HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY
September 2, 1867: Joseph Baldwin opened the North Missouri Normal School and Commercial College.
December 29, 1870: Missouri's General Assembly made Baldwin's private college the First District Normal School, the first Missouri supported institution of higher education established for the primary purpose of preparing teachers for public schools.
Summer 1902: Basil Brewer wrote a school song which he named "The Purple and the White," and the school adopted purple and white as the official colors.
1913: E.M. Violette, professor of history, saw the usefulness of visual aids in teaching and began collecting materials and artifacts representative of early life in northeast Missouri. A museum was built to house his collection and is now located in the Kirk Memorial basement and includes 20,000 catalogued items.
1915: The Bulldog was adopted as the official school emblem. May 20,
1919: The normal school became known as Northeast Missouri State Teachers College.
1924: The old Baldwin Hall was destroyed by a fire. A long time ago there was a lake where the Quad now sits and the lake was emptied to combat the fire, resulting in the Quad as we know it today.
1967: The Bell Wall was built and dedicated at the Centennial Celebration in
1967: The bells were donated by Joe Burdman, local businessman and University benefactor.
1967: Programs other than teacher education were implemented and the Board of Regents acted to change the name of the college to Northeast Missouri State College.
1972: The College's name was changed to Northeast Missouri State University.
1974: Gail Albright, retired assistant professor of speech, wrote the Northeast fight song, "Hail to the Bulldogs!"
1983: Northeast Missouri State University earned the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' prestigious G. Theodore Mitau Award for Innovation and Change in Higher Education.
June 20, 1985: Northeast became Missouri's public liberal arts and sciences university, expanding its mission from a regional to a statewide institution.
July 1, 1996: The University's name was changed to Truman State University.
2001: Truman is granted membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious honor society for the liberal arts in the nation.
Today, more than 6,000 students come to Truman annually to gain a high quality liberal arts education at an affordable cost. Truman now offers 52 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, 42 minors, and several additional areas of specialized study within the 10 divisions. Each year, graduates seeking admission to graduate and professional schools around the world enjoy a high rate of success. In addition, Truman places more than 90 percent of the available graduates in fields related to their courses of study.
A continuity of
purpose is evident in the growth and changes at Truman. The university
has consistently been committed to academic excellence and has espoused
the belief that a strong education is the best means of preparing for a
life of continuing personal growth and service. Moreover, its historic
mission to improve the preparation of teachers has prompted the
university to be among the nation¹s leaders in making education more
professional. Commitment, unity of purpose, and concentration on student
learning -- putting first things first -- have brought Truman to its
present mission and academic excellence.
Presidents of
the University
| Joseph Baldwin | 1867-1881 |
| William P. Nason | 1881-1882 |
| Joseph Blanton | 1882-1891 |
| William D. Dobson | 1891-1899 |
| John R. Kirk | 1899-1925 |
| Eugene Fair | 1925-1937 |
| Walter H. Ryle | 1937-1967 |
| F. Clark Elkins | 1967-1969 |
| Eli F. Mittler | 1969-1970 |
| Charles J. McClain | 1970-1989 |
| Robert A. Dager | 1989-1990 |
| Russell G. Warren | 1990-1994 |
| Jack Magruder | 1994-2003 |
| Barbara Dixon | 2003-Present |