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Event:  Harris and Stowe Colleges merged
Brief Description:  Harris-Stowe State College is the result of a merger between Harris Teachers College and Stowe Teachers College in 1954. Harris College was founded by the St. Louis Public Schools in 1857 as a normal school for white students only. It became the first public teacher education institution west of the Mississippi River. The school was later named Harris Teachers College in honor of William Torrey Harris, who had been a superintendent of Instruction in the St. Louis Public Schools and also a United States commissioner of education. Stowe Teachers College began in 1890 as a normal school for future black teachers of elementary schools in the City. The normal school was also founded by the St. Louis Public School System and was an extension of Sumner High School. In 1929, its name was changed to Stowe Teachers College, in honor of the abolitionist and novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe. These two teacher education institutions were merged by the board of education of the St. Louis Public Schools in 1954 as the first of several steps to integrate the public schools of St. Louis. The merged institution kept the name Harris Teachers College. Later, in response to the many requests from alumni of Stowe Teachers College and members of the Greater St. Louis community, the board of education agreed to restore the word "Stowe" to the college´s name and drop the word "teachers." In 1979, the college was renamed Harris-Stowe College. The institution´s name was again changed by the addition of the word "State" and since then, it has been officially known as Harris-Stowe State College. In addition to the name change, the college´s baccalaureate degree was changed to a bachelor of science in education. Currently, in addition to educational degrees, the college now offers degrees in business administration, urban education, health and medical services management and criminal justice.[http://www.hssc.edu/History.htm]
Year:  1954
Decade:  1950 - 1959
Beginning Date:    1954

People
Harris, William T.

Events
Desegregation Program begins for St. Louis Public
 Normal School Opens at Sumner High School

Related Links
Harris-Stowe State College

 

 

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