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Content Warning: The items in this collection may contain racist and harmful depictions of marginalized groups, sexist or misogynistic language, and xenophobic attitudes and opinions.

The collection consists of 10 boxes, one oversized folder and 4 rolled maps. The material is divided into 11 series as described below. The core of this collection provides information about the history of the Trenton Normal School from its founding in 1855, its move to Ewing and transition to New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton (1937). It also provides some
information on its successor institutions from the 1930s to 2023. The collection also includes information about the Model School, especially highlighting achievements of the older students in publications including The Signal and records of the Thencanic Society, and scrapbooks kept by Grace Bromwell Fletcher, Class of 1907 and Emma R. Kerns Crofton, Class of 1916. There is also some information about alumni activities found in the form of event programs (1900s-1950s, 1980-1996) and the publication Accent and Alumni Review (1987-1996).

This collection of four receipts for tuition, room, and board at the Model School gives insight into how much it cost to attend the de facto elite institution. The first two vouchers, made out to a John McCormick and from around 1862, show that the Normal School charged about $8.00 in tuition in its first decades. According to census statistics, an average New Jersey laborer spent about $2.50 per week on bread, so this was not an unsubstantial amount of money!

Forty years later, in 1902-1903, George Hildebrecht (owner of Trenton's Hotel Hildebrecht) paid $10.50 for per quarter for his son Albert. At this time, based on census statistics, this would have equaled about half a day's wages for the average Trenton industrial laborer.

No transcriptions, as the documents are largely typed.

This brochure offers insight into the Normal and Model Schools' course offerings, their tuition and expenses rates, and some of the principles underlying the school's education. The gender division of the Model School (but not the Normal School) is of particular note, as is the significantly higher annual tuition for the Model School. No transcription.

This program booklet dates from the cornerstone laying of the Hillwood Lakes campus's first building, Green Hall. This event marked a transition point for the college away from the city of Trenton, and several notables were invited to attend. No transcription.

This small booklet records the Class Day exercises for the Model School's Class of 1904, depicting the class roster, the order of exercises, and the names of students performing. A reproduction of the corresponding commencement booklet can be found in "History of the Model Class of 1904" (see related materials below). No transcription.

This booklet from the 1903 Model School commencement includes lists of graduating students, their home towns, and their area of study. It also contains the list of commencement exercises. Of some note is the mention of an essay given by honor student Charlotta Miller on the Black poet and author Paul Lawrence Dunbar, which has unfortunately not survived. The student roster also includes several surnames that appear in other classes from around this period, namely Britton, De Cou, and Bosworth; these students may be siblings of those sharing their name. Some students from the Class of 1904 also appear. No transcription.

This small booklet records the Class Day exercises for the Normal School's Class of 1911, depicting the class roster, the order of exercises, the names of students performing, and officers of various bodies. Of particular note is the mention of the "Suffragette Office of 'The Seal,'" referring to what seems to have been an all-female cohort on the staff of the school newspaper. No transcription.

This invitation to the Normal School commencement for the Class of 1918 includes an outline of events for the ceremony. The booklet had, at an unknown point, been pasted to a black backing with the "Senior Spring Festival" program from the same event on the reverse. For the corresponding commencement booklet, see the related materials below. No transcription.

This booklet from the 1879 Normal School commencement at Taylor Opera House includes lists of graduating students (both the February and June classes), including their home towns. It also contains the list of commencement exercises. No transcription.

This booklet from the 1880 Normal School commencement at Taylor Opera House includes lists of graduating students (both the February and June classes), including their home towns. It also contains the list of commencement exercises. No transcription.