Chronology of Towson University
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This is a timeline of major events and changes related to Towson University and its predecessor institutions Maryland State Normal School (1866-1935), Maryland State Teachers College at Towson (1935-1963), Towson State College (1963-1976), and Towson State University (1976-1997).[1]
[edit] 1800s
- General Assembly of Maryland enacts legislation establishing a state wide system of free public schools and authorizing the creation of a teacher training school. Maryland is the 7th state to establish such a training school.
- Maryland State Normal School (MSNS) opens its doors on January 15, 1866 in Red Men's Hall, 24 North Paca Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Eleven students are enrolled on the first day.
- McFadden Alexander Newell is the first principal.
- On June 8, 1866, MSNS holds its first commencement with 16 graduates and ends the academic year with an enrollment of 48 students.
- MSNS moves to the Athenaeum Club Home at Charles and Franklin Streets, Baltimore.
- MSNS moves to a new building at Carrollton and Lafayette Streets on February 29th.
- Dr. Elijah Barrett Prettyman is named the second Principal of MSNS. He also serves as the State Superintendent of Education until 1896.
[edit] 1900 - 1909
- Basketball, a new sport in the United States, is introduced at MSNS for both men and women.
- Dr. George W. Ward (1905-09) becomes the third principal of MSNS.
- Sarah E. Richmond becomes the 5th principal. Her vision for MSNS was to expand the facilities and move the school to Baltimore County.
[edit] 1910 - 1919
- Miss Richmond begins a drive for a new location. General Assembly creates a building commission to oversee site selection, budget and design of a new school.
- MSNS moves to the 88-acre Towson campus during the summer and classes start in September. There are 3 new buildings, Administration, a classroom, library and office building; Newell Hall, a dormitory for women, and the Power Plant. A fourth building, Glen Esk, the home of the previous owners serves as the home for the Principal.
- Dr. Henry S. West becomes the 6th principal of MSNS. Dr. West hires a business manager to handle the running of the large school facility (grounds, buildings, people).
- The first dean position is created; it is filled by Sarah Richmond.
- The Department of Pedagogy is established with John L. Dunkle as its leader.
[edit] 1920 - 1929
- Dr. Lida Lee Tall becomes the 7th principal (1920-34) and the first leader to be entitled president (1934-38).
- First student newspaper is issued without titles.
- The Oriole begins publication as the student newspaper.
- Baltimore City Training School for Teachers closes. Their students are sent to MSNS, which effectively doubles the MSNS enrollment.
- Richmond Hall (dormitory) opens in September.
- Student newspaper is renamed The Towerlight.
- Members of the class of 1931 write a play, The Weavers of the Unbroken Thread, a history of intellectual thought and educational philosophy from Lao-tse to the 1940's.
[edit] 1930 - 1939
- General Assembly increases the course of study from two to three years.
- New building opens to house the Campus Elementary (Model) School. The building is later named after Libertus van Bokkelen, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (1864-1867)
- Maryland State Board of Education extends the course of study for elementary teachers to 4 years, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Education.
- General Assembly changes name to Maryland State Teachers College at Towson. (STC) First Bachelor of Science degrees are conferred.
- Within 2 years of granting the B.S. degree, STC has achieved the necessary standards for accreditation by the American Association of Teachers Colleges and the American Council of Education.
- The Glen, a 12-acre wooded area, is refurbished with stone pavilions and trails by the Works Progress Administration.
- M. Theresa Wiedefeld becomes the 7th President of the College.
[edit] 1940 - 1949
- A history of STC entitled "Seventy-five Years of Teacher Education" is published.
- New gymnasium is completed. The building is later named Wiedefeld Gymnasium. (In 1968, it is razed to make way for a new library building).
- Fall - Arts and Sciences program is introduced in the form of a two-year junior college. This is done to assist returning veterans in "jump starting" their education so they can advance to a four-year liberals arts college / university. It is an attempt to move these veterans quickly into jobs.
- Dr. Earle Taylor Hawkins (1947-1969) becomes the 8th President of the College. Education program is expanded to include training of teachers for junior high schools.
- Education program expands to include training of teachers for kindergarten.
- STC receives its first accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
[edit] 1950 - 1959
- Ward and West Halls open as the first dormitories for men.
