New-York tribune., 1871-09-27
PENNSYLVANIA STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS.

OPENING OF SCHOOL NUMBER sIx-THE SCHOOL
LAW.
WEST CHESTER, Penn, Sept. 25.-The Penn
sylvania State Normal School, the building for which has
tust been completed here opened to-day and Prof.
E. II. Cook, late Of Connecticut, nsuguratsd -
Principal Ex-Gov Pollock exstate Senator worthing
ton, Prof Brooks Principal of the Mirlersvile State
Normal School, and many other educational men, were
present There were about 900 people In attendance
Our Normal Schools now powerful educational In
strumentallty Of recent origin. In the Winter OF
1885, Benjamin Bannan Of Pottsvie wrote elaborate
letter to Gov. Pollock In behalf Of Normal Schools, and
probably ought to be credited with the suggestive pa
ternty" of Normal School system In his report OF
1885, Andrew O. Curtin, afterward Governor, but then
Secretary of State and oeo superintendent OF Com
Schools, recommended the establishment of Normal
Schools by State authority. The Hon. p wickersham,
State Superintendent, Was County Superintendent
Of Lancaster County from 1854 to 1857 and In that possn
had felt forcby the necessity Of having better teachers
that in connection with other teachers, he openefs
Normal School at Mlersville, small village I've mios
from LAneaste. City The school proved to be want Of
hundreds Of both sexes avaing themselves OF the OPP
practcaby Of the recommendatons Of Messrs. Bannan
and Curtin arrested the attention Of the educational men
S S fRS ss The s b
;sss@sS hs S s s H'tSs
serh 'nss did, and shs best winters work
I'm It divided ss sts q nS ~ f
eoanss and
constituted the rst dsrrc those Of Lancaster YORK
f9S e.. a e
philadelphia. The law requires that eacn sonool sna
the not Sat tess sbs contain
hall Of sufficient size to seat Comfortably 1000 sduts
SO .Sden ali and props
70 Light heat usHca Snd during
semen DTSPe1 %eatSer library shall
at least six Professors OF liberal culture one OF whom
Ss saa nsgs Of
rules adopted by the Trustees and approved BY the STATE
the State superntsndent four other chosen
by him with the consent Of the Governor and
hR 1 al the ss
and students completing sucSess.ay 'ne s,noIs
Of Of m tSe asPsa s sns in Ss
diploma setting forth that fact and are entitled to teaen
state Each Of the ak schoos opened under this law
has received from the state The state also pays
T T Ssa1s Of sse a' Of
teach in the state and for each student
Of PennsyvsDia whose father lost his life in said ser
Of ne an
ceive each the sum Of tSo ,, ,o.., -, a.. y,,,.,
scsool s%sl system Of Pennsyyaa Unde, this law the
lersvile school was the trst recognized and has had
thus far career Of remarkable prosperity having some
times 100 or 800 students. .
The Normal School formally opened to-day Is for the
First Normal District and embraces the Counties OF
Chester Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks the four
Quaker counties Of the State, containing 2 600 nhaD-
ifants and nearly oneh Of the assessed value OF the
West Chester miles west from Philadelphia and four
miles from the Brandywne battlefield The building Is
of serentine stOne entirely new, and cost with the
ground little over ss OOo There about 400 students
on the ground to-day TO avail themselves OF s advan;
schools authorized by law. Three four others are
preparing to offer themselves to the State or
and before great Centenary OF 1876 the
Normal School system with fts twelve Normal schools
will he complete, and Pennsylvania may without fear
chaienss parison this respect with any other State
m Union.