Oakland Normal School

Oakland Normal School was a normal school in Oakland, Colorado County, Texas[1] for training African American teachers.[2] The school opened in 1882 and operated for over three decades.[3] G. R. Townsend and then Robert Lloyd Smith served as the school's principals.[4]

Robert Lloyd Smith taught at the school before becoming principal.[5] He was active in seeking to improve the lives of the community's African Americans and formed an improvement society for farmers.[6] The section where they lived was known as Freedmantown.[1]

Smith travelled from Oakland to Hampton Institute to speak and discussions included establishing an agricultural college in Texas following the Tuskegee teaching model.[7]

A historical marker was erected for the school in 1990.[3]

References
  1. Washington, Booker T. (November 23, 1909). The Story of the Negro: The Rise of the Race from Slavery. Doubleday, Page. ISBN 9781105120381 – via Google Books.
  2. Zelade, Richard (May 16, 2011). Lone Star Travel Guide to Central Texas. Taylor Trade Publications. ISBN 9781589796089 – via Google Books.
  3. "Colorado County Historical Markers". www.coloradocountyhistory.org.
  4. "Oakland Normal School". Texas Historical Markers.
  5. "Smith, Robert Lloyd | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  6. Kletzing, Henry F.; Crogman, William Henry (November 23, 1898). "Progress of a Race, Or The Remarkable Advancement of the American Negro: From the Bondage of Slavery, Ignorance and Poverty to the Freedom of Citizenship, Intelligence, Affluence, Honor and Trust". J.L. Nichols – via Google Books.
  7. "The Southern Workman". 1902.

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