Iowa City’s Commercial Colleges – Taking Care Of Business.

When people think of higher education in Iowa City – the immediate response is The University of Iowa. But did you know that for most of Iowa City’s first century, there were many other private schools in Iowa City competing for students?

According to historical records, the very first school in Iowa City was built in 1840 by Jesse Berry. Read more details here.

And by 1843 – four years before SUI even existed on paper – there were several more private schools of higher learning in Iowa City. According to Iowa City historian Clarence Ray Aurner…

Iowa Territory’s Superintendent of Public Instruction (1841-42) – Dr. William Reynolds – had thirty-five students in his private school – located at 217 Iowa Avenue; Mrs. Hart had forty students; and the largest, by far – Mechanics Academy (see below) had one-hundred and twenty male and female students. Read more about Mechanics Academy here.

Still several years before SUI was formed, these private schools were showing healthy signs of progress, and local educators were encouraging the addition of even more schools of higher learning. Iowa City University was an idea that never fully materialized, and Iowa City College (see below) – a private Christian school sponsored by the Methodist-Episcopal Church – opened in 1843, but struggled in finding the right man to oversee it. In 1846, this short-lived school – closing by 1848 – invited a new graduate of Indiana Asbury University to come to Iowa City and see what he could do. His name was James Harlan (pictured below), and you can read more about Harlan’s earliest days in Iowa City here.

***This ad*** *(above left)* ***for Iowa City College ran in the December 30, 1843 edition of The Iowa Capital Reporter.***

As we’ve discussed in other posts, the State University of Iowa (SUI) was formed – on paper – by the Iowa State Legislature on February 25, 1847, but it took eight long years – until 1855 – before any classes were actually held in Iowa City.

And even with that progress, SUI – between 1855-1860 – was having only limited success in attracting students outside of Johnson County via its Normal School – the equivalent to today’s junior college. In truth, it was the SUI Normal Department, as it focused on training teachers, that kept SUI alive during these first few years. Read more here.

*The SUI campus as it appeared in the 1860’s.*

Finally, during the 1860’s, when additional facilities and staff were added, the SUI Collegiate Department (see cover below) found its footing in Iowa City. More details here.

*(JP-023)* *Here’s a postal cover from the **SUI Collegiate Department** with the Latin phrase – “coronam non sine pulvere” – which translates “no laurel (or crown) without effort.”*

Interestingly, in the 1850’s, there were two new educational institutions that opened in Iowa City. Both were created for the explicit purpose of serving two groups of under-served people – the blind and the deaf. On April 4, 1853, Professor Samuel Bacon opened Iowa’s first Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, and on November 17, 1854, Superintendent William E. Ijams, with the help of Newspaper Editor Edmund Booth, opened Iowa’s first School for the Deaf.

In the December 20, 1854 edition of The Iowa Capital Reporter, Editor R.H. Sylvester reported on the recent city-wide exhibition held in Old Capitol where students from both institutions (Deaf and Blind) gave public presentations that, indeed, impressed him…

**THE DEAF AND DUMB.** – The exhibition of fifteen pupils of the Deaf and Dumb Institution in this city, conducted by Mr. Ijams, the Superintendent, possessed remarkable interest, judging from our own impressions and the eager attention of the largest assemblage that ever gathered in the Hall of Representatives. The proficiency of many of these unfortunates, in various branches of study, ls highly creditable to the ability and experience of Mr. ljams and his peculiar fitness for such a post of instruction. Read more here.

**THE BLIND.** – Mr. Bacon, Principal of the Blind Asylum, assisted by his Musical professor Mr. McCittigan, gave another very pleasing and satisfactory exhibition of the advancement and scholarship of inmates under his charge. Read more here.

The interest manifested in these institutions and the success thus far attending their progress, lead us to hope for further provisions towards their permanent and more suitable organization, and as a citizen of Iowa City, and one who assisted, however humbly, in setting the wheels of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in motion, feel that no more than justice would be done the city, by its location here together with the institution for the Blind, which is already well under way.

As the Civil War came to an end, and SUI began to flourish, one entrepreneur – William McClain – a Quaker educator from Pennsylvania – played an important role in making Iowa City into a community that valued the importance of higher education. McClain – who moved to Iowa with his young family in 1855 – had served as principal and proprietor of Salem Institute in Ohio before trying his hand at farming in Cedar County – near Tipton. Ten years later – in 1865 – the McClain’s moved to Iowa City, and its here, William took control of the fledgling Iowa City Commercial College (1867), and several years later (1870), The Iowa City Academy, making McClain a very well-respected educator in both Iowa City and around the state of Iowa. One generation later, William’s son, Emlin McClain, who was one of the first students at the Academy, went on to become the head of the SUI College of Law before serving as a Justice in the Iowa Supreme Court. Read more here.

