County and winning the right to host the new normal school, Stevens Point Normal School opened on September 17, 1894, with 201 students. In addition to teacher preparation, "domestic science" (home economics) and conservation education were offered; the latter formed the basis for the College of Natural Resources.
The Board of Regents selected Theron B. Pray as the first President of the University and allowed the hiring of 12 more faculty members.
=== 20th century to present ===
Early 20th-century enrollment growth spurred campus expansion, including west and east wings added to Old Main in 1901 and 1914 respectively, and a domestic science cottage named Sims Cottage in 1915. In 1913, the state authorized the first dormitory in the normal school system, Nelson Hall, completed in 1915. The Orthman Rural Demonstration School was built in 1923, and a training school, now the Communication Arts Center, was approved in 1926. The domestic science cottage and the rural demonstration school were both demolished …
