David Felmley

David Felmley (April 24, 1857 – January 24, 1930) was an American educator best known for his thirty-year-long tenure as the sixth president of Illinois State University, then known as Illinois State Normal University.

Personal life and early career David Felmley was born on April 24, 1857, near Somerville, New Jersey. In 1868, his family moved to Perry, Illinois. In 1887, Felmley married Auta Stout, although she died in July 1921.

In 1890, when John W. Cook became the president of Illinois State Normal University, Felmley took over his position as the professor of mathematics. He was also a member of the State Teachers' Association and was elected its president in 1901. Felmley believed that everyone deserved a high school education, even those who did not plan to attend college or university. Felmley argued that the teachers colleges and normal schools, which often recruited and educated students from less privileged backgrounds, were the best institutions for training secondary school teachers. Felmley led the charge to turn normal schools in Illinois into four year baccalaureate institutions. It was also suspected by former president John W. Cook that Felmley's vocal support of William Jennings Bryan in 1896 led to the delay in his presidency after Cook's resignation.

Changes implemented In 1907, ISNU was converted into a four-year baccalaureate institution, issuing bachelors of education degrees to its graduates. The university also began to offer more specialized curriculums for teachers in agriculture, manual arts, domestic science, and commerce, along with adding new programs to home economics and industrial arts. New buildings were also constructed on the campus, known today as Edwards Hall, Fell Hall, McCormick Hall, and Moulton Hall.

Felmley supported the adoption of the metric system, reform of the university calendar, and the use of simplified spelling in all university publications.

Faculty Felmley oversaw the beginnings of a more diverse faculty, hiring several Latino instructors to teach Spanish and potentially the first Jewish faculty member as well. He also fought for increasing the salaries of faculty at the university after World War I due to post-war inflation and the disparity in salary between ISNU and the University of Illinois.

Students One of the main issues Felmley confronted was enrollment. The enrollment rate of the university was a consistent issue, especially after more normal schools opened in DeKalb, Macomb, and Charleston. Enrollment was also strongly affected by World War I, which saw low numbers of men in the normal department and extracurricular activities replaced by civilian war service, such as volunteering with the Red Cross.

After ISNU became a four-year institution, Felmley only intended four year programs to have men enrolled in them.

Death Shortly before his death, Felmley submitted his resignation as president of ISNU to the Normal School Board due to his physical health. He was buried in Carrollton City Cemetery in Carrollton, Illinois.

Legacy To this day, Felmley is the longest-serving president of Illinois State University. There is a building named after him on campus, the Felmley Hall of Science.