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
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Prescribed and used by the
Cadets of the
Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas
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