The purpose of this website is to preserve the legacy of Malcolm Price Laboratory School and to engage dynamically with those who remember and appreciate its heritage. This website documents and celebrates the heritage of the Laboratory School at the University of Northern Iowa and highlights the innumerable contributions the school made to teacher education and professional development over the course of its 129-year history.

Lynn Nielsen, former student of MPLS, then faculty member in the elementary grades, father of two children who attended the school, and finally one of the school administrators, used his creative talents to determine how to record the legacy of the school.

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Dr. Nielsen became a master of the skills needed to build a website for the MPLS history and worked diligently using his artistic flair to establish a page prototype.  

When he had a model, he invited colleagues to meet with him.  Over time he had a team of four people, himself, Joan Duea, Judy Finkelstein and Barbara Lounsberry, meeting regularly to build on each other’s ideas. 

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A grant was received from the Finkelstein/Brewer family to enable Lynn Nielsen to use summers and a reduced teaching load to develop the content of the website. At Lynn's death in 2015, Sarah Eastman took on the vital role of Webmaster. In 2020 Dr. Robert Martin, University of Northern Iowa Emeritus Professor of History, and Katherine Martin, Professor Emerita, Rod Library, began the vast task of writing the formal 129-year history of the school: "The Lab School Story", the first part of which has been published here on our website. In 2023, Lab School teacher, parent and final Lab School Director Lyn Countryman joined the History Website Committee as well.

In the years since, many alumni and friends continue to make contributions to support the website project. Our Board continues Lynn's work to gather and share the history of our school and to honor Lynn's vision.

 

THE BUILDING MAY BE GONE BUT THE SPIRIT LIVES ON!