Introduction to WSC History
Wayne State College began because citizens of the city of Wayne committed substantial time and resources to establishing a college in their community. The school they created became a state college in 1910 to serve the people of a wider Northeast Nebraska community. Regional and community service has been central to the mission of Wayne State ever since. And because Northeast Nebraska is primarily a rural area, serving a small town, rural constituency with a unique set of needs and characteristics has been one of the college’s main strengths and responsibilities. The college has provided services and programs that enrich the lives of individuals and communities throughout the region, but most importantly it has provided an access to quality and affordable higher education to people who otherwise might not have had that opportunity.
In September 1891, James Pile, a math professor from Fremont, and citizens of Wayne founded Nebraska Normal College. The school began with a four-person faculty and a student body of seven. Nearly two decades later, more than 1,000 students were attending the school each year. The state purchased Nebraska Normal College, and it became Nebraska State Normal College on April 6, 1909.
The historical account on these pages is excerpted from “Far From Normal! 100 Years of Educational Excellence,” published in 2010 to mark Wayne State's 100th year as a state college. Dr. Kent Blaser (1949-2010), professor of history at Wayne State College from 1979 to 2009, wrote the history of the period from 1891 to 1970. Roger Mancastroppa, a former history instructor at Wayne State, wrote about the period from 1970 to the present. Marcus Schlichter, Wayne State archivist, contributed biographical sketches of the leading figures of the college.