Lewis-Clark State College
Encyclopedia
Lewis–Clark State College is a public undergraduate college
located in Lewiston, Idaho
. It was founded in 1893, and has an annual enrollment of approximately 3,500 students. The college
offers over 83 degrees and is well-known for its Criminal Justice
, Education
, Nursing
, and Technical
programs.
signed an Act authorizing the establishment of the Lewiston State Normal School in Lewiston. There was a catch, however: "Provided the mayor and common council of that city on or before May 1, 1893, donate ten acres, within the city limits and known as part of the city park, and authorizing the said mayor and council to convey to the trustees of said normal school the said tract of land," etc.
The first Trustees on the school's Board were James W. Reid (who had done the most to shepherd the authorization bill through the legislature), Norman B. Willey (who had just stepped down as Idaho governor), Benjamin Wilson (a previous gubernatorial candidate), J. Morris Howe, and C. W. Schaff. Reid was elected President of the Board, a position he held until his death in 1902.
Lewiston residents lost no time in obtaining the required space for the school. However, the legislature acted slowly in providing construction funds, and then construction lagged. George E. Knepper had been hired as first President of the Normal School. Frustrated by the delays in getting his building, Knepper leased space in downtown Lewiston and opened for classes on January 6, 1896. The building itself was not ready until May. Over the next several years, more structures were added to the campus, including dormitories and a gymnasium.
In keeping with the Normal school
philosophy, Lewiston Normal focused on practical, hands-on training for new teachers. That meant they provided a great deal of “manual training” – what we would call vocational education. Also, to insure that teachers truly knew how to handle a classroom, the School ran an on-campus training school. In it, real teachers taught real pupils, but student teachers also learned-by-doing under the supervision of experienced teacher-critics.
Until the 1920s one-room schools served well over half of Idaho’s primary students. In most, only the teacher knew anything at all about running a school. Thus, in Keith Petersen’s words, “teachers assumed responsibility for shaping a district's entire educational policy.”
World War I certainly impacted the nation’s normal schools, but not as much as it did conventional institutions. Generally, male students were in the majority at regular colleges, many of which experienced brutal enrollment losses. Normal schools attracted a predominantly female student body, so the declines were much smaller – about 15% at Lewiston Normal.
The School did experience a painful crisis in January 1917. The Administration Building, multipurpose heart of the campus, suffered severe damage in a fire: the cupola collapsed into the gutted interior of the main structure and the older east wing was totally destroyed.
They survived that disaster and continued to grow, as the demand for pre-college teachers increased. However, by the late 1920s, the “normal school” idea was being supplanted by a “teachers college” approach. Such colleges still focused on teacher education, but now students could earn a bachelor’s degree – more and more often required for certification. Recognizing this trend, School supporters began a campaign to change Lewiston Normal’s status. They also began the painful process of upgrading the faculty – inciting much ill will.
Supporters also fought an on-going battle just to keep the School open; some legislators still wanted to close the Normals to save money. Fortunately, the advent of World War II squelched that notion. Not only did the School continue to turn out desperately needed teachers, it also expanded its nurse-training program, and produced large numbers of fliers in its Navy Air School. In 1943, the Board of Education raised the school to full four-year status. Now with the ability to grant a B.Ed., school leaders took it upon themselves to use the name North Idaho College of Education (NICE). The legislature would not confirm their choice until 1947.
The school got another temporary reprieve from the cost-cutters when a deluge of veterans funded by the G.I. Bill hit the campus after the War. However, that wave passed, and in 1951 budget hawks succeeded in closing the school. The state’s other colleges had assured legislators that they could supply all the teachers needed. That promise proved disastrously wrong: In just three years, the state found itself issuing nearly 40% more provisional teaching certificates than it had in 1951.
Under that pressure, the legislature re-opened the school in 1955 – as a division of the University of Idaho
. That shotgun wedding proved difficult administratively. It ended abruptly in 1963 when the affiliation seemed like it might damage the University’s academic accreditation.
The on-going need for teachers, a developing shortage of nurses, and a new push for vocational education from the Federal government combined to rescue the school from oblivion. Enrollment of the now-independent, four-year school grew explosively and, in 1971, the name changed to Lewis–Clark State College – they were, in fact, the very last Normal school in the country to make the change.
The school's sports teams are called the Warriors (women's teams are the Lady Warriors). They compete in the NAIA
's Frontier Conference
. The school's Baseball team has won a record 16 National Championships in the NAIA in the last 31 years.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
. It was founded in 1893, and has an annual enrollment of approximately 3,500 students. The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
offers over 83 degrees and is well-known for its Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, and Technical
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
programs.
History
On January 27, 1893, Idaho Governor William J. McConnellWilliam J. McConnell
William John McConnell was the third Governor of Idaho from 1893 until 1897. Prior to that he represented Idaho as one of its first United States Senators after statehood.-Early years:...
signed an Act authorizing the establishment of the Lewiston State Normal School in Lewiston. There was a catch, however: "Provided the mayor and common council of that city on or before May 1, 1893, donate ten acres, within the city limits and known as part of the city park, and authorizing the said mayor and council to convey to the trustees of said normal school the said tract of land," etc.
