7The University of Massachusetts Lowell owes its origins to two institutions founded in the 1890s. In 1894, the state authorized the founding of the Lowell Normal School, an institution that trained teachers for the state's public school system. In 1895, the state also authorized the founding of Lowell Textile School to encourage research in new technologies related to textile manufacture. Over the decades, the two schools on opposite sides of the Merrimack River grew. Lowell Normal became Lowell Teacher's College in 1932 and then Lowell State College in 1960, and Lowell Textile became Lowell Technological Institute in 1953. In 1975, the state merged the two institutions to form the University of Lowell, which, in 1991, became part of the UMass system. University of Massachusetts Lowell: 125 Years draws from a rich array of historical images to honor the school's past and present and preserve the memory of students, faculty, staff, buildings, and events.