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Salem Normal School, Salem, Massachusetts

Salem Normal School, now Salem State University, was founded in 1854 as the fourth Normal School in Massachusetts. It was established as a result of the Newton Normal School's relocation. Salem was selected due to many factors including the city's historical and commercial significance and need for local teacher education.

Prior to Salem Normal School's relocation to Salem, Salem women had few opportunities to receive teacher training and the Salem school system was replete with funding, attendance, and teacher compensation problems. It was assumed that by training women as teachers, they could be hired at a lower salary than male teachers, thus alleviating the city's public school budget and teacher compensation challenges.

The original location was at the corner of Broad and Summer Streets, with the building's dedication held on September 14, 1854. Richard Edwards, a graduate of Bridgewater Normal School (now Bridgwater State University), was the first president of Salem Normal School.