The Thomasites built upon the Spanish school system created in 1863 and the contributions laid down by the U.S. Army. They built elementary schools and learning institutions such as the Philippine Normal School, formerly the "Escuela Normal de Maestros" during the Spanish period (now Philippine Normal University) and the Philippine School of Arts and Trades, formerly the "Escuela Central de Artes y Oficios de Manila" (now Technological University of the Philippines) in 1901, the Tarlac High School on September 21, 1902 and the Quezon National High School, also in 1902.