Giulio Giannelli (1960-1964)

Giannelli was a historian who directed the School in the early 1960s, at a time when universities in Italy saw the student population grow by 40%. There was an internal debate on how the Scuola Normale might fit into the new context of university for the masses.

Giannelli believed the Scuola should focus on post-graduate studies as a training centre for scholars, rather than as a preparatory school for teachers.

In 1961 the board of directors called for a seminar-like teaching mode: training became increasingly research-oriented.

In 1963, a presidential decree increased the duration of the postgraduate courses at the School from one year to two.

In 1963, the first two student representatives took part in the board of directors.

In 1963 the School celebrated its 150th anniversary, not in terms of when it was founded but the year it actually began its activities. The historian Delio Cantimori chose this moment to promote critical research on the Scuola's history.