Oakland Normal School

Normal school in Texas, United States

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

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1. ^ a b 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. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
2. ^ Zelade, Richard (May 16, 2011). Lone Star Travel Guide to Central Texas. Taylor Trade Publications. ISBN 9781589796089 - via Google Books.
3. ^ a b "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.

29°36′05″N 96°49′51″W﻿ / ﻿29.6013°N 96.8308°W﻿ / 29.6013; -96.8308

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