Read about the Iowa State Normal Academy of Music which opened in Iowa City in 1867.

As Iowa City grew in its reputation as a city of education – its nickname became “The Athens of Iowa” – other entrepreneurs migrated here with the dream of building more schools throughout our city.

Read about the big transition from Iowa City – Iowa’s Capitol City to Iowa City – Athens of Iowa.

Sadly, no records have been found that indicate when Professor Eldon Moran came to Iowa City, but according to The Iowa City Daily Republican (below left), even the newspapers back east were buzzing about Moran – who was the official stenographer for the Indiana Supreme Court before coming here to oversee Iowa City’s newest business college – The SUI School of Short-Hand and Reporters’ Bureau.

By September 1883, the Iowa City Commercial College (above right) was on the move again – expanding its facility on Dubuque Street and now teaming up with Moran’s successful school.

*Another training school is mentioned in the 1880 Iowa City Board of Trade booklet – Sketch of Johnson County – **Hull’s Training and Normal School**. Read more here.*

Want to talk a walking tour of the SUI campus & Iowa City in 1882? Come see the nine buildings of SUI.

(JP-024) Here’s a rare postal cover (above) and letter (below) from Oliver E. Hughes – a student of SUI’s School of Short-Hand, written in December 1885. In writing his grandmother, Oliver says, “I am well and getting along fine with my short-hand study.” And when addressing his future, Hughes says, “I can make more money by reporting law suites (lawsuits) in courts and such,” versus his being a teacher.

While in Iowa City during the 1880’s, Professor Moran made a large impact in our city and beyond, writing numerous textbooks and other resources on the subject of short-hand – all published and distributed by his own company located in St. Louis. Here’s a list of some of his publications…

By the late 1880’s, the good professor decided to relocate to St. Louis, where Moran created American Home University – opening his business school to a much larger audience. By 1909 (see below) his classic book on the Pitman System of Short-Hand was in its thirty-ninth printing!

Yet, apparently Moran’s time in St. Louis was not always easy. An article (below-right) from the March 2, 1900 edition of The Iowa State Press indicates some tough times for his business college. But, a September 1900 ad in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (below-top) indicates that Moran must have gathered up all the pieces and kept on keeping on at 1401 Washington Avenue!

Back in Iowa City, over the next few decades, numerous business colleges flourished here in Iowa City – training up hundreds of young men and women in the highly-marketable skills of short-hand, typing, and business administration.

***These two three-story brick buildings were called The Public House in the 1860’s and they housed the Iowa School for the Deaf.*** Read more here.

There was The Iowa City Academy – which moved into a large three-story brick building at the northeast corner of Clinton and Jefferson streets, just across from University Square. Over the years, the Academy educated some of Iowa City’s finest (see list below) and in 1916/1917, evolved into University High School of Iowa City.

***This ad appeared in the November 8, 1893 Iowa City Weekly Republican***

The Willis-Williams Commercial College – an expanded version of the original Iowa City Commercial College – consolidated with the Iowa City Academy in 1893, yet still used its original name and location on Washington Street well past the turn-of-the-century.

When Iowa City Commercial College merged with the Iowa City Academy, the school moved into the third floor of the 1883 brick building located on Washington Street – directly across from the Englert Theatre. Irving Weber tells us more. *Below is an Iowa State Press newspaper ad from February 1900.*

The highly-successful Elizabeth Irish’s Business College opened in 1895 – first on the corner of Dubuque & College, then to Clinton Street (see below) – and finally moving over to Washington Street across from First National Bank. Irish ran her college in Iowa City right up until the time of her retirement, at age 84, in 1940. Read more here.

And, speaking of successful women in education, there was also St. Agatha’s Seminary – which opened in 1862 in the abandoned Park Hotel on the corner of Jefferson & Dubuque Streets. Female seminaries in the 19th century weren’t seminaries in the way we understand them today, as schools of theology. Instead, female seminaries functioned much like modern boarding schools training women in numerous business administrative skills. St. Agatha’s was highly successful in Iowa City for nearly 50 years (1911), and due to that success, a fourth floor was added in 1875 to what eventually became SUI’s Svendi Hall. Read more here.

All in all, it’s these many business colleges of Iowa City, along with the growing State University of Iowa, that gave our city the proud name – The Athens of Iowa. Kudos to one and all.

On July 1, 1976, The Iowa City Press-Citizen published a special 76-page Bicentennial edition. In that edition there were articles and pictures related to stories found on this page. You can read more here.