From Normal School to Plymouth State College

In 1939, the school became Plymouth Teachers College. PSU was not the only normal school during this era that switched from normal school to teachers college. There was a normal school that started at a similar time (they got their start in 1897, while we started earlier in 1871) but in Massachusetts. The Hyannis State Normal School was in Barnstable, MA, and they gained teacher college status in 1932. Though you might wonder why you don’t know of a Hyannis state college or university. Well, in 1944, the school closed due to the fact of World War 2 draining their enrollment numbers. Another normal school that is sort of similar to us is Lexington Normal School, which opened in 1839 in Mass. The switch to State Teacher College for Lexington Normal School happens in 1932. They later become Framingham State University and are still around. There is also Buffalo Normal School in NY that started in the same year as us (1871), but they received the title of a teacher’s college earlier in 1928. They have since become Buffalo State University. It’s clear you must adapt to the time or get left in the dust. The late 20s to late 30s seem to be a shift for normal schools to get their college status. Some major events of the 20s and 30s that can explain why normal schools were switching over to colleges could be women gaining the right to vote in 1920, the stock market crash in 1929, the switch of who was the breadwinner due to the Great Depression, funding cuts, the reallocation of money that left teachers without job security, and that during this era we were between the two world wars. The country tried to reinvest in itself and grow as a country to recover from the many bumps in the road they faced. Not only did the country as a whole invest in education, but so did specifically the state of New Hampshire, as the state legislature did recognize Plymouth’s name change. 

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In 1963, Governor John King recommended budget cuts for both Plymouth Teachers College and Keene Teachers College. PTC struggled to hire and hold on to staff because the college couldn't properly pay them even with the current budget. A New Hampshire professor would make $1,553 less than a Vermont professor and $6,263 less than a New York professor at the state college level. The governor’s recommended budget only supported two new instructor positions, in contrast to an increase of 200 students. That’s a ratio of 100 students to one instructor. The recommended ratio was no more than 15 to one, and even 25 to 1 was pushing it. Yet the state was recommending 100 to one? By 1964, it was predicted that PTC would enroll 1,050 students, with their budget cut down to $286,764, leaving only $230 in support per student when in 1958 it had been around $597 per student. This also left little to no money for residential staff, custodians, food-service workers, and general supplies. 

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The Board of Trustees of the University of New Hampshire, acting as the governing body for the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth Teachers College, and Keene Teachers College, met on July 26, 1963, to discuss tuition increases. It was decided that in-state students’ tuition for PTC would be raised from $180 to $230 annually and out-of-state students’ tuition would be raised from $300 to $400. The Board was at first reluctant to raise tuition, believing in-state tuition costs should be kept low to remain accessible. However, the increased tuition was necessary and would be used to expand the curriculum in liberal arts and pay faculty. 

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On July 1, 1963, Plymouth Teachers College was changed to Plymouth State College of the University of New Hampshire through a bill passed by the New Hampshire legislature. This bill placed Keene and Plymouth under the same Board of Trustees as the University of New Hampshire. This change allowed the school to award degrees in liberal arts (English, music, history, etc.), biological science, mathematics, business administration, and secretarial science. This led to an increase in enrollment. The PSC class of 1968 was the first four-year class to receive any of these degrees. Approximately 220 students graduated that year, a 47% increase since 1963. In 2025, approximately 740 students graduated from Plymouth State University, a nearly 400% increase in 62 years. 

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                  Harold E. Hyde was Plymouth State’s tenth president, his tenure lasting from 1951 to 1977. This 26-year period was one of growth for the college, both in terms of campus facilities and programs and increased enrollment. President Hyde believed strongly in the importance of education and community and fought tooth and nail with the state for better funding for the college and higher salaries for its faculty.

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“Can it really be possible that the people of New Hampshire care so little about the quality of the education of those who will teach their children?” - President Harold E. Hyde, 1963

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As seen on the lovely historical marker, we also had another major change in name in 1963; we became Plymouth State College. This time was of the post-World War 2 era and during the time of the Cold War. The country wanted to invest in the future and expand as a nation by making being well educated easier. Legislation of this time supports this, with prime examples of the country wanting to expand the access to higher education being the GI Bill, the National Defense Education Act, and the 1965 Higher Education Act. Time and money were invested into encouraging people to pursue higher education. At times of hardship and war or post-war, our country remembers that education is the most valuable resource it has to better our nation. Not only does the federal government do this, but the state of New Hampshire has invested in it by approving and recognizing when Plymouth State needs to expand and change its name to reflect its new self. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​