1895. The entire building contains seventeen class rooms, gymnasium, two bathrooms, and a large room for manual training.

On account of the large increase in the number of students in the two years just past six buildings in the vicinity of the main building have been occupied for school purposes. Two of these were occupied by the department of music, one by the department of biology, two by the training school, and one by the regular classes of the normal school.

To relieve the crowded condition and to increase the facilities for instruction, the legislative assembly of 1903 made an appropriation of $40,000 for the erection of an additional building. The plans of the new building are in accord with the highest attainments possible in modern educational facilities. The structure, built of pressed brick and stone, is three stories high, and contains the following rooms: An assembly hall of 800 seating capacity, two cloakrooms (with toilet) adjacent to assembly hall, two laboratories, reception hall, president's office, regents' room, library, reading room, and thirteen recitation rooms. This constitutes the main building, and is especially adapted to normal school purposes. The building is now ready for use.

A central heating building has been erected the past year by which both the other buildings are heated throughout with steam. This building is located about 200 feet away from either building, thus removing all danger from fire or explosion. This steam plant also furnishes water for the lavatories, toilet rooms, and baths of the other buildings.

The special function of the normal school is to prepare young men and young women for the work of teaching. Fundamentally, a normal school is a professional school, a school of specialization. Whatever work is done is done for instruction itself, not as a preparation for instruction. The student is not only taught grammar, but is taught how the child conceives and thinks grammar. He is taught not only geometry, but how the boy thinks number relations. He is taught not only knowledge itself, but how the growing mind acquires knowledge. This result is accomplished, first, through thorough and liberal academic work; second, through the study of the child; third, through studying the philosophy of teaching, and fourth, through practice and training in the model school.

The library and the reading room of the Central State Normal School are furnished with the best books and current magazines that the market affords. These are open to all students every day except Sunday. The laboratories-chemical, physical, physiological, and biological—are well supplied with modern appliances for scientific experimentation and investigation. A new telescope has been added recently to the department of astronomy.

In connection with the Central State Normal School there is maintained a well-equipped training school, furnishing ample opportunity for practice in teaching on the part of those about to graduate from the institution.

In addition to the facilities for professional training mentioned above, there are maintained excellent literary societies, Young Men's Christian Association and Young Women's Christian Association, an orchestra, a band, and a lecture course of unsurpassed attractiveness. The diploma given to the student upon graduation is a five-year Territorial certificate, and is renewable by the Territorial superin

tendent of public instruction upon evidence of satisfactory work done in teaching. This diploma is therefore practically a life certificate. More than 100 students have within the past nine years completed the normal school course of study, and hundreds of others are now teaching in the Territory who have received a partial training in this school. About one-half the students who attended this institution the past year expect to teach in some of the schools of the Territory next year. More than 350 schools will be directly benefited. therefore, through the efforts of the normal school the past year. It will be seen from these facts that the institution is subserving the ends for which it was established. The total attendance for 1903-4 was 761.

A large number of the students attending this institution earn the money necessary to pay their way through school by teaching a part of the year; they then attend school the remaining part. Tuition is free in all departments except that of instrumental music.

The faculty consists of 26 members, all of whom are men and women of special training, education, and teaching ability, who take a sympathetic interest in the welfare of the student.

During the past term a basement room in the old building, 60 by 60 feet, has been fitted up for a gymnasium, and has been equipped with all the modern appliances for physical culture, together with their adjuncts-bathroonis, lavatories, and lockers.

A manual training department and a kindergarten department will be established the fall term of the current year in connection with the training department.

Owing to the increased facilities for effective work added within the past year there is every reason to believe that the year 1904–5 will be the most successful year in the history of the institution.

THE NORTHWESTERN SCHOOL.

[T. W. Conway, president.]

