TC Famous Figures…they walked these halls…

John Dewey

No, not as in “Dewey Decimal”

Known as the founder of educational philosophy, John Dewey began lecturing at Teachers College in 1906.

One of seven professors who established the Department of Educational Research at TC.

Edward L. Thorndike

A leader in field of Educational Psychology, Edward L. Thorndike came to Teachers College in 1899 when he was only 25 years old and by the age of 30 he was already a full professor and head of the Department of Educational Psychology.

By 1940, Thorndike had authored 500 publications, some of which on animal and group intelligence testing.

William Heard Kilpatrick

Perhaps the most controversial professor in the history of Teachers College, William Heard Kilpatrick extended the work of John Dewey in his twenty-five years at TC.

He proposed purposeful learning by beginning with a problem that gains interest and seeks to reach a solution, defined as the "problem-project" method.

Known by the press as Columbia's "million dollar professor", Kilpatrick was said to have earned over a million dollars in revenue for the college based on the draws of students and scholars that followed him.

Patty Smith HillNow widely known as an innovative mind in early education, Patty Smith Hill first arrived at Teachers College in 1905, after studying with John Dewey at the University of Chicago and directing the Parental Experimental Kindergarten in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hill worked to liberate the philosophies of kindergarten and nursery school education.

Mary Adelaide NuttingNursing education pioneer Mary Adelaide Nutting was already established as a leader at Johns Hopkins' Training School for Nurses when she first arrived at Teachers College in 1898.

Nutting was selected to create the School of Household Arts at TC. When she retired in 1925, it had become the College's largest division.

Mary Swartz RoseNutrition expert Mary Swartz Rose (1874-1941) came to Teachers College in 1906 as an assistant in the Household Arts Department.

In 1909 she created the department of nutrition, a first for higher education in the United States.

She was on the board of the Journal of Nutrition, as well as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Food Conservation during World War I .

Victor D’Amico• A TC faculty member during the 1930s, promoted art education and its value in America’s school systems. • He initiated new learning environments and art education programs for people of all ages, believing that art has the ability to revitalize children and adults.

•D’Amico founded and directed the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Arts from 1937 to 1970.

Lawrence Cremin• As president of Teachers College from 1974-1984, Lawrence Cremin dedicated his entire professional career to the college when he started as a faculty member in 1949.

•Author of several books related to the American education system and its cultural and urban evolution, Cremin’s interests rested primarily in educational history.

•Cremin co-authored the book,The History of Teachers College (1954).