During this position of full time tutor at the Latin School, C. B. Palmer founded and edited the , which happens to be Nebraska's first teachers' journal. spoke positively about Palmer in an editorial in their April 1877 issue.

On June 26, 1877, the Board of Regents appointed C. B. Palmer as the new Principal of the Latin School. In addition to this appointment, the Regents also outlined his responsibilities in his new position. His duties included the supervision of the entrance examinations and student discipline. This action by the Regents was significant because it is the first time since the establishment of the Latin School that the responsibilities and duties of the Principal were clearly stated.

Palmer Faces Problems

One of the problems that Palmer tried to address once installed in his position as Principal was that of the entrance examinations. He insisted that all applicants whether they were applying to the University proper or the preparatory department take the same exams. The faculty agreed with Palmer but, added that such exams should be administered to those who planned to pursue university work beyond the Latin School. Palmer managed to assert his ideas and because of the stringent regulation of the entrance examinations, enrollment into the Latin School dropped significantly. On the other hand, the scholastic standards of the preparatory department rose.

He also tackled the concern of the nature of the principal-ship position. The principal and faculty battled each other regarding the organizational and procedural jurisdiction. Does the Principal have total jurisdiction of the Latin School or should the faculty be able to lay claim to some jurisdiction? The faculty argued that Article 13 of the University charter which gave the faculty the prerogative to govern its own college and Section 12 which excluded tutors from membership in the faculty. It is clear that the faculty never really considered the higher tutors of the Latin School a part of the faculty. Without this respect, it is easy to see how the preparatory students would act towards the Principal. Palmer wanted to solidify his position's jurisdiction. This problem was never completely resolved.

Despite this set back, conditions improved temporarily. Student discipline and disciplinary action became more organized and defined. Students who missed class, or who were absent without permission reported to the Principal for disciplinary action, than to other faculty members. The function of the Principal as administrator, instructor, and counselor including a scholar was clearly defined and became a real position during Palmer's first year as Principal. During the reign of Palmer, the Latin School started to take on a strong identity as a preparatory school for the University. Regardless of the progress Palmer made for the Latin School, in June 1880, he was dismissed by the Board of Regents.