John Ogden was born in Ohio in 1824. At age 19, while working as a blacksmith, he broke his arm. Unable to work at his trade for quite some time, he entered teaching, and found it so rewarding that he made it his life's work.

Ogden was clearly a well-qualified individual to oversee the new school when it was opened for admission on Sept. 2, 1860 (Winona State Normal School was founded in 1858, and during the following 18 months the curriculum was created, the faculty recruited, and class meeting space arranged.)

Prior to coming to Minnesota, Ogden studied and taught in the Ohio Wesleyan University, was principal of a school in Columbus, Ohio, and later president of the Hopedale Normal School.

Principal Ogden declared that education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, "but the development of the whole character of the individual, physically, educationally, morally, and religiously."

Mr. Ogden resigned from Winona State on Dec. 14, 1861, and joined other Minnesotans who fought in the Civil War. He wrote, "the country calls louder for my poor service just now then the schools does."