- Albert S. Cook Library building opens. (In 1969, library will move to a new building and the "old" library building will become the Media Center).
- Prettyman Hall opens as a dormitory for women.
- Towson's newly created Graduate School offers Master's in Education. Program starts with 67 students.
[edit] 1960 - 1969
- Education program expands to include training of teachers for senior high schools. Two-year junior college is
extended to a 4-year program in the arts & science, leading to a B.S. or B.A. in a particular major.
- Lida Lee Tall Learning Resources Center Building opens.
- Theatre Department is established.
- Council on Economic Education in Maryland (CEEM) comes to Towson University. (This organization is now known as the Maryland Council on Economic Education).
- Dowell Health Center opens.
- Name changes from Maryland State Teachers College at Towson to Towson State College (TSC).
- Towson Tiger Mascot is introduced at the fall Homecoming
- Speech-Language-Hearing clinic is established.
- Scarborourgh Hall opens as a dormitory for women.
- Smith Hall opens as Towson's first science building.
- Burdick Hall opens for class use.
- Towson fields its first intercollegiate football team.
- Burdick Hall, named after Dr. William Burdick, the first chair of the Health and Physical Education Department at MSNS, is dedicated.
- Linthicum Hall is dedicated. The building is named after J. Charles Linthicum, a member of the House of Representatives from 1911-1932 and a 1886 graduate of the MSNS.
- First football homecoming game is played. Towson loses to Gallaudet College 25-21.
- Dr. James L. Fisher (1969-1978) becomes the 9th President.
- New Albert S. Cook Library Building opens. The original library building becomes the Media Center.
[edit] 1970 - 1979
- First Earle T. Hawkins Symposium on International Affairs is held.
- General Services building opens.
- Center for the Asian Arts opens (now known as the Asian Arts and Culture Center).
- Towson acquires Auburn House, former home of Rebecca Ridgely and the Turnbull family.
- Student Day Care Center opens.
- The College Union (now the University Union) opens.
- The Residence Tower and the Administration Building (now Enrollment Services) opens.
- The first Minimester session (January 4 to 31) is scheduled.
- Center for the Arts opens.
- Women's Studies program begins.
- College awards its first B.S. degree in nursing.
- The first "Doc" Minnegan Golf Tournament is held. Donald "Doc" Minnegan was an outstanding coach and the first athletic director at Towson.
- The men's lacrosse team wins the National Championship.
- Towson is granted university status and the name changes to Towson State University (TSU).
- Towson Center opens on October 17 with an exhibition game between the Washington Bullets and the New York Knicks basketball teams.
- WTMD radio begins broadcasting.
- Towson adds several new facilities - Hawkins Hall, Lecture Hall, Psychology Building, and Minnegan Stadium.
- Dr. Joseph Cox serves as acting President from September 1978 to June 1979.
- First Sign language class is offered.
- Dr.Hoke L. Smith (1979 - 2001) becomes the 10th President of the University.
[edit] 1980 - 1989
- Towson State University holds the first Maryland Arts Festival.
- Campus hosts first Senior Olympics.
- Applied Mathematics Laboratory is established and is the first such program at the undergraduate level in the country.
- Academic program is restructured into 6 colleges: Allied Health and Physical Education, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Liberal Arts, Natural and Mathematical Sciences; and the School of Business and Economics.
- Maryland Writing Project is established.
- Master of Science program in Occupational Therapy is established.
- The first President's Award for Distinguished Service to the University is awarded to Mary Catherine Kahl, History Department.
- Computer Science program and B.S. in Computer Science are approved.
- Glen Complex is completed
- First Distinguished Black Marylanders Awards ceremony is held.
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences is established.
- Graduate program in Professional Writing is created.
- Towson is included for the first time in the Best College Survey done by U.S News & World Report.
- University Police receive the "Governor's Crime Prevention Award." They have continued to received this award each year to the present.
- Towson begins student exchange program with Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Germany. This is now Towson's oldest international student exchange program.
- Towson becomes part of the University System of Maryland.
- Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T) and Master of Music in Music Performance are established
- Towson Run Apartments opens.
