HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 10-11-14

SALISBURY UNIVERSITY

From the time in 1922 that the idea of a Normal School in Salisburywas necessary to the opening of the first classes in September, 1925, a number of steps had to be taken. Initially, a tract of land consisting of 29 acres was purchased from the W. F. Allen Company. This land had formerly been used as a peach orchard. An architect was engaged to design the main building in the Colonial style, which is now named Holloway Hall. The main building had a wing on the north end that had four classrooms for seven primary classes. The students used these to learn the rudimentary skills required to teach at the many small rural schools. This was the aim of the school when it was first opened. The two year course was all that was required. After completing these two years, and teaching at least two years to fulfill the obligation to the State, the ambitious teacher was in a position to win the B.S. degree in education. This was a lot more education than was required some 30 years earlier. Before the turn of the century, the only requirement was for someone to finish the required nine grades and assist a teacher in a small rural school for one year. After that they were a full-fledged teacher. Women teachers were not allowed to be married.

For years, I thought that the first graduating class would have been 1927. Then, I ran across a 1926 yearbook. It had a graduating class and I noted that all of the graduates had attended another Normal School during the previous year. The yearbook was named the Evergreen, a name that has survived to this day. The original graduating class consisted of 30 girls – no boys. The total attendance at the school was 105. I think the enrollment is now closer to 7,000.

The original name of the school was the Maryland State Normal School. It has undergone many name changes over the years, the first being toSalisbury State Teachers College in 1935. By this time it was a four-year school. The third year was added in 1931 and the fourth year was added in 1934. Memorabilia from the early years are often overlooked because not many people associate MSNS with the school. It only went by this name for 10 years and it was fairly small for this duration.

The next name change was not until 1963 when it became accredited for awarding degrees in fields other than teaching. It was then known as Salisbury State College. It has since had two more name changes. The first was to Salisbury State University and shortly after that to just Salisbury University.