This article discusses the development of the first higher educational institution of the republic – the Mari State Pedagogical Institute named after N.K. Krupskaya in the early 1950s. The work on studying the history of the institute is an important indicator of respect for the rich historical heritage of the formation and development of the higher professional education system in the region. The purpose of the article is to study the most important events in the life of the Institute in the early 1950s, to determine the contribution of the head and teachers of the Institute to the training of teaching staff, to identify achievements in the field of research activities. The paper uses the documents from the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El and the archive of the Mari State University, published materials and scientific literature on the history of the Institute, introduced into scientific circulation. The methodological basis of the work was the principles of dialectics and historicism, objectivity and consistency of scientific analysis. Special historical methods were used: comparative-historical, problem-chronological, historical-biographical. The article allows us to expand our understanding of the activities of the pedagogical Institute in the early 1950s. During this period, the director of the institute was an experienced leader S. A. Korobov, who, together with the teaching staff, made a great contribution to the progressive development of the Institute. The growth of scientific qualifications of teaching staff contributed to a noticeable revival of the Institute's research activities. The opening of the Faculty of Foreign Languages was a major event in the life of the Institute. Much attention in the process of professional training of students was paid to pedagogical practice. At that time, the tradition of organizing and holding alumni meetings was born, during which they had the opportunity for close communication and exchange of teaching experience.