By an act of General Assembly in 1909 the State Normal Schools of Tennessee were established. This Act was known as the General Education Bill of 1909 and provided appropriations for all public school agencies. At that time the State Fund consisted of thirty-three and one-third percent of the gross revenue of the state, and of this amount thirteen per cent was appropriated for the establishment and maintenance of the normal schools.

Under the provision of the Act, the authority to select the location of these schools was vested in the State Board of Education. This Board received propositions from various cities and counties in the state for the location of three normal schools for the training of white teachers. After a careful study these schools were located as follows: East Tenn. State Normal School, Johnson City, Washington County; Middle Tenn. State Normal School, Murfreesboro, Rutherford County; West Tenn. State Normal School, Memphis, Shelby County, and in each case generous donations were offered in consideration of the location of the schools in these places.

So in 1911 our school was created. Murfreesboro very hospitably extended its arms to the school. Messrs. Tom Harrison and Joe Black gave a campus of eighty acres, and a tract of twenty acres was purchased for $5,000.00. In 1914 an adjoining farm of 135 acres was purchased and in 1928 the city of Murfreesboro gave an adjoining tract of fifteen acres upon which to erect a training school building.

The same law which created the Middle Tenn. State Normal School clearly defined the purpose of its establishment. This was declared to be "for the education and professional training of teachers for the public schools of the state."

However, the requirements for admittance in the first few years of its existence were very strict in comparison to those we have at present. Then, to be admitted, one had to come for the avowed purpose of preparing to teach, sign a pledge to teach in the public or private schools of the State of Tennessee within the next six years after leaving the school, at least as long as he or she had attended school, be over sixteen years of age, have a certificate of good moral character from one's pastor or some one else of good standing and a certificate of good health from the doctor. Even in 1912 it was necessary to notify the President concerning your arrival in order that a faculty member be there to meet you.

The boys were not then fortunate enough to have a special dormitory and many of them stayed in the house on Woodbury Highway, while a few stayed in private homes in town.

The students who drove in came in buggies, and President Lyon himself drove in his high, sidebar buggy with the high stepping black horse. However, at times it was a very difficult matter to get to school, for there were no paved streets or sidewalks. The campus was practically a bare field with no grass, no shrubbery, no flowers and only a few trees. It was very bad. Especially in rainy weather it was a mass of mud, many times the girls' bus, a wagon with two horses, mired up in mud over the hub right in front of the girls' dormitory.

The dining hall was not then as now a cafeteria and the teachers and students were served at tables. The students occupied the same places at the tables each time and if they were late it was too bad because the door would be locked. On the outside it was quite a usual sight to see the boys lined up, waiting for the door to be opened, passing off the time by singing "Throw Out The Light Bread," and once inside, the attention would likely focus upon the table occupied by Mr. Holmes, the bachelor, surrounded by pretty girls - it is said that he certainly had an eye for beauty and he rarely allowed the boys to share his table.

Of course, in the beginning there was only a small and limited supply of books in the library, so in order to obtain more a reception was given to which Murfreesboro people came and brought books.

It might be interesting to know that when the school was a normal there were issued 317 diplomas, 25 two-year diplomas, 108 three-year diplomas and many certificates.

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