Excerpt from History and Alumni Record of the State Normal School: Bridgewater, Mass;; To July, 1876 During the last sixteen years, the writer has often been asked "What are the Normal Schools doing?" "What have they accomplished?" "How many of the pupils ever teach?" "How long do they teach on the average?" "Does it pay to educate young ladies in the Normal School, when so many of them do not teach, or get married so soon?" These and similar questions have been asked by all classes of persons, by those occupying high educational positions, and by members of Legislative committees when appropriations have been asked for to supply the increasing wants of the school. It has been said that "half of the persons who attend these schools never teach, and of the other half the majority teach but a short time." At the Conventions of the Alumni, old friends rush together, and after the hearty hand-shaking, begin to inquire about each other and about the absent classmates and friends, "Where have you been?" "What have you been doing?" "Where's Mr. Brown?" "What is he doing?" "Where's Miss Smith?" "Is she teaching, or is she married?" And so the inquiries go on, in scores of groups, through the whole list of former classmates. This Centennial year was seen in the near future when these inquiries would again be presented for an answer, and the facts would be wanted on record to go down to posterity. Incited by what was thus heard and seen, the writer determined to record the leading facts in the history of the school, and to gather and preserve answers to the most prominent questions respecting the past members of the school, so that all may know what the school has done, and the Alumni have the pleasure of learning some of the things they would like to know about their Normal friends. A brief account of the origin of the school is first presented, showing what years of earnest effort were necessary to secure the establishment of the Board of Education, and the opening of the first Normal Schools. This is followed by the Rules and Regulations originally adopted by the Board of Education for the government of all the Normal Schools, with the modifications that have since been made in these regulations; a complete list of the members of the Board of Education, and of the Visitors of the school; an account of the school under each of the three Principals; statistical summaries showing the number of workers, and what they have done; the Roll of Honor, presenting the noble band of patriots who went forth to fight for freedom and free institutions; a brief history of the Normal Lyceum, and the Normal Association; and an Index of all the names in the Alumni Record. The historical part of the book has been prepared from original sources; - the records of the Board of Education and files of papers and letters preserved by them; an account of the action of Plymouth County in the establishment of the school, furnished by Hon. Artemas Hale, of Bridgewater, who was a prominent leader in the movement; and from the records kept by the Principals of the school. The account of the school has been given in three administrations for the purpose of presenting a more definite picture of the life of the school as it was known by the Alumni. The Alumni Record has been prepared from the answers to circulars sent to each person whose address could in any way be found. It presents the Alumni in classes as they entered the school, with their residence at the time of admission; the time they were in school; the time they have taught; their present occupation; and their present address; and the date of the death of those deceased, so far as known. Circular letters of inquiry were first sent out early in 1873. The responses to these were so few and tardy that the whole matter was dropped. At the Convention in 1874, the desire for more definite information about the Alumni was so fully expressed, the writer determined