First Students - Northwest History

Partial Panorama image of the faculty, staff and students at Northwest with the Administration Building and Powerhouse in the background. Included alumni from the first graduating class.

Pamphlet for the first graduation exercises at the new Normal School.

List of the accomplishments during the first year of operation at the new Normal School.

Listing of the first graduates from the new Normal School in the first graduation pamphlet.

The program from the first graduation exercises at the new Normal School in 1906.

Training School children participate in a Thanksgiving play in 1908. Northwest's Training School allowed Normal School students the chance to teach children, thus gaining practical experience. The school evolved into the Horace Mann Laboratory School, which is a part of Northwest's Education department. Horace Mann is now located in the Everett Brown building across from the J.W. Jones Union.

Many of the students that came to the Fifth District Normal School in Maryville were already teachers at rural schools. These uncertified teachers came to the Normal School to acquire certification and to ensure the standardization of education of Missouri students. For many years, the Normal School's largest enrollment was during the summer time when these uncertified teachers were not holding classes. In one summer alone, enrollment was around 1,000 students.

The Training School began the same time as the Fifth District Normal School, allowing Normal School students to teach grade-school children and gain practical experience in teaching. The Training School classrooms were originally located on the first floor of the newly-constructed Administration Building. Later, the Training School would be remained the Horace Mann Laboratory School, which still exists today.