Presentation Title
Homer H. Seerley: A Steadfast Leader in the Midwest during the Normal School Movement
Session Name
Concurrent Session 4. Social Forces and the Shaping of Late 19th Century Normal Schools
Start Date
26-3-2015 2:00 PM
End Date
26-3-2015 3:30 PM
Abstract
This research examines the life and leadership of Homer H. Seerley during the normal school movement. From 1886 until 1928, Homer Seerley presided over the Iowa State Normal School located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. During his more than forty years of governance, Seerley successfully led his school through several institutional transformations which allowed it to survive among other colleges and universities as an institution of higher learning in the state of Iowa. In addition to his education contributions as president, he served as a long-standing member of the Iowa State Teachers Association. He often presented on his belief in the normal idea and the advancement of teacher training. Over the course of his career, he persistently argued for better training for public school teachers, increased funding and support for teacher training, as well as the improvement of rural schooling. Colleagues at other schools across the Midwest recognized his efforts, and to them, Seerley became a well-respected leader of teacher education.
Despite this, his contributions to teacher training are largely unrecognized. This study seeks to bring to light the efforts of Homer H. Seerley in preserving the normal idea and advocating for better training for public school teachers during the early portions of the twentieth century. The research draws upon primary sources including: journals, personal correspondence, published speeches, newspaper articles, and year books. It is a part of a larger study on the Iowa State Normal School.
Homer H. Seerley: A Steadfast Leader in the Midwest during the Normal School Movement
This research examines the life and leadership of Homer H. Seerley during the normal school movement. From 1886 until 1928, Homer Seerley presided over the Iowa State Normal School located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. During his more than forty years of governance, Seerley successfully led his school through several institutional transformations which allowed it to survive among other colleges and universities as an institution of higher learning in the state of Iowa. In addition to his education contributions as president, he served as a long-standing member of the Iowa State Teachers Association. He often presented on his belief in the normal idea and the advancement of teacher training. Over the course of his career, he persistently argued for better training for public school teachers, increased funding and support for teacher training, as well as the improvement of rural schooling. Colleagues at other schools across the Midwest recognized his efforts, and to them, Seerley became a well-respected leader of teacher education.
Despite this, his contributions to teacher training are largely unrecognized. This study seeks to bring to light the efforts of Homer H. Seerley in preserving the normal idea and advocating for better training for public school teachers during the early portions of the twentieth century. The research draws upon primary sources including: journals, personal correspondence, published speeches, newspaper articles, and year books. It is a part of a larger study on the Iowa State Normal School.