In 1865, the legislature (chapter 537) divided the swamp lands and swamp land fund into two equal parts, one to constitute the normal school fund and the other to be denominated the drainage fund. It was further provided by this act that the normal school fund be permanently invested, and the income thereof should be applied to establish and maintain normal schools, under the direction and management of the board of regents, with a proviso that one fourth of such income should be transferred to the common school fund, until the annual income of that fund should reach $200,000.00 During the same year, proposals were invited for extending aid in the establishment of a normal school, and proposi tions were received from various places.

In 1866, the board of regents of normal schools was incorporated by the legislature. In February, Platteville was conditionally selected as a place for a school. The productive fund of about $600,000.00 with a net income of over $30,000 00 was already accumulated with a prospect of a steady increase by the sales of lands, and the board determined upon the policy of establishing several schools to be located in different parts of the state

At a meeting held on the second day of May, 1866, the board designated Whitewater as a place for a school, where a building was subsequently erected. The academy building at Platteville having been donated for normal purposes, the board permanently located a school at that place, and a school was opened October 9, 1966, under Charles H. Allen. a former agent of the board. President Allen resigned at the close of four years' service, and E. A. Charleton, from Lockport, N. Y., was placed in charge. President Charleton resigned in 1878, after more than eight years' service, and Duncan McGregor, long con nected with the school as a professor, was elected to the presidency, and served in that capacity until June, 1894, when he resigned, and Dr. James Chalmers, Ph. D, of Columbus, Ohio, was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. McGregor's resignation.

The school at Whitewater was opened on the 21st of April, 1868, under Oliver Arey, A, .......... formerly connected with normal schools at Albany and Brockport, N. Y., and the building was on the same day dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. On the resignation of President Arey in 1877, William F. Phelps, A. M., an educator of large experience and of wide reputation, was appointed to take charge of the school. He was succeeded at the end of two years, by J. W. Stearns, A. M.. who had attained distinction in normal and college service, but he resigned in January, 1885, to take the professorship of theory and art of teaching in the University of Wisconsin, Prof. T. B. Pray, of the local faculty, acted as president for the remainder of the school year, and Albert Salisbury was elected and assumed the presidency at the opening of the year 1885. President Salisbury formerly taught in the school, but for two years had been engaged in supervisory educational work in the South.

A building was completed at Oshkosh during the year 1870, for a third normal school, but owing to lack of funds it was not opened immediately for the admission of pupils. The dedication of the building and the opening of the school took place September 19 1871, and the school has been under the constant direction of George S. Albee, A. M., previously superintendent and principal of public schools at Kenosha and Racine.

The fourth school was opened in September, 1875, at River Falls, under the charge of Warren D. Parker, A. M., formerly superintendent and principal of public schools at Janesville. On the resignation of Mr. Parker in June, 1889, J. Q. Emery, A. M., principal of the schools at Fort Atkinson, was elected president, and served until June, 1893. John Hull, ex president of Southern Illinois Normal University, served as president during the year closing June, 1894. Warren D. Parker, A. M., was re-elected president and entered service September, 1894.

September 14, 1885, the fifth normal school was opened in the city of Milwaukee, pursuant to chapter 361 of the laws of 1885, and J. J. Mapel, formerly principal of the local high school, was elected president; he was succeeded by L. D. Harvey, A. M., for many years conductor of teachers' institutes from Oshkosh Normal School. Upon the completion of the building, and the conveyance of the same to the state, the legislature made an appro priation of $10,000.00 to aid in the maintenance of this school.

September 17, 1894, the sixth normal school was opened in the city of Stevens Point, pursuant to chapter 185, laws of 1893, and Theron B. Pray, A. M., formerly professor and institute conductor in the Whitewater Normal School, was elected president. The school building at Stevens Point is the most commodious and the best fitted for normal school purposes of any in the State. The building, together with heating and ventilating apparatus cost, in round numbers, $75,000. At present the enrollment is 120 in the Normal and Preparatory departments, and about 124 in model grades.

The law under which the normal schools are organized provide that "The exclusive pur

pose and objects of each normal school shall be the instruction and training of persons both male and female, in the theory and art of teaching, and in all the various branches that pertain to common school education, and in all subjects needful to qualify for teaching in the public schools; also to give instruction in the fundamen'al laws of the United States and of this state, in what regards the rights and duties of citizens."

REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSIONS TO NORMAL SCHOOLS.

Tuition is free to all students who are admitted to the schools und er the following regu lations of the board:

1. Each assembly district in the state shall be entitled to eight representatives in the normal schools.

2. Candidates for admission shall be nominated by the superintendent of the county or of the city in which such candidate may reside, and shall be at least sixteen years of age, of sound bodily health, and of good moral character. Each person so nominated shall receive a certificate setting forth his name, age, health and character, and a duplicate thereof shall be mailed to the secretary of the board.

3. Upon the presentation of the original certificate to the president of a normal school, the candidate shall be examined and if found qualified in respect to learning, he may be admitted after furnishing such evidence as the president may require, of health and good moral character, and upon subscribing to a declaration as follows:

I hereby declare that my purpose in entering this school is to fit myself for the profession of teaching, and that it is my intention to engage in teaching in the public schools of the state.

4. No person shall be entitled to a diploma who has not been a member of the school in which such diploma is granted, at least one year, nor who is less than nineteen years of age. A certificate of attendance may be granted by the president of a normal school to any person who shall have been a member of such school for one term, provided that in his judgment, such certificate is deserved.

In extension of the work of the normal schools, the Board is authorized to expend a sum not exceeding $8,000.00 annnally, to support teacher's institutes, and may employ agents for that purpose. At present one professor from each normal school is employed at different seasons in conducting institutes.

The productive Normal School Fund now amounts to $1,826,258.08 and yields an income of $98, 157.30 for the year ending September 30th, 1895. The fund for the support of Normal Schools is further increased by the amount received for tuition in the training and preparatory schools attached to the Normal Schools, $8,706,69, in 1893-4 and for book rents $4,561.91; and in the same year, by the annual appropriation of $10,000 to aid in maintain. ing the Milwaukee School and 1-20 of a mill tax.

The total number of pupils in attendance during the past two years at all the State Nor mal Schools was as follows: