On September 16, 1890, Joshua Crittenden Chilton formed the Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute in Denton, Texas, with 70 students in its inaguaral class. In 1891, the school was designated as a formal institution of education comprised of teachers and prospective teachers. In 1893, the school changed its name to North Texas Normal College and began issuing state teaching certifications under the authorization of Texas State Legislature. By 1901, the North Texas Normal School established itself as a specialized training school for teachers and educators. In 1913, the school developed a training (demonstration) school, which equipped students with experience and practice teaching under expert guidance and direction.
Rights: Reproduction and publication of materials in this collection are subject to the policies of the UNT Special Collections department. Copyright restrictions may apply.
Access Notes: This collection is stored off-site and requires a minimum of 24 hour notice prior to use.
Acquisition Note:
Transferred to Archives from the Historical Collection in 1986.
Preferred Citation:Dawson Letters Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections
Scope and Contents: The collection consists of 13 handwritten letters and their transcriptions from the following members of the Dawson family: Jake, Jesse L., also known as Jess or J.L, and Arch. Jake Dawson wrote three letters to his family while he attended Texas Normal College. Jesse L. Dawson wrote letters to his father and mother and Arch Dawson wrote to family members while he attended Texas Normal College from 1910 to 1912. The collection also includes some of the envelopes in which the letters were mailed. The collection gives insight into the lives of students at Texas Normal College at the beginning of the 20th century.