Missouri State University

Missouri State University was first founded under the name Fourth District Normal School on March 17, 1905. Like other normal schools of the day, the school's primary purpose in its early years was the preparation of teachers for the public school system. The original campus was composed of a single building, Academic Hall, which was constructed on National Avenue in 1908. The building is now known as Carrington Hall, named after William T. Carrington, the first president of the State Normal School. It serves as the University's administrative center.