The Normal School Question, 1929 - 1939

The Edgar Creighton Higbie records (1924-1932) contain university accreditation files and other administrative files during Higbie's presidency. Of note are the files pertaining to "The Normal School Question," in which the question of whether there should be four-year universities instead of the two-year normal schools was debated. The question began in 1922 when the Regents of Education allowed normal schools to develop four-year courses, as well as gradually eliminating high school level courses starting the development of normal schools into the four-year teachers colleges we know today. Normal schools before then gave two-year courses teaching at the high school level and turning out elementary school teachers.