The Northwestern Normal School, located at Alva, Okla., was founded by the Oklahoma legislative assembly in 1897, and was opened for work on September 20 of the same year, with an enrollment of 55 the first day, which number was increased to 166 before the close of the first school year. The growth of the school has been steadily advancing in numbers and efficiency. During the past year the enrollment reached the highest in the history of the school, the same being 753 at the close of the school year. The faculty has been increased from year to year, until it now consists of 24 regular teachers.

The following departments are maintained: Classical, modern language, scientific, kindergarten, commercial, music, and manual training. The last department to be added to the course is that of manual training, and a complete equipment has been secured to put the department in such a condition that it will meet the requirements of an up-to-date manual training school.

The prospects for a large attendance during the coming year are very flattering, and the board of education for normal schools has found it necessary to rent rooms to accommodate the music department.

Owing to the crowded condition of the normal building the manual training department will be obliged to take temporary quarters in the athletic building for the coming year.

One of the great needs of the Northwestern Normal is for more room to accommodate the large number of pupils who now attend the school.

It is to be hoped that a gymnasium may be provided within the next two years, wherein the students may have access to the best physical training, so necessary for the well-equipped teacher.

During the past school year many improvements have been made on the campus, such as putting out shade trees and building walks around the grounds and up to the normal building. No more sightly or beautiful spot can be found in the West than the site of the Northwestern Normal School.

The past school year has been one without interruption of any character from disease or other conditions, and this is largely due to the excellent location, the purity of the water supply, and the healthful sanitary conditions that prevail in and around Alva, the seat of the Northwestern Normal.

No other town in the West takes greater pride in building fine homes and beautifying the same than Alva. The thousands of shade trees of every description that are being cultivated and the hundreds of well-kept lawns that are being beautified speak well for the pride and judgment of our citizens in rendering the environments of the normal school commensurate with the immediate building and grounds. No other influence, outside the immediate contact of the teacher, has so lasting and beneficial effect as has the beautiful building and grounds and the well-kept homes that are constantly before pupils who are in attendance at the Northwestern Normal.

It has been the aim of the members of the faculty and all concerned during the past school year to make the normal school at Alva subserve the purpose for which it was created. Those acquainted with the history of this institution well know that there have been times when confusion and annoyance interfered very largely with the success and advancement of the same. These conditions do not now prevail, and the most strenuous efforts are now put forth to make efficient and practical the work now done in the institution.

Ample opportunity is furnished to all to do academic work. Special privileges are given to those who desire to make a study of child mind. All, before completing a course, must look thoroughly into the philosophy and systems of education, besides serving as apprentices during their senior year in doing practice teaching under the supervision of specialists.

The outlook for educational advancement in Oklakoma is very bright, and the Northwestern Normal School will be found in the front rank in her efforts to raise the standard of educational excellence, so that we may take first place in the sisterhood of States.

SOUTHWESTERN TERRITORIAL NORMAL SCHOOL.

[James R. Campbell, president.]

Establishment. The legislature of 1901 authorized the establishment of a normal school in the southwestern part of Oklahoma, to be

known as the Southwestern Normal School. In compliance with this act a committee appointed by the governor, after carefully examining the different cities which were applicants for said school, finally selected Weatherford, in Custer County. This location gives a large scope of country from which to obtain students. All the counties surrounding Custer are well settled with an intelligent and progressive class of people who are deeply interested in education. The young men and women joyfully welcomed the coming into their midst of this educational institution. Weatherford is a healthful little city of about 2.500 people, and is located in a beautiful valley on Little Deer Creek.

Object. The state in establishing normal schools aims to prepare young men and women to become teachers in our public schools. Statistics show that not more than one out of twenty of those who teach our children have had any special preparation for the work. It is largely a case of the blind leading the blind. The average intelligence of the people can not be raised unless we place in our schools as teachers of our children men and women who are superior in scholarship and professional skill. The state seeks to do this by the establishment of normal schools.

