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central yesterday Unusual Turn of Events Puts CMSU in Warrensburg As students and alumni roam CMSU’s tranquil campus, few know or could even imagine the story of how the university came to be located in Warrensburg. The result of one of the most bizarre series of events in Missouri’s early history, CMSU would have been located 30 miles to the east if not for a last-minute bid, a failed legal challenge, a substantial change in board membership, a reversed decision, and no small amount of luck. Here’s the story, taken from the campus history Sandstones of Time, of how CMSU came to Warrensburg. Although a movement for an improved education system began early in Missouri’s history, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that rapid educational progress began in the state. Since 1834, education leaders expressed the need for stateprovided teacher training for public school educators. The laws authorized by the 1865 Missouri Constitution and Missouri’s great need for educational facilities following the war encouraged the establishment of new schools and renewed the insistence that the state provide teacher training. In 1869, Senator Wells H. Blodgett of Warrensburg introduced a Normal School Bill, which passed the state Senate. In the adjourned session of the 25th General Assembly, amendments were considered, and the Normal School Act was passed on March 19, 1870. The act created two normal districts for the state, the first to include all of the counties north of the Missouri River and the second to include all of the counties south of the river except St. Louis County. A single board of seven regents was provided to manage both schools. The board was to designate school locations, secure campuses and buildings, and set policy for the future normals. It wasn’t until 1874, after the General Assembly had provided for a third normal school in 1873, that separate boards of regents were appointed for the three schools. Provisions were made so counties and cities could bid for the location of schools, and many communities entered bids of money, land and buildings. On Dec. 1, 1870, the regents assembled in Jefferson City to open the bids. The board named Kirksville in Adair County as the location for the state normal north of the Missouri River. Pettis County had raised $75,000 to establish the second normal school in Sedalia, which was the site of an already operational private Central Normal School. Borrowed rooms in Warrensburg’s Foster School were the first classrooms for CMSU students. After some deliberation, the regents awarded Sedalia the District Two Normal. However, an unusual turn of events cut short Sedalia’s victory. After the regents adjourned their meeting, telegraphed bids were received from Franklin and Johnson counties. The bid from Johnson County included $150,000 in county bonds, $110,000 from a private subscription, and the gift of a campus. The regents reconvened Dec. 2, suspended the offer to Sedalia and reopened the bidding. When the regents met again, the legality of the Johnson County bond election came into question. After much discussion, the board authorized Sedalia to begin opening the new state school in the summer of 1871. However, with the new year, came an almost complete turnover in Board of Regents members. During a meeting April 26, 1871, the board declared the Johnson County bond election legal and awarded the District Two Normal School to Warrensburg. The board arranged to open the school immediately and hired an architect to direct construction of a building on the unimproved 16-acre campus, which had been donated by Melville Foster. In the meantime, classes would meet in two borrowed rooms of the upper floor of the Warrensburg public schools’ new Foster School. Warrensburg public schools were to be used as the Model Department, or training school, for the Normal. Warrensburg’s townspeople received the good news late on the evening of April 26, and church bells rang all night to herald the word. Bands played, bonfires blazed, and hundreds of people beat tin pans and made noise to show their delight and enthusiasm. Fourteen days later on May 10, 1871, Normal School for the Second District of Missouri began classes. Origins of MISSOURI Origins PUBLIC of MISSOURI UNIVERSITIES PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES Missouri Columbia . . . . . . .1839 Lincoln University . . . . . . . .1866 Truman State . . . . . . . . . . .1867 (first normal school) Missouri Rolla . . . . . . . . . .1870 CMSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1871 Southeast . . . . . . . . . . . . .1873 Northwest . . . . . . . . . . . . .1905 Missouri State . . . . . . . . . .1905 (originally a normal school) Missouri Western . . . . . . . .1915 UMKC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1929 Missouri Southern . . . . . . .1937 UM St Louis . . . . . . . . . . . .1963 The campus’ oldest building is Dockery Hall, shown under construction in this rare photo. It was actually the fourth building constructed on campus; the others were destroyed by the fire of 1915. page 12 central today winter 2005
development today IN THIS SECTION: • David Halen Lives Dream with St. Louis Symphony • Presidents Society Members Visit Campus for Some ‘American Pie’ • Scholarship Is Perfect Retirement Gift for Resch • Wright Shares Passion for International Experiences During the 22 years he taught at CMSU, Walter Halen gained the admiration of both his colleagues and students as a musician and educator. Halen’s Teaching Legacy Honored through New Music Scholarship Whether it was nurturing the growth of countless music students or helping his two sons evolve into professional musicians, Walter J. Halen will always be remembered as an exceptional teacher. His memory and the contributions he made to the success of music students at CMSU are being honored through the Dr. Walter J. Halen Scholarship for String Students. The endowment was started this summer by a gift from his wife, Thalia Halen of Houston, through the CMSU Foundation. “For more than 20 years, Walter Halen was a vital part of the Department of Music. The students who played under his direction in the University Symphony Orchestra and those who studied violin and viola with him loved him and respected him,” said William McCandless, interim department chair. “He was respected as a composer and performer, and performed many times on the Hart Recital Hall stage.” The Halen scholarship is for a CMSU student who plays the violin, viola, cello, or string bass and shows potential of becoming a good performer and/or teacher. The recipient must also perform in the university orchestra. Halen, CMSU professor emeritus of music, died in May 2005 at the age of 75. He resided in Houston the last five years of his life, where he also found great joy teaching young violin students. Prior to coming to CMSU in 1967, Halen launched his career in education as a public school (continued to page 14) winter 2005 central today page 13
Page 1 and 2: winter 2005, vol. 5 no. 3 a publica
Page 3 and 4: campus today campus today IN THIS S
Page 5 and 6: campus today Archives Named for McC
Page 7 and 8: campus today Today’s Gen. Y about
Page 9 and 10: athletics today Immortal Moments (c
Page 11: World Record Belongs to CMSU Grad A
Page 15 and 16: development today Presidents Societ
Page 17 and 18: homecoming 2005 Thousands of CMSU a
Page 19 and 20: her doctoral adviser at the Univers
Page 21 and 22: Now Is a Very Exciting Time for CMS
Page 23 and 24: alumni today Sanders Hits the Blues
Page 25 and 26: alumni today What a great day to be
Page 27 and 28: alumni today Arizona Alumni Reconne
Page 29 and 30: Patrick Sehorn ’70, ’74 and his
Page 31 and 32: class notes Midwestern Theological
Page 33 and 34: Seongnsm City, Kyounggi-Do, Korea,
Page 35 and 36: alumni today CMSU’s alumni trip t

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