The first Trustees on the school's Board were James W. Reid (who had done the most to shepherd the authorization bill through the legislature), Norman B. Willey (who had just stepped down as Idaho governor), Benjamin Wilson (a previous gubernatorial candidate), J. Morris Howe, and C. W. Schaff. Reid was elected President of the Board, a position he held until his death in 1902.
Lewiston residents lost no time in obtaining the required space for the school. However, the legislature acted slowly in providing construction funds, and then construction lagged. George E. Knepper had been hired as first President of the Normal School. Frustrated by the delays in getting his building, Knepper leased space in downtown Lewiston and opened for classes on January 6, 1896. The building itself was not ready until May. Over the next several years, more structures were added to the campus, including dormitories and a gymnasium.
In keeping with the Normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
philosophy, Lewiston Normal focused on practical, hands-on training for new teachers. That meant they provided a great deal of “manual training” – what we would call vocational education. Also, to insure that teachers truly knew how to handle a classroom, the School ran an on-campus training school. In it, real teachers taught real pupils, but student teachers also learned-by-doing under the supervision of experienced teacher-critics.
Until the 1920s one-room schools served well over half of Idaho’s primary students. In most, only the teacher knew anything at all about running a school. Thus, in Keith Petersen’s words, “teachers assumed responsibility for shaping a district's entire educational policy.”
World War I certainly impacted the nation’s normal schools, but not as much as it did conventional institutions. Generally, male students were in the majority at regular colleges, many of which experienced brutal enrollment losses. Normal schools attracted a predominantly female student body, so the declines were much smaller – about 15% at Lewiston Normal.
The School did experience a painful crisis in January 1917. The Administration Building, multipurpose heart of the campus, suffered severe damage in a fire: the cupola collapsed into the gutted interior of the main structure and the older east wing was totally destroyed.
They survived that disaster and continued to grow, as the demand for pre-college teachers increased. However, by the late 1920s, the “normal school” idea was being supplanted by a “teachers college” approach. Such colleges still focused on teacher education, but now students could earn a bachelor’s degree – more and more often required for certification. Recognizing this trend, School supporters began a campaign to change Lewiston Normal’s status. They also began the painful process of upgrading the faculty – inciting much ill will.
Supporters also fought an on-going battle just to keep the School open; some legislators still wanted to close the Normals to save money. Fortunately, the advent of World War II squelched that notion. Not only did the School continue to turn out desperately needed teachers, it also expanded its nurse-training program, and produced large numbers of fliers in its Navy Air School. In 1943, the Board of Education raised the school to full four-year status. Now with the ability to grant a B.Ed., school leaders took it upon themselves to use the name North Idaho College of Education (NICE). The legislature would not confirm their choice until 1947.
The school got another temporary reprieve from the cost-cutters when a deluge of veterans funded by the G.I. Bill hit the campus after the War. However, that wave passed, and in 1951 budget hawks succeeded in closing the school. The state’s other colleges had assured legislators that they could supply all the teachers needed. That promise proved disastrously wrong: In just three years, the state found itself issuing nearly 40% more provisional teaching certificates than it had in 1951.
Under that pressure, the legislature re-opened the school in 1955 – as a division of the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
. That shotgun wedding proved difficult administratively. It ended abruptly in 1963 when the affiliation seemed like it might damage the University’s academic accreditation.
The on-going need for teachers, a developing shortage of nurses, and a new push for vocational education from the Federal government combined to rescue the school from oblivion. Enrollment of the now-independent, four-year school grew explosively and, in 1971, the name changed to Lewis–Clark State College – they were, in fact, the very last Normal school in the country to make the change.
Students and faculty
Over 3,500 students from over 30 different states and 20 different countries are enrolled at Lewis–Clark State College. Women outnumber men in the student body by five to three.School reputation
In 1966 Lewis-Clark Community College became a state college, and remains that way to this day. Lewis–Clark State College has been ranked as one of the top public colleges in the West in the Comprehensive-Bachelor’s Degree categories – including No. 1 in 2002, 2005 & 2007 – by U.S. News & World Report in its annual rankings of colleges and universities.Sports
The school's sports teams are called the Warriors (women's teams are the Lady Warriors). They compete in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
's Frontier Conference
Frontier Conference
The Frontier Conference is a college athletic conference, founded in 1952 and affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in the northwestern United States, in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Utah....
. The school's Baseball team has won a record 16 National Championships in the NAIA in the last 31 years.
Alumni
- Marvin BenardMarvin BenardMarvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
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player, Giants/Marlins/Angels/Rockies ... 1990-1999 - Tom EdensTom EdensThomas Patrick Edens is a former Major League Baseball player. Edens was drafted 14th overall by the Kansas City Royals in 1983 and pitched all or part of seven seasons in the majors between and for six different teams.His best year was 1992 with the Minnesota Twins as a middle reliever, when he...
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player, Astros/Twins/Brewers/Cubs/Phillies/... 1987-1995 - Jason EllisonJason EllisonJason Jerome Ellison is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and made his major league debut on May 9, ....
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system - Carlos FisherCarlos FisherCharles Edward "Carlos" Fisher is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.-Early life:Fisher graduated from Duarte High School in 2001...
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system - Legislator Mike Mitchell, Idaho Senate and House of Representatives
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(World War II submarine), namesake of the Marion Shinn Lifelong Achievement Award at LCSC