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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1915)
LOCAL HISTORY OF A. & AA. COLLEGE THE COLLEGE REALIZES ITS PUR POSES—ACCOUNT CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. THE JAMES ADMINISTRA TION. After the wholesale expulsion of the first faculty, Garland James was elected second president and served from 1879 to 1882. He clearly saw the cause of the recent trouble and worked out and recommended to the board of directors a plan by which the true purposes for which the college was founded could be carried out. To quote Prof. Smith: “He recom mended instead of the elective system of studies adopted by the first faculty ‘a well arranged curriclum’ as giving more satisfactory general results. He cordially recommended the early adoption of a plan of ‘instruction in agriculture and the mechanic arts.’ He said, ‘The present farm, about 80 acres, is entirely too small and $2,500 would fence the adjoining 600 acres of the college domain east of the rail road, giving land enough for gardens, orchards, staple crops, stock pasture, experiments, ornamental grounds— and buy what additional implements may be needed. At present, the Agri cultural Department cannot possibly be conducted as a means of practical instruction with any material profit to the students, a fact recognized by them, as this report shows no stu dents taking the course.’ “His recommendations for a Me chanical Department, based on the report of the Boston Institute of Tech nology, were adopted and partly put in practice the ensuing year. “The radical changes made by the new board were considered by many rash in the extreme, and not a few predicted that so complete a repudia tion of the time-honored schemes of education would bring utter ruin to the institution.” From 1881 to 1887 there were two prescribed courses, the Agricultural and the Mechanical, but no degrees were given. THE DINWIDDIE PERIOD. When the board of directors met in June, 1882, they found much import ant work to be done. The president of the college had resigned in March, the professor of agriculture had sig nified his intention of resigning at the end of the session, and the professor of languages had died in February. During the meeting of the directors the professor of mechanics also re signed. At a special meeting in July the office of president was abolished, a business agent was appointed to superintendent the improvements and manage the finances, and the faculty was given the privilege of selecting one of its own number to discharge the academic duties of the president. The faculty elected H. H. Dinwiddie as its chairman. Mr. Dinwiddie had become professor of physics and chemistry in 1879, and after his elec tion as chairman served until his death in 1887. We infer that he was a much loved man because we find a marble tablet in his honor embedded in the wall of the chapel back of the roStrum. New Courses; New Buildings. During this period the efficiency of the public schools of Texas and the equipment of the college itself in creased so much that the need of a revision in the curriculum became evident. Accordingly, in 1888 the pre paratory class was abolished and the course was expanded to four years. There were then four prescribed courses, the Agricultural, the Horti cultural, the Civil Engineering and the Mechanical Enineering, all leading to the Bachelor’s degree. In the late ’80s the M. E. Building, Assembly Hall, Austin Hall, and Pfeuffer Hall were built, showing that the college had taken on a spurt of prosperity after its ten years of slow growth. Some Old Timers. In 1882 Robert F. Smith entered the employment of the college as assis tant professor of mathematics and yet remains in the services of the col lege as associate professor of mathe matics. In 1886 F. E. Giesecke graduated from this college and was that fall assistant professor of Mechanical En gineering. In 1888 he was given en tire charge of the drawing department and subsequently drew the plans for a great portion of the buildings on the campus. We understand that build ings are yet being located on the cam pus according to plans he drew up. In 1884 William B. Philpot graduat ed from A. and M. and was two years later offered the position of assistant professor of English and History, which position he accepted. In 19100 when the departments of English and History were made separate, he was elected associate professor and a year later head of the department of Eng lish. In his career here he was active in the Alumni Association and took an active interest in student ac tivities. In 1888 Rev. C. P. Fountain, now professor of English, was elected the first chaplain of the college, and has ever since, except a period of 7 or 8 years when he was absent from the college,indentified himself with all movements for the social and moral uplift of the student body. He served as chaplain for two years. Previous to his time chapel services were held every morning just after reveille, and regular services were held at 3 p. m. on Sundays by Bryan ministers in turn. In the fall of 1888 Dr. Mark Francis accepted the position of professor of veterinary science at A. and M., and his work since along scientific lines has been of inestimable value to the (State of Texas. In his later years he developed eccentricities of manner which have been the cause of unceas ing delight to his pupiils, and his shrewd yet kindly manner has so en deared him to the hearts of the cadets that now not even an engineering stu dent could be found who does not know him by sight. Ross Volunteers Organized. In the fall of ’87 a company known as the Scott Voluiteers was organized and retained that name until the fall of ’90, when it took the name of Ross Volnuteers. This change of name was made by the members in honor of General Sull Ross, who had become president and who was much respected by and very popular with the company. Since the breaking up of the Austin Literary Society, the Ross Volunteers have been the oldest student organiza tion on the campus. THE MclNNIS PERIOD. Experiment Station Established. Upon the death of Mr. Dinwiddie, L. L. Mclnnis became chairman of the faculty. While iie was chairman an event of great importance took place. By an act of Congress in 1887 $15,000 was appropriated for the establish ment of an agricultural experiment station in each State. The Texas Ex periment Station was accordingly es tablished at College Station in 1888, and since done much for the advance ment of scientific agriculture in Texas. If the founders of A. and M. had had sufficient foresight to establish! an ex periment station to gather agricultu ral knowledge before they set up a college to teach it, the troublous times of ’79 might have been averted. Alumni Association Organized. In 1889 the Alumni Association was organized, with J. W. Carson, ’86, as president; B. C. Pittuck, vice-presi dent, and F. E. Giesecke, secretary. The association has ever since had considerable influence on the college, both locally and politically. In ’89 Charles Puryear came to the college as associate professor of Civil Engineering; in ’90 he was appointed professor of Mathematics, and he later became dean of the college and served for a year as president. J. C. Nagle, professor of Civil Engi neering; Hilge Ness, professor of Botany, and Dr. Thomas C. Bittle, (chaplain of the college, and later pro fessor of Languages, all entered A. and M. about 1890, and played important roles in the work of the institution during the next few years. DELEGATES DISCUSS STUDENT GOVERNMENT. An interesting feature that occurred during the l. M. C. A. Convention was the meeting of men interested in stu dent government. Several schools that had student government were rep resented. The plans of government at the different schools were brought out. Several Junior colleges and academies were represented. While these classes of schools, as a rule, have no student government, they exprest their intention of inaugrating such a movement. It was decided that at the Press Club meeting in Austin this spring a meeting of student govern ment representatives would be held for the purpose of making this feature of college life a stronger one and to form a union by which the various schools could be helped. A move ment was inaugurated to encourage student government in high schools and academies, and the help of the press is asked in this endeavor. Those present were C. W. Christen- berry, T. C. U.; Sam West, San Marcos Baptist Academy; E. M. Ellison, Aus tin College; K. E. Grerner, Southwest ern; S. E. Green, Wesley College; W. R. Linn, Texas University; J. Sehlton, Texas A. and M.; L. P. Sherrill, Austin College; R. G. Baker, Texas Univer sity; G. H. Blanton, Trinity; Pat Caaa, Coronal Institute; W. R. McGaugh, Wesley College; Henry Baker, Can yon; J. B. Matloch, Howard Payne; R. H. Faber, Texas A. and M. TIkg CHARLOTTESVILLE WOOLEN MILLS Charlottesville, Va. Manufacturers of HIGH GRADE UNIFORM CLOTHES For Army, Navy, Letter Carriers, Police and Railroad Purposes. And the largest assortment and best quality of Cadet Greys, in cluding those used at the United States Military Academy, at West Point and other leading military schools of the country. 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