This article examines the transitions that occurred in the institutions of elementary teacher education in the province of Ontario, Canada, between 1960 and 1974. In that time period, elementary school teacher education moved from its historic location in a government institution to a university-based professional school. This article argues that, while the move to the universities may look like a "quiet transformation", it was, in fact, a radical reorientation for the students and staff. The paper examines how gender, professional status and professional knowledge shaped and were shaped by this transformation. A list of notes and references is provided.