In 1907, forty women graduated from the Gorham Normal School. One of them was Marion Dianne Corbett Sheahan, sitting in the first row, 7th from left.

Established in 1878, the Gorham Normal School was the precursor to today's University of Southern Maine school. The Normal School movement quickly gained popularity across the United States in the late 1800s as a venue for women to attend college. The schools trained teachers to use standards, or norms, hence its name. Normal schools included a laboratory for learning, using model classrooms complete with children, as a way for teachers to practice their new skills.