Pennsylvania State University. College of Education

Penn State's first course in education, "Science for Teachers," was introduced in 1886. In 1909, the Department of Education and Psychology was established in the School of the Liberal Arts. Due to the efforts of Penn State President John Thomas, the School of Education was created in 1923. President Thomas believed that it was necessary to bring together students of all subject fields who wished to become elementary or secondary school teachers. Included in the new School of Education were the Departments of Home Economics, Education and Psychology, Agricultural Education, Industrial Education, and Nature Study (the Department of Agricultural Education moved to the College of Agriculture in 1925). In 1948 the Department of Home Economics left the School of Education to become the new School of Home Economics, but in 1966 it rejoined the School of Education, which had become the College of Education in 1953, when the Pennsylvania State College became the Pennsylvania State University. In 1953, the Pennsylvania State College became the Pennsylvania State University, and the School of Education was elevated to the College of Education. Dean Abram W. VanderMeer, who began his term as Dean of the College in 1962, created a committee of representatives from all colleges at Penn State that offered education curriculums; their goal was to create a certification and development plan for all teacher programs at the University, which continues today. The College's Special Education Department was created in 1966, combining the Speech and Hearing Clinic and the Reading Clinic. In 1969 and 1970, the College of Education took steps to address the issues surrounding minority groups; one of their efforts was the Native American Administrators Program, which supported Native American teachers, administrators, and professors; this was followed by the American Indian Education Policy Center in 1979.