Turning Points in Teaching: Early Education and the Annual Summer Normal in Alpine

In 1886, shortly after then Murphyville, now Alpine, was established, a one-teacher school was established. The school continued to grow and by 1907 the Alpine Independent School District was established. The president of the AISD was Joseph Daniel, J.D., Jackson and he along with school superintendent George W. Page oversaw the expansion of the district. More importantly, however, they created the Annual Alpine Summer Normal that offered continuing education courses to teachers in the area beginning in 1910. With the incredible success of the Summer Normal, Jackson and others began a campaign to secure a permanent Normal School in Alpine.

Learn more about these historic times in Alpine, what a Normal School is, the story of J.D. Jackson and the start of Sul Ross State University!

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website