During the late 1850s Geography was part of the Natural Science "Department" which offered courses in Chemistry, Botany, Physics, (e.g. Electricity and Electro-Magnetism), Natural Philosophy, and Geology. Programming not only emphasized the dispersal of knowledge to future teachers but also aimed "to strengthen his power of imparting knowledge to others." (MSNS, 1858, p. 31). Thus both method and content were on equal footing.

A second-year course entitled "Local Geography" used a text of the same title by White. The course was taught with globes, outline maps and the practice of map drawing.QbA. p. 37) A course in drawing was also offered to run parallel with a course in natural science to "enable the learner to copy from nature." (ibid. pp. 36-37). Within a decade (MSNS, 1869, p. 29) geography was listed in bold type as a separate "department" and had drawing under its wing. Three courses were taken by students. The first included the distribution of physical elements of the United States and the second embraced the continents and oceans to include biogeography, the "races of men," and political subdivisions. An advanced course, General Comparative Geography, as formatted by the eminent German geographer Carl Ritter in Germany, appeared as a potpourri of topics beyond general description: the origin of the earth and its interior, "action of man upon the earth," Geography as a Science, Classifications of Geography and Methods, and if time allowed many other selected topics (MSNS, 1869, p. 30).

The dichotomy of geography and perhaps administrative indecision continued to shuffle the subject. In 1873, Geology and Physical Geography were housed with Natural and

Physical Sciences along with Physiology, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry and Astronomy. Geography was offered independently as a general review course for deficient incoming students because "a good common school knowledge of Geography is one of the conditions for admission to the School." MSNS, 1874 p. 17).

The structure and offerings remained essentially unaltered until the mid 1880s, which saw the arrival of John Goodison. Born in Sheffield, England, Goodison accompanied his father on sketching tours in Britain and later assisted him in arranging the interior decor of the British Museum in London (Putnam, 1899, p. 74). He eventually arrived in Ypsilanti, entered the Normal and graduated in 1860. He occasionally taught geography and drawing but had a permanent position with D. Appleton and Co. as their Michigan book agent in Detroit. In 1885 he was reappointed to his old department in Ypsilanti.

Under Natural Science, Geology appears to have been better represented at this time. Lucy Osband was instrumental in upgrading geological and biological specimens. Minerals were acquired from upper Michigan (through the precursor office of the U.S. Geological Survey) and from Colorado. A collection of Mollusca of Michigan was established through donations. Osband also acquired fish specimens from the great naturalist Louis Agassiz's personal collection. In geography the introductory course content was expanded from physical and place name geography to include anthropogeography ( "Man as dependent upon the physical condition of the Earth's surface; The Earth's surface as modified by the action of Man").