Millersville University
Millersville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded 1855 as the Lancaster County Normal School, it was named the first Pennsylvania State Normal School, 1859. Fully Commonwealth-owned after 1917, Millersville became a State Teachers College in 1928, and a State College for liberal arts and education, 1960. Since 1983, it has been Millersville University of Pennsylvania of the State System of Higher Education.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Founded in 1855 as the Lancaster County Normal School, this institution was designated Pennsylvania's first State Normal School in 1859—part of a nationwide movement to professionally train the teachers a growing public-school system demanded. Over the next century it evolved with the state's needs, becoming Commonwealth-owned, then a State Teachers College, then a broader liberal-arts college, and finally a university within Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.
Why it matters
As the state's first normal school, Millersville stands at the origin of public teacher education in Pennsylvania, a cornerstone of American mass schooling.
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Related events
- · Founding of Pennsylvania's first State Normal School
Themes & tags
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