Dana Colburn letter of recommendation for student (CA-0109)

Biographical/Historical Note

Dana Colburn was raised on his family farm in West Dedham, however after a severe illness left him disabled, he decided to pursue a more academic career. He studied at Bridgewater Normal School and traveled across Massachusetts with Horace Mann and others to instruct teachers. He then established a private Normal School on Weybosset Street in Providence with Samuel Greene, the Superintendent of Schools in Providence and head of the Brown University Normal Department, in 1852.

In 1854, following a vote by the General Assembly to establish a State Normal School, the institution opened in a room on the second floor of a former church on Weybosset and Eddy Streets, with Dana Colburn named principal. The school opened with 27 students and quickly grew to 97 under Colburn’s leadership. However, in 1857, the Normal School was moved to Bristol, RI and funding reduced, impacting student accessibility. In 1859, Principal Colburn was thrown from a carriage and killed at the age of 36.