Eastern Michigan University - History

History

The university was founded in 1849 and opened its doors in 1853 as Michigan State Normal School. Michigan State Normal School was the first in Michigan and the first normal school created outside the original 13 colonies. One hundred and twenty-two students started classes March 29, 1853. Adonijah Welch served as Michigan State Normal School's first principal. Michigan created a state educational system modeled on that of Germany. The normal schools were to train teachers for common schools, which were being established rapidly in new towns in the state. In 1899, the school became the Michigan State Normal College when it created the first four-year curriculum for a normal college in the nation. Normal began the 20th century as Michigan's premier teacher-preparatory school and had become the first teacher-training school in the United States to have a four-year degree program. Just like many other universities during World War I, the Great Depression and World War II, the school survived and expanded further. With the additions of departments and the large educational enrollment after WWII, the school became Eastern Michigan College in 1956.