- Center for the Study of Adult Development and Aging is established. First cultural exchange program with Towson State University and the Leningrad State Conservatory begins . Initially, the program centers on dance, but later expands to include musicians and language teachers.
[edit] 1990 - 1999
- Institute for Teaching and Research on Women is founded.
- Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is established.
- Towson establishes its first endowed chair in the College of Education after receiving a $1 million gift from Naomi Hentz, class of 1927.
- The Athletic Training Education Program receives certification from the National Athletic Training Association (NATA), becoming the first certified undergraduate program in Maryland.
- Graduate programs in Computer Science and in Theatre Arts are established
- Masters degree in Occupational Therapy is offered via the interactive video network.
- John Glover, class of 1969, wins a Tony award for Love! Valour! and Compassion!
- Towson State University gets its own zip code - 21252-0001.
- Administrative Data Processing and Academic Computing are merged to form Computing and Network Services (CANS).
- Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) comes to Towson State University.
- College of Allied Health Sciences and Physical Education changes its name to College of Health Science Professions.
- Physical Education Department changes its name to Department of Kinesiology.
- U.S. World & News Report ranks Towson second in the "Most Efficient Schools" and fourth in the "Best Sticker Price" category for institutions in the north.
- Student Government Association donates Tiger statue to the University.
- Towson State University is renamed Towson University and adopts a new logo.
- College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences changes its name to College of Science and Mathematics.
- Dan Jones, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, receives the "Maryland Association for Higher Education (MAHE) Outstanding Educator Award."
- World Cello Congress II, organized by Towson University, is held in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Gerontology Program is established.
- The Fitness/Wellness Center, a collaborative effort between Towson and St. Joseph's Hospital, opens.
- Installation begins for high-speed internet service to Towson's residence halls and the Burkshire.
- Women's Center receives the "Governor's Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Victim's Rights and Services."
- Ethel Nowell Andrews, class of 1909, dies. She was 108 years old and had long been considered the University's oldest graduate.
- Towson is ranked among the top 10 public institutions in the North by U.S News & World Report.
- Graduate program in Women's Studies is established.
- Occupational Therapy's graduate program is ranked 13th in the U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Graduate Schools."
- Master of Science in Applied and Industrial Mathematics and Master of Science in Information Technology Management accept students into their programs.
- Center for Applied Information Technology is created.
- Dance Team wins the Division I National Championship.
- College of Education receives a national award for teacher training.
[edit] 2000 - present
- Towson hosts the World Cello Congress III from May 29th to June 4th. Yo-Yo Ma is the featured performer.
- Millennium Hall, a privatized apartment complex for resident students, opens.
- Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine names Towson University to its list of "100 Top Values in Education".
- TU's academic advising programs for freshman and transfers earn an "Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award" from the National Academic Advising Association.
- Dr. Mark L. Perkins (July 2001- April 2002) becomes Towson's 11th President.
- Dr. Dan Jones serves as interim President from April 2002 to June 2003.
- Towson inaugurates doctoral programs in Audiology and in Occupational Science.
- Towson University's chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, National Business Honor Society, wins the 2001 Gold Chapter Award.
- Dr. Alex Storrs, Astronomy, discovers a companion to Asteroid 107 Camilla, only the fifth such companion ever found.
- Schuerholz Park for baseball is dedicated on April 29th.
- Towson is ranked 8th in the "Top Public Northern Universities - Master's" by U.S. News and World Report.
- Towson's chapter of Kappa Delta Pi is awarded an Achieving Chapter Excellence Award.
- Towson University is named a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency.
- Dr. Robert L. Caret becomes the 12th President of the University.
- 7800 York Road building opens as the home to the Department of Computer and Information Science, College of Extended Programs, College of Graduate Education & Research, and the English Language Center.
- Barry Levinson, filmmaker, is honored with the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the Departments of Mass Communications and Communications Studies and Electronic Media and Film.
- Towson Stadium is renamed Johnny Unitas Stadium.
- The tiger statue is vandalized in front on Cook Library and is removed.
- The Lida Lee Tall education building is set to be demolished to make way for the new Liberal Arts Complex.
- Construction of the new West Village residence complex begins.
- The new bronze tiger statue is unveiled outside of Stephens Hall.
