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Archival description
“The Girl Graduate: Her Own Book," scrapbook by Emma R. Kerns Crofton, Normal School Class of 1916 · Item · ca. 1911-1917
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

This scrapbook includes photographs, illustrations, commencement and class day booklets, correspondence, report cards, and ephemera collected by Emma R. Kerns, Model School Class of 1916. It offers insight into the daily lives and school careers of the Model students throughout the school's final years before its closure after the 1917 academic year. Later annotations also appear; some are perhaps by Miss Kerns before her death in 1977, but others most likely were added by past Trentoniana librarians following the book's donation ca. 1977. Any additions in a clearly different hand have been rendered in italics. Some of these italicized annotations simply read "index," probably referring to Trentoniana's card catalogue.

Due to the volume's bulky nature, it was not possible to digitize without disbinding the entire volume and scanning pages individually. Two photos of the book before this process are included at the end of the PDF. Pages have been scanned in order, skipping any blank sections; as a result, page numbers may appear to jump. Kerns also pasted many booklets and folded items into these pages, and these items sometimes required multiple scans to entirely capture. Finally, note that file size limits have required a significant amount of compression to host this PDF, and may negatively affect the quality of the images. An unaltered version is available through Trentoniana upon request.

A partial transcription of the handwritten sections is included.

Kerns, Emma R. (Emma Rebecca), 1896-1977
“The Girl Graduate: Her Own Book,” scrapbook by Grace Brownell Fletcher, Model School Class of 1907 · Item · ca. 1901-1916
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

Content warning: While the vast majority of this work contains no harmful content, one "joke" on page 141 includes insulting language about African-Americans.

This scrapbook includes photographs, illustrations, commencement and class day booklets, correspondence, ephemera, and manuscript materials collected by Grace B. Fletcher, Model School Class of 1907. It offers insight into the daily lives and school careers of the Model students throughout the first decade of the 20th century. While the bulk of the items pasted into the work date to around 1907, some date to as early as 1901. In addition, some annotations must have been added later, at least as early as 1916.

Due to the volume's bulky nature, it was not possible to digitize without disbinding the entire volume and scanning pages individually. Two photos of the book before this process are included at the end of the PDF. Pages have been scanned in order, skipping any blank sections; as a result, page numbers may appear to jump. Fletcher also pasted many booklets and folded items into these pages, and these items sometimes required multiple scans to entirely capture. Finally, note that file size limits have required a significant amount of compression to host this PDF, and may negatively affect the quality of the images. An unaltered version is available through Trentoniana upon request.

A partial transcription of the handwritten sections is included.

The following notes relate to specific pages of the document:

  • The Class Day booklet on page 121 has not been scanned, as it is identical to one on page 87.
  • The clippings found on pages 136-139 were not pasted into the book and may have originally been placed elsewhere.
Fletcher, Grace Brownell, 1888-1976
Alumni Weekend Leaflet, 76th Anniversary of the State Schools and cornerstone laying of Green Hall, 1931 · Item · 1931
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

This single page leaflet marks the transition between the Normal and Model Schools in Trenton and the modern institution known as The College of New Jersey in Ewing. Aside from celebrating "Alumni Week-End" (the equivalent to today's homecoming, though held in the Spring), the celebrations marked the schools' 76th anniversary and the cornerstone-laying for the first building at Hillwood Lakes, Green Hall. No transcription.

New Jersey State Teachers College at Trenton
Certificate for one share of capital stock of the Trenton Normal Student and Alumni Camping Association, given to Margaret Freas, 1924 · Item · 1924
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

Little context is known about this certificate for stock in the "Trenton State Normal Student and Alumni Camping Association," which was presumably a group formed to arrange camping excursions among the Normal School's past and present students. This share was issued to Margaret Freas, Normal Class of 1925, and is signed by Ruth Cornelison and Don C. Bliss. No transcription.

Green Hall Cornerstone Laying program, 1931 · Item · 1931
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

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.

New Jersey State Normal School (Trenton, N.J.)
Iona Fackler Myers, Trenton State College class of 1937, to Erna S. Hoover, Chairman of the Trenton State College Board of Trustees, 1986 · Item · 09/06/1986
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

Myers complains about attempts to rename Trenton State College, copying Trenton Mayor Arthur Holland and others. Holland's reply, a boilerplate "thank you," is included but was not scanned.

Myers, Iona J. Fackler, 1914-1996
TCNJ004 · Collection · 1904-1955

The majority of the materials are related to Haskell’s education from primary through graduate school, with additional items from her early career and retirement. The Correspondence Series contains her first teaching recommendation letter in 1915, a teaching appointment notice, and a few personal letters ending in 1954. The Grade Cards and Transcripts Series span her eighth grade year in 1909 through a master’s degree program in 1938. The Ephemera Series comprises dinner and event programs she attended in her early career from 1923-1939. The Clippings Series (1937-1955) cover a variety of topics, as well as coverage of the 1955 Trenton State College centennial. The Prints Series includes four etchings or reproductions of St. Petersburg Florida churches inscribed: “for Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Wilhelm” by Will Kay Hagerman (Kent Hagerman). The Certificates and Diplomas Series span from her primary school years in 1904 through 1946. They include, among other items, her Normal School diploma and bachelor’s degree, as well as membership certificates to honorary sororities, Red Cross volunteer service, and her marriage certificate to Josiah Haskell.

Haskell, Lulu Clough, 1895-1970
Model School tuition receipts, ca. 1862 and 1902-1903 · Item · 1862; 1902-1903
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

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.

New Jersey State Normal School (Trenton, N.J.)
Normal and Model Schools "Expenses Reduced!" brochure, ca. 1878 · Item · 1878
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

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.

New Jersey State Normal School (Trenton, N.J.)
Sarah A. Dynes, Normal School Dept. of History, to Adam J. Strohm, Librarian, Trenton Free Public Library, 1904 · Item · 02/06/1904
Part of TFPL New Jersey State Normal and Model Schools at Trenton and Successor Institutions Collection

One letter, regarding books of interest to Dynes. She reports that her students “enthuse over the courteous and helpful treatment they receive” from the library staff.

Transcription:
605 Monmouth St.
Trenton N.J. Feb. 8 1904
Mr. Adam J. Strohm, Librarian
of Trenton Free Public Library
Dear Sir:
Your favor of February fifth just received. I am very greatly obliged to you for the trouble you have taken to secure the books recommended. You are quite right in regard to [George] Kitchin. It was his “History of France” [https://archive.org/details/historyoffrance02kitc] that I suggested. With this I inclose card as suggested with correct title, but am not sure whether the author’s initials are H.M. or or [sic] not. I am familiar with H. Morse Stephens’s The French Revolution [https://archive.org/details/cu31924024309480] and his Orators of the Revolution [https://archive.org/details/principalspeeche02stepuoft], and I imagine that he is the author of the work on the card [no longer extant] but cannot remember.
May I take this opportunity of expressing my very great appreciation of the work being done by you, and your corps of assistants? I cannot express in words how much the library has increased the value of the work I am trying to do, and added to the material aid is the object lesson daily shown in courtesy and sympathetic assistance to young people who are very crude and often trying. I am constantly hearing students enthuse over the courteous and helpful treatment they receive. It is certainly most gratifying to have the library so efficiently managed and we are anxious to show our appreciation of the work.
Respectfully yours,
Sarah A. Dynes
Dept. of History State Normal