Into the promised land: The transformation of eastern and western Kentucky normal schools into teachers colleges, 1906-1922

This study concerns the events that transformed the first two Kentucky state supported normal schools for white teachers into teachers colleges. It does not attempt to be a history of the two schools or a comprehensive history of education in Kentucky during the progressive period. It does seek to show that there were forces within the state and from the outside that brought about change in the Kentucky educational landscape. Diverse forces such as the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs, the Kentucky Education Association, State school men, Newspaper editors, certain individuals within the state and certain outside agencies joined together. They worked to bring about what they believed to be the correct system in Kentucky's educational offerings during the first two decades of the 20th century.; Some historians have given credit to the land grant institutions for popularizing higher education in this country. In this state, however, this was not the case. It was the normal schools turned teachers colleges that served to democratize or broaden the appeal of higher education. These institutions that were first established to train teachers became multipurpose institutions and served as the people's colleges because they were closer to the people, both geographically and philosophically. They provided schooling to the sons and daughters of farmers and rural people who otherwise could not have afforded an education. The people who attended these schools in turn changed the focus and scope of the normal schools.; The struggle that developed over their role also played a large part in the entire development of education for Kentucky. The high school movement and the establishment of State College as the University of Kentucky tie in with the forces that transformed the normal schools into teachers colleges. This makes this one of the most important developments in Kentucky educational history.