Distinguished:
Bela Malcom Lawrence
part
2
When he came to the Normal School, Mr. Lawrence's daughter, Alice, was principal of the high school and instructor in English. After her father's death, she and her mother moved to Minneapolis, where she taught in the Minneapolis schools for many years. I understand that she is now retired (1965).
The early normal schools were four-year schools, but did not offer four years of college credit. Graduates were certified to teach in town and city schools with no specific demands for degrees. With the increasing standards, the normal schools were stepped up to offer more college credit and less high school credit. Then, with the growth of the public high school movement, the high school grades were eliminated and the four-year course became a full four-year college course with degrees granted.
Thus, the teachers' colleges came into existence. In many states, this change took place without any questions being raised about the right of the normal schools to expand into teachers' colleges and to train teachers for the high school. By 1920, the teachers' college movement was well established in many states, but in South Dakota little change had taken place. The number of high school students enrolled exceeded the number of college students and the normal schools trained teachers only for the elementary schools. Many school districts did not have high schools so the normal schools were meeting this need. Such was the situation when the Board of Regents elected Dr. Edgar. Creighton Higbie to succeed President John W. Heston. Dr. Higbie assumed the office of President in the fall of 1921.
Source:
Lowry, V. A. Forty Years at General Beadle (1922-1962). Madison, SD: Dakota State University, 1984. pg 22, 23, 24.
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Completed by Spring 2004 Class of English 401
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