William F. Gorrie, the second president of Dakota State Normal School, was born in Salem, New York, May 25, 1842. He attended the village school until about twelve years old. He was fitted for college under the tutorship of David Bullion, his uncle, the grammarian, and entered Williams College in 1860, receiving his A. B. in 1864, when he accepted the principal ship of Salem Academy, Salem, New York. In 1868, he went to Minneapolis to assume the principal ship of the east side schools, then to St. Anthony. Two years later he became principal of Afton Academy at Afton, Minnesota and three years later accepted the principal ship of the Stillwater schools, remaining there ten years. The degree of A.M. was conferred by Williams College in 1876. He then went to Mankato as superintendent and remained there four years.

From there he went to Watertown, Dakota Territory, to organize the graded schools and then came to Madison, where he was President of Normal for two years. He never taught after leaving here but was active in educational circles in Minnesota. He was connected with the extension service at the University of Minnesota; was President of the Minnesota State Teachers Association one year and read many papers before the Association at various times. He also had the honor of being appointed as the inspector of Normal Schools by the Governor of Minnesota. Professor Gorrie died October 25, 1903, at his home in Minneapolis.