Building. The normal building is located on an elevated plat of ground north of the city. A most beautiful landscape stretching in every direction, in consequence of its great expansiveness, has a tendency to expand the mind of the onlooker. The building is a large brick structure, modern in all its equipments, and very convenient for normal-school purposes. It is heated throughout with steam, lighted with electricity, furnished with baths and other modern facilities. A good gymnasium room has been thoroughly equipped, and a room for manual training will be fitted up for use the coming year. The building contains, besides offices, class rooms, cloak rooms, etc., a Jarge auditorium, seated with fine opera chairs.

Campus.-The building stands in the center of a campus of 40 acres. Drives, trees, and other decorations adorn the campus, making it very attractive. Broad sidewalks have been made leading across the grounds to the building. Trees line either side of these walks, which after a few years will afford ample shade.

Library. The library room has been furnished with steel stacks, and several hundred books have been purchased. The reading room adjoining the stack room, has been fitted up with elegant library tables and chairs. A large number of the best magazines and periodicals come to the library, and students are encouraged to do considerable reading. The Congressional Record came to the library every day, and students were able to keep in touch with the proceedings of Congress during its session. A number of bound volumes of the Government reports have been received, which contain a vast amount of valuable information not to be found elsewhere.

The beginning.-The Southwestern Normal School opened on the 15th day of September, 1903, in a church and four vacated business houses. The enrollment the first day was 113, and at the close of the first term it had reached 196. The original quarters were occupied until February 23, 1904, when the school was moved into the new normal building. The enrollment at the end of the winter term was 219, and the total number enrolled for the year was 356. The aver age age of the students was 19.6 years.

Training school.-Owing to the lack of funds and school room no training school above the kindergarten was established. To comply with the law made by the legislature of 1903 the kindergarten was established, thoroughly equipped, and a very efficient kindergarten teacher placed in charge. The number enrolled in this department

was 29.

A normal school should have a training school accommodating all the grades, in which prospective teachers can be trained to teach under the careful guidance of a skilled critic teacher. It is to be hoped that ample facilities will be provided and that all the grades from first to eighth and also a mixed grade can be established.

Course of study.-The course of study is thorough. The first requisite of a teacher is scholarship. This, coupled with culture, character, and professional skill, will give power. The aim of the Southwestern is to give a broad and thorough academic education, and to this purpose it has a very complete course. It also aims to develop skill in imparting instruction, and to this end it emphasizes professional training. Knowing that normal schools are the only sources from which our common schools can be supplied with teachers, the Southwestern presents several courses of study, in order that students may be able to specialize and thereby prepare themselves for teaching special branches in high schools as well as in the lower grades. Besides the regular course the subjects have been formed into six groups called, respectively, the Latin, German, history and civics, mathematics, English, and scientific groups. Any one desiring to specialize in Latin will take the Latin group, in which he can get six years of Latin. In the German group he can get four years of German and two years of Spanish or French. In mathematics he can get six years of work above arithmetic.

A scheme of credits has been arranged which will greatly assist students and others in determining the time necessary to complete any

course.

Sixteen men and women compose the faculty. Each member was selected because of his special fitness for the work.

Music. A four-year course in vocal and a six-year course in instrumental music are offered. Very efficient instructors have been secured for these departments. Students can obtain a thorough training in either department. A tuition of $5 for students who carry three other studies is charged in either department. A tuition of $15 a term is charged for students who take music alone.

Commercial department.-The work in this department is given in two courses. Course one is the bookkeeping course, and course two the stenography and typewriting course. These are very popular and will serve a good purpose. Bookkeeping, stenography, and typewriting are all taught in many of the schools of the Territory, and the normal school should supply the teacher for this work. No tuition is charged in this department.

Conditions of admission.-Graduates from reputable colleges or universities will be admitted on presenting their diplomas, and will graduate in one year. Graduates from full four-year high school courses will be entitled to enroll on presenting their diplomas. They will be graduated in two years. Graduates from other high schools in cities or towns that have shorter courses are admitted on their diplo