University of Minnesota. College of education

The College of Education was established at the University of Minnesota in 1905, with its predecessor, the department of pedagogy, created in 1892 within the College of Science, Literature and the Arts (SLA). Before the department was established, prospective teachers were offered courses through SLA, first by Professor Maria Sanford in 1881, and later she was joined by history professor Harry P. Judson in 1885. Around 1905, a summer school was instituted at the University for elementary teachers. In 1908, the college was one of the first in the country to establish a model school to aid in teacher training. At first, the school was only open to children in seventh and eighth grade, but soon expanded to the twelfth grade and became known as University High School.

In 1915, Lotus D. Coffman was appointed dean of the College of Education and is credited with building a strong, unified educational program by centralizing all teacher education within the college in 1916. In 1917, the first Ph.D. program in education was offered. Dr. Coffman was named president of the University of Minnesota in 1920 with Professor Melvin E. Haggerty replacing him as dean.

In 1923, the first physical education courses for teachers were offered by the college and in 1939 the rural education curriculum was established. An elementary model school was opened in 1947. Over the years, the college was instrumental in the establishment of other educational institutes at the University, including the Institute of Child Welfare, the Center for Continuing Education (1930s), the Bureau of Institutional Research, and the General College. .

The name of the college was changed to the College of Education & Human Development in 1995. In 2006, the college absorbed General College, the Department of Family Social Science and the School of Social Work.