The establishment of the first permanent chair of education in an American university

Abstract

The professional training of teachers in the United States has been of slow growth. In our early national life there was no such training because there was no felt need for it. In a new and sparsely settled country agriculture was the principal occupation, and very little education was needed carry on the ordinary business of life in the small cities and towns. In the New England colonies the schools were taught by ministers and divinity students; in the other sections, by itinerant teachers who were for the most part incompetent. More reliance was placed on tradition, experience, and native teaching ability than on professional qualifications.' The academies, which had their inception in the middle part of the eighteenth century, were the first begin the preparation of One of the aims of Franklin's Academy (1751) was to train teachers. Other academies, as Andover and those established in the State of New York, likewise made provisions train teachers for the common schools. As early as 1816 urgent requests were made of the legislature of New York that the Lancastrian higher schools apply themselves the task of giving training those who purposed teach. Governor Clinton in 1826 urged the legislature establish a seminary for the education of teachers in the monitorial system of instruction.2 A law was passed by the state in 1827 whereby state aid was given promote the education of teachers.3 The Regents' Report (1831) stated that two academies were offering Principles of Teaching as a new subject in their course of study. In 1844 the state finally established a normal school and curtailed the support formerly given the academies for teacher-training purposes. Such deep opposition developed, however, that upon the death of David Page (1810-1848), the outstanding leader of the movement and principal of the Albany Normal, steps were taken reestablish teacher-training courses in the academies. This policy