Arizona State University. College of Education

The Arizona State University College of Education effectively began in 1885 with the founding of the Arizona Territorial Normal School. A distinct Department of Education was established ca. 1900, and by 1925 the institution had developed into a four-year college offering a Bachelor of Education degree. In 1950 the teacher's college was renamed Arizona State College, the host of a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a School of Education. The College of Education was founded in 1954 with Guy Dean McGrath as its first dean.

From the description of Records, 1909-1981, bulk 1968-1981. (Scottsdale Public Library). WorldCat record id: 22637975

The Arizona State University College of Education effectively began with the founding of the Arizona Territorial Normal School in 1885. Although other courses became available at the normal school, the emphasis remained on teacher education as the Department of Education was organized at the turn of the century. When the institution became a four year college in 1925, the degree curriculum was that of a Bachelor of Education. The first Bachelor of Arts degree offered by the teacher's college in 1929 was likewise in education. A Master of Arts in Education program was launched in 1938.

The state teacher's college became Arizona State College by 1950, when it was organized into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Education. Guy Dean McGrath was appointed dean of the school in 1953. The Arizona Board of Regents' adoption of recommendations contained in a 1954 US Department of Education survey known as the Hollis Report led to the founding of three more colleges and the appointment of McGrath as the founding dean of the College of Education.

The period from the acceptance of the Hollis Report in 1954 to attainment of university status in 1959 was one of extensive growth at the College of Education. The Bureau of Research and Service was founded in 1955. In 1957 major programs in bilingual education were established. By 1961, separate major specializations were offered in kindergarten, primary, elementary, and secondary education. When Dean McGrath retired from administrative duties in 1968, the College of Education was the tenth largest such institution in the nation in terms of enrollment.

In 1969, emphasis in the education curriculum was changed from course work to experience, as student class loads were reduced and internships and fieldwork increased. The teacher training program became an upper division program. Junior standing, 56 semester hours of credit, and a 2.0 grade point average were required for admission.

The I.D. Payne Education Research Laboratory opened in 1969. An exchange program with the University of Edinburgh commenced and a migratory student resources center opened in 1970. Centers for Career Education, Indian Education and Higher Education opened in 1972. The Chandler Project counseling internship program began in 1980, and programs to recruit retired persons and military personnel into the education field were implemented in 1982. In 1985, the elementary, secondary and special education units were merged into one department. The college, however, still retained seven specialized disciplines and had become the fifth largest in the nation.

From the guide to the College of Education Records, 1909-1981, (Arizona State University Libraries University Archives)