Citation: "Historical Facts of First Normal School of Glasgow and Bowling Green," Bowling Green, Kentucky Scrapbook No. 1, p. 52, Kentucky Library.

A writer in a recent issue of the Glasgow Times gives some interesting history of a normal school that was conducted in that city back in the Seventies.

It might be news to many citizens of Bowling Green to know that our two large educational institutions of which we are so justly proud, had a most vital connection with the Normal School founded first in Glasgow in 1874.

Among other historical facts leading up to the founding of that school the writer says:

“In 1874, Prof. A.W. Mell, fresh from the National Normal School of Lebanon, Ohio, came to Glasgow and took over the Urania College building and established the Glasgow Normal School. The Normal School at Lebanon was an innovation. Prof. Alfred Holbrook had originated this system of teaching and he and his methods of teaching were both under fire continually. Prof. Mell met with this same opposition in Glasgow. This system of education, as its name suggests, was something new and novel in Glasgow and old manners and established customs die hard, but the years have proved that this system is vastly superior to the old time one. In the Normal School, boys and girls were taught together, a course of study was arranged which greatly shortened the time required for graduation, the cost of tuition, board, books, etc., was greatly lowered and everything excepet [sic] the instruction was much reduced.

In telling more of the offers made by the school, the writer says:

“Text books can be rented at a small cost. A full corps of teachers will be employed throughout the term. New Classes will be formed in the ordinary branches, with special classes in surveying, bookkeeping, rhetoric and algebra. Special attention will be given to the training of teachers, in view of their work in the public and graded schools. Prof. J.C. Ridge, Cincinnati, will deliver a course of lectures during the coming term; thus affording to ladies and gentlemen the privilege of attending upon superior and skilled instruction in the art of elocution.

“Prof. A.W. Mell remained with the Glasgow Normal School for several years and did an excellent and lasting work. After he was joined by Prof. Tom Williams they decided to move to Bowling Green and establish a Normal School there, and the Glasgow Normal School passed into other hands. Out of the school established in Bowling Green came two very flourishing schools in that city today – the Western Kentucky State Teachers’ College and the Bowling Green Business University.

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