"Millersville University's history can be traced to the idea that for free public education to succeed, institutions for the training of qualified teachers needed to be established. This idea was realized in the normal school movement, a social and educational reform crusade that gained currency across the country and in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. From its inception, the institution that became Millersville University was committed to the ideals of teacher training and classical learning as essential components of public education and enlightened citizenship."