STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS. BOARD OF REGENTS. EX-OFFICIO. HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR. APPOINTED. Term ending first Monday in February, 1882. JAS. MACALISTER, Milwaukee; JOHN PHILLIPS, Stevens Point; S. M. HAY, Oshkosh. Term ending first Monday in February, 1883. W. H. CHANDLER, Sun Prairie; T. D. WEEKS, Whitewater; J. H. EVANS, Platteville; OFFICERS. J. H. EVANS, PRESIDENT. S. M. HAY, VICE PRESIDENT. W. H. CHANDLER, SECRETARY. STATE TREASURER, EX-OFFICIO TREASURER. Committees. Executive-Regents EVANS, CHANDLER and HAY. Supplies Regents HAY, WEEKS, ANDREWS and EVANS. Graduating Classes Regents HUTCHINS, CHANDLER and GRAHAM. Course of Study and Text-Books - Regents MACALISTER, SMITH and HUTCHINS. Inspection of Schools - Regents ANDREWS, PHILLIPS, WEEKS and EVANS. Board of Visitors to Normal Schools, 1881-82. Platteville· -JOHN E. DAVIES, Madison; LUCY E. FOOTE, River Falls; LEWIS FUNK, Bay View. Whitewater-O. U. WHITFORD, Walworth; HENRY F. C. NICHOLS, New Lisbon; HENRY D. MAXSON, Milwaukee. Oshkosh-C. F. VIEBAHN, Watertown; ALBERT SALISBURY, Whitewater; DWIGHT KINNEY, Darlington. River Falls-L. D. HARVEY, Sheboygan; A. C. DODGE, Monroe; C. D. TILLINGHAST, Bloomer. HISTORY. The Constitution of the State, adopted in 1848, provides, "that the revenue of the School Fund shall be exclusively applied to the following objects: "1st. To the support and maintenance of common schools in each school district, and the purchase of suitable libraries and appurtenances therefor. "2d. That the residue of the income of the School Fund shall be appropriated to the support of academies and normal schools, and suitable libraries and appurtenances therefor." No effort was made to take advantage of this provision of the Constitution for the endowment of normal schools until 1857, when an act was passed providing "that the income of twenty-five per cent. of the proceeds arising from the sale of swamp and overflowed lands should be appropriated to normal institutes and academies, under the supervision and direction of a 'Board of Regents of Normal Schools," ," who were to be appointed in pursuance of the provisions of that act. Under this law, the income placed at the disposal of the regents was distributed for several years to such colleges, academies and high schools as maintained a normal class, and in proportion to the number of pupils in the class who passed satisfactory examinations, conducted by an agent of the Board. In 1865, the Legislature divided the swamp lands and Swamp Land Fund into two equal parts, one for drainage purposes, the other to constitute a Normal School Fund. The income of the latter was to be applied to establishing, supporting and maintaining normal schools, under the direction and management of the Board of Regents of Normal Schools, with a proviso that one-fourth of such income should be transferred to the Common School Fund, until the annual income of that Fund should reach $200,000. During the same year, proposals were invited for extending aid in the establishment of a normal school, and propositions were received from various places. In 1866, the Board of Regents was incorporated by the Legislature. In February, Platteville was conditionally selected as the site of a school, and as it had become apparent that a productive fund of about $600,000, with a net income of over $30,000, was already in hand, with a prospect of a steady increase as fast as lands were sold, the Board, after a careful investigation and consideration of different methods, decided upon the policy of establishing several schools, and of locating them in different parts of the State. At a meeting held on the 2d day of May, in the same year, the Board designated Whitewater as the site of a school for the southeastern section of the State, where a building was subsequently erected; and on the 16th permanently located a school at Platteville, the academy building having been donated for that purpose. The school at Platteville was opened October 9, 1866, under Prof. CHARLES H. ALLEN, previously agent of the board, and professor in charge of the normal department of the State University. Prof. ALLEN resigned at the close of four years' service, and the school was placed in charge of E. A. CHARLTON, from Lockport, N. Y. After a service of more than eight years, President CHARLTON also resigned, his resignation taking effect at the close of 1878, and D. MCGREGOR, long connected with the school as a professor, takes his place. The school at Whitewater was opened on the 21st of April, 1863, under OLIVER AREY, A. M., formerly connected with the normal schools at Albany and Brockport, N. Y., and the building was on the same day dedicated to its uses, with appropriate ceremonies. On the resignation of President AREY, in 1877, WM. F. PHELPS, A. M., an educator of large experience, and of wide reputation, was chosen by the Board to take charge of the school. He was succeeded, at the end of two years, by J. W. STEARNS, A. M., who is now in charge. President STEARNS had been at the head of the Normal School in the Argentine Republic for a few years previous. A building was completed during the year 1870 for a third Normal School, at Oshkosh, but owing to a lack of funds, it was not opened for the admission of pupils during that year. The opening and the ceremony of dedicating the building took place September 19, 1871. The president of the school is GEO. S. ALBEE, A. M., previously superintendent and principal of public schools in Racine. A fourth Normal School was opened in September, 1875, at River Falls, Pierce county, under the charge of WARREN D. PARKER, A. M., formerly superintendent and principal of public schools in Janesville. It supplies a want long felt in the northwest part of the State. It is understood to be the policy of the Board of Regents to establish eventually, when the means at their disposal shall permit, not less than six normal schools, but several years must elapse before so many can go into operation. The law under which these schools are organized provides that "The exclusive purpose of each normal school shall be the instruction and training of persons, both male and female, in the theory and art of teaching, and in all the various branches that pertain to a good common school education, and in all subjects needful to qualify for teaching in the public schools; also to give instruction in the fundamental laws of the United States and of this State, and in what regards the rights and duties of citizens." REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO THE NORMAL SCHOOLS. Tuition is free to all students who are admitted to these normal schools under the following regulations of the Board of Regents: 1. Each assembly district in the State shall be entitled to eight representative in the normal schools, and in case vacancies exist in the representation to which any assembly district is entitled, such vacancies may be filled by the president and secretary of the Board of Regents. 2. Candidates for admission shall be nominated by the superintendent of the county (or if the county superintendent has not jurisdiction, then the nomination shall be made by the city superintendent), in which such candidate may reside, and shall be at least sixteen years of age, of sound bodily health, and good moral character. Each person so nominated shall receive a certificate setting forth his name, age, health and character, and a duplicate of such certificate shall be immediately sent by mail, by the superintendent to the secretary of the board. 3. Upon the presentation of such certificate to the president of a normal school, the candidate shall be examined under the direction of said president in the branches required by law for a third grade certificate, except history, theory and practice of teaching, and if found qualified to enter the normal school in respect to learning, he may be admitted after furnishing such |