▁of ▁Maryland ▁State ▁Normal ▁School ▁( now ▁Tow son ▁University ). ▁ ▁West ▁was ▁Maryland ▁educated ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁Baltimore ▁City ▁College . ▁He ▁earned ▁both ▁his ▁B . A . ▁and ▁Ph . D . ▁degrees ▁from ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁University . ▁West ▁possessed ▁had ▁an ▁impress ive ▁academic ▁background , ▁teaching ▁at ▁all ▁levels ▁from ▁primary ▁to ▁college . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁Dr . ▁West ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁principal ▁of ▁the ▁Normal ▁School . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁MS NS ▁faced ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁most ▁difficult ▁times . ▁R n roll ment ▁dropped ▁sever ely ▁due ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁School ▁was ▁in ade qu ate , ▁d orm itory ▁space ▁was ▁ins u fficient , ▁and ▁pay ▁scale ▁for ▁teachers ▁was ▁poor . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁West ▁left ▁his ▁position ▁as ▁Princi pal ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁Super int endent ▁of ▁School s ▁in ▁Baltimore . ▁He ▁held ▁this ▁position ▁for ▁five ▁years ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Miami ▁in ▁Florida ▁to ▁become ▁its ▁first ▁Dean ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Liberal ▁Arts . ▁As ▁Princi pal ▁of ▁the ▁Normal ▁School , ▁Dr . ▁West ▁initi ated ▁an ▁en roll ment ▁campaign ▁to ▁attract ▁more ▁students , ▁re organ ized ▁the ▁school ' s ▁administration , ▁introduced ▁the ▁first ▁summer ▁session ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁and ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁getting ▁the ▁State ▁to ▁adopt ▁a