Legislation Creates New Normal School for Northern Illinois

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In the last part of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century, more than 11 million people migrated from the rural countryside to towns and cities throughout America. Together with 25 million immigrants, mostly from Europe, the United States experienced one of the largest mass migrations in human history.

With the influx of new residents came the need to educate young people for life beyond the farm. The majority of teachers at that time were seldom even high school graduates and were ill-prepared for the challenges of a new era. Well-prepared teachers were needed, trained in the accepted “norms” of pedagogy and curriculum—hence the growth of new institutions called “normal schools.”

Bloomington had one. So did Carbondale and Chicago. But no normal school served the vast region of northern Illinois, and both state and community leaders lobbied for expansion into this diverse and highly populated area. On May 22, 1895, Gov. John Peter Altgeld signed legislation providing for a normal school in northern Illinois.