Biography

Like his two predecessors, Henry Skinner West was Maryland educated. He earned both his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Johns Hopkins University. West possessed an impressive academic background, having taught at all levels from primary to college. In 1917, he was appointed to serve as principal of the Normal School. During his tenure, MSNS faced some of its most difficult times--enrollment dropped severely due to World War I, funding for the School was inadequate, dormitory space was insufficient, and the pay scale for teachers was poor. In response to some of these challenges he initiated an enrollment campaign to attract more students, reorganized the school's administration, introduced the first summer session in 1918 and was instrumental in getting the State to adopt a system of teacher certification. In 1920, he left his position as Principal to become the Superintendent of Schools in Baltimore. He held this position for five years and in 1926 went to the University of Miami in Florida to become its first Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

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