Page 4
College Station, Texas
Friday, March 25, 1960
THE BATTALIO
A&M’s First 13 Presidents From 1876 to 1959
Thomas S. Gathright John G. James Lawrence S. Ross
Since A&M was founded in 1876,
the college has had 24 administra
tions, while only 14 men have of
ficially been named as president
of the college, two of which have
served two terms in the office.
Through the stories of these men,
fine can see the history of A&M
and its development from a small
school situated on a bleak, barren
section of land to the great edu
cational center it is today.
T. S. Gathright
1876-79
Thomas Gathright, the first ad
ministrator of A&M, came to serve
in his appointed position in 1876
upon the recommendation of Jef
ferson Davis, who had been offer
ed the position but declined it. At
the time Gathright took charge of
the college, the campus was a
rather bleak section of prairie
with no town near it. But aside
from accommodation problems ex
isting, Gathright had more wide
spread problems within his fac
ulty and staff.
A man of rugged virtues, stern
in discipline, exacting in standards,
Gathright was sometimes lacking
in tact. He held a hearty dislike
for the military features of the
land-grant college system, al
though he and his commandant
laid the foundation for the re
nowned Aggie esprit