University of Minnesota Duluth - History

History

Although the University of Minnesota Duluth didn’t officially make its appearance until 1947, plans for a strong college in the Duluth area were made in the 1890s. The state legislature planned for a teaching school for women (then referred to as a normal school) and in 1895 they announced the formation of the Duluth Normal School. In 1896, the City of Duluth donated 6 acres (2.4 ha) of land to serve as a foundation for the Duluth Normal School, and the state legislature donated additional funds for the construction costs for the main building, which was built in 1900. In February 1901, a fire caused extensive damage to the school and the following year, the school was rebuilt.

In April 1901, Eugene W. Bohannon was appointed president of the Duluth Normal School. In 1902, women came to the school to be trained for a degree in education. By 1903, the first seven women received their diplomas from Duluth Normal School. In 1906, the first dormitories were opened, costing the school around $35,000 to build. Room and board were offered at cost, between fourteen and fifteen dollars a month. Throughout the next few years, more dormitories, two new wings, and an auditorium were added to the school. Requirements, such as having a high school diploma, were instituted. Students who signed a pledge to teach after graduation attended for free; others were required to pay $30 per year.

The 1906 Bulletin of the State Normal School describes the school at that time:

The building is thoroughly modern in construction and equipment. It is located in one of the most attractive parts of the city, overlooking the waters of Lake Superior from a height of more than three hundred feet. The laboratories are large and well arranged. The furniture and apparatus are new and excellent in every way. The present equipment of the several laboratories represents an expenditure of not less than $7,500, and is entirely adequate for the needs of the school. A large and well-lighted room has been equipped for manual training. It is supplied with twenty benches of the most approved make and all of the necessary tools and instruments.

Enrollment for 1903 was 127 and by 1906 it had increased to 202. A Model School with kindergarten through grade eight was maintained for "practice teaching". The 1906 bulletin reports, "At the opening of the school four years ago it was somewhat doubtful whether the number of children to attend would be sufficient to constitute a model school in any proper sense. Only three teachers were needed to take charge of the pupils at that time, while five are required now and the number of children seeking admission is greatly in excess of the limit fixed for the several grades.

In 1921, the Duluth Normal School was renamed to the Duluth State Teachers College or DSTC. The change in status allowed bachelor’s degrees and four-year degree programs to be added to the school. In 1929 the school became co-ed, and the first sports teams were instituted, including hockey, football, and basketball. By 1937, the community supported a change from DSTC to a branch campus of the University of Minnesota. In 1947 the DSTC became part of the University of Minnesota system and was again renamed, this time to the University of Minnesota Duluth, or UMD.