is primarily interested in educating the prospective teacher what to teach and how to teach boys
and girls. This cannot be done in an educational institution primarily interested in a general education
program, for the professionalization of subject matter belongs to a professional school dedicated to the 
task of educating for a specific profession. I hope that no member of our staff is primarily interested
in teaching subject matter only.

[photo caption] The sunken garden occupies the spot which was once the basement of Baldwin Hall.

(page 14)

PAGE 14
NEMOSCOPE
WINTER, 1950

[photo caption] Newest buildings on the campus are Blanton and Nason Halls. Completed and occupied in
September, 1949, these residence halls for women fill a long felt need.

A teachers college must have faculty members who are interested in teaching subject matter as a means of
educating for the teaching profession. Subject matter in a teachers college is professionalized when it is
presented for the definite purpose of educating a teacher. In other words, it becomes in the hands of a
skillful teacher, a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

Professional Courses

   The second factor in the professional preparation of a teacher is the professional courses. These courses
cannot be substituted for the academic or applied fields, but neither can these fields be substituted for
the professional courses; both are basic to a teacher's education. The professional courses should give the
prospective teacher a comprehensive conception of the historical evolution of education, the fundamental
principles of learning, an insight into the philosophy of education, an appreciation of the basic principles
of education, organization, and administration, along with the best methods and techniques in the teaching
process. Courses in the field of psychology should constitute an important part of the professional preparation
of a teacher. There must be complete cooperation on the part of those teaching the academic and professional
courses, for the two must be integrated into a common program. The Division of Education of this Teachers
College is an integral part of each of the eight academic divisions. I wish to commend this faculty for the
wholesome spirit of cooperation that exists between the academic field and those teaching the professional
courses. This largely explains the balance and the fine integration of subject matter that we have developed
in our program of teacher education. I wish, however, to throw in one word of caution. At times I wonder if we
are veering away from this principle somewhat in our fifth or graduate year of work. Have the Division of Fine
Arts, Social Science, Business Education, and Language and Literature integrated their fifth year program
sufficiently with the professional courses? On the other hand, has the Division of Education integrated its
program for elementary teachers and school administrators sufficiently with the academic fields? I think we
should watch this very carefully, I commend this problem to the careful attention of each of you. We must
keep our academic and professional courses integrated into a common program which meets the needs of public
school teachers. Neither the academic nor professional courses are sufficient in themselves to meet the needs
of the teaching profession.

Internship

   The third factor in the professional preparation of a teacher is a period of internship. During this time
the prospective teacher observes master teachers at work and at the same time becomes a participant in the
teaching process. Our laboratory school should be the core of our teacher education program. But is it? I
am afraid it is our weakest link in our entire program of teacher education. There does not appear to me to 
be a sufficiently close coordination of the student's work in his academic or applied fields with his
internship experiences, the same can probably be said of the professional courses. I think every member
of this faculty should be actively interested in the laboratory school and its place in our total program
of teacher education. I think you as teachers of prospective teachers should be as interested in the
activities of the laboratory school as teachers of prospective doctors are in the activities of the hospital
connected with a medical college. Is that asking too much of a faculty engaged in professional education? How
many of you are willing to teach a class in our laboratory school provided it becomes a part of your normal
load? If interested I would like to discuss the matter with you.

[photo caption] Kirk Auditorium was occupied in April 1924 shortly after the disastrous fire which destroyed
Baldwin Hall and the Library.

(page 15)

[photo caption] The Industrial Arts building which houses woodworking, drafting, drawing, and agriculture was
erected in 1940. An expansion of this overcrowded building is planned at an early date.

[photo caption] The Pickler Library was named after the late S. M. Pickler who contributed substantially to
its cost. The building was dedicated on May 20, 1925. The library now contains more than 100,000 volumes
exclusive of bound magazines and periodicals.

Philosophy Required

   The fourth essential requirement for an education program for teachers has to do with a comprehensive
philosophical course. Each prospective teacher before completing his professional work should take a
comprehensive philosophical course. Such a course should be given during the last quarter of the fifth
year of work or graduate year, preparatory for the teaching profession. The heart of this course should
be a synthesis of the student's educational experiences in preparing for the teaching profession. Such a
course would attempt to give him a sense of the unity of thought which is so. essential if a teacher is
not to become lost in the turbulent storms of the contemporary world.

   There are other factors connected with our teacher education program that I would like to mention, but
time does not permit. I have tried to make clear my viewpoint concerning the function and program of a
teachers college. I have spoken my convictions. I hope you are in agreement basically with most of what
I have said.

[photo caption] This aerial view shows the veterans housing unit which provides accommodations for forty 
married couples and over sixty men students. These buildings were erected with federal aid in 1946 and have
since become the property of the College.
Portions of the main campus may be seen in the upper part of the picture.

(page 16)

[photo caption] The new Baldwin Hall was occupied in January 1939.

[photo caption] Left: The new Greenwood Elementary Laboratory School

[photo caption] Below: This Practical Arts unit was erected in 1947 from materials given the College by the 
government at the close of World War II.

(page 17)

[photo caption] Many physical changes have been brought about on the campus of the College but the
pioneering principles enunciated by founder Joseph Baldwin continue to be the central theme of the
institution.

[photo caption] Above: The Ophelia Parrish building which houses the junior high school and serves the
College as a laboratory school for practice teaching. The original building was completed in 1924. An
additional wing shown above was added in 1938.

[photo caption] The athletic house on Stokes Stadium built in 1939-40 provides dressing rooms and showers 
for athletic teams.

(page 18)

[photo caption] The John R. Kirk Memorial at Night.

(page 19)

[photo caption] Campus Entrance

[photo caption] Proposed John J. Pershing Hall

(page 20)

[photo caption] JOSEPH BALDWIN