Art and Music Department Names

Instructional departments offering art and music classes have gone through a number of significant name changes over the course of UNI history. When the institution was founded in 1876, as the Iowa State Normal School, courses in art and music were offered in the Art Department. This was the department name until 1892, when the school began to go through its first major differentiation of subject matter and department re-organization. In 1892, the Art Department split into the Penmanship and Drawing Department and the Vocal and Instrumental Music Department. In 1894, the Penmanship and Drawing Department became the Drawing Department. The Drawing Department and the Vocal and Instrumental Music Department continued until 1896, when they both changed to simpler and more inclusive names. The Drawing Department became the Art Department, and the Vocal and Instrumental Music Department became the Music Department.

The Art Department persisted until 1907, when its programs were folded into the new Manual Arts Department. This unusual combination of Art and Vocational Education would recur, with Art emerging as an independent department and then returning to some sort of combined department. In this instance, art classes stayed in the Manual Arts Department just two years. In 1909 the Art Department emerged and remained independent until 1922, when it became part of the new Art and Manual Arts Department. This name was stable until 1935, when the name was simplified to Arts Department. In 1948 the Arts Department split into the Industrial Arts Department and the Art Department. The Art Department has remained an independent department since that time.

The Music Department name remained stable until 1909, when it began to go through a period of differentiation. In 1909, the Music Department split to become the Public School Music Department, Orchestral and Band Music Department, Pianoforte Music Department, and the Voice Department. It is not clear how substantial these differentiations were. Only one of these "departments" had a department head, for example, and each of the faculties was very small. But the catalogue notes these highly specialized groups, so we offer them here. This differentiation does establish the split between music for education (Public School Music) and music for performance (Orchestral and Band, Pianoforte, and Voice) that would exist for many years to come.

This array of departments lasted just two years. In 1911 there were only two music departments: the Music Department and the Violin, and Orchestral and Band Music Department. In 1916, the Violin, and Orchestral and Band Music Department simplified its name to Orchestral Music and stayed with that name until 1934. In 1919, the Music Department shifted to Public School Music for one year, after which it returned to Music Department. In 1929 it again changed to Public School Music before shifting back again to Music Department in 1931. In 1934, long-time head of the Music/Public School Music Department Charles A. Fullerton retired from the regular instructional faculty and moved to the Extension Division. The college took that opportunity to combine the Orchestral Music Department and the Music/Public School Music faculty into a single department called simply the Music Department. This name remained unchanged until 1978 when the department become the School of Music.

Both the Art Department and the Music Department (now School of Music) were departments in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts since its organization in 1968 until the colleges reorganized in 2011. From 2011 onward, they are in the College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences.

Please note that this information is not always regularly updated, may contain inaccuracies,  and may not be comprehensive. Patrons are encouraged to consult sources directly, and more detailed information about colleges, departments, programs, and other information may be found in the course catalogs. Patrons are always welcome to visit SC&UA or contact SC&UA staff at libarchives@uni.edu about consulting sources directly.

Chronology

1876-1892
Art

1892-1894
Penmanship and Drawing
Vocal and Instrumental Music

1894-1896
Drawing
Vocal and Instrumental Music

1896-1907
Art
Music

1907-1909
Manual Arts
Music

1909-1911
Art
Orchestral and Band Music
Pianoforte Music
Public School Music
Voice

1911-1916
Art
Music
Violin, and Orchestral and Band Music

1916-1919
Art
Music
Orchestral Music

1919-1920
Art
Orchestral Music
Public School Music

1920-1922
Art
Music
Orchestral Music

1922-1929
Art and Manual Arts
Music
Orchestral Music

1929-1931
Art and Manual Arts
Public School Music
Orchestral Music

1931-1934
Art and Manual Arts
Music
Orchestral Music

1934-1935
Art and Manual Arts
Music

1935-1948
Arts
Music

1948-1978
Art
Music

1978-present

Art
School of Music

​Information up until 2017 compiled by SC&UA faculty and staff prior to 2017. Updated by student assistant Noel Keil, June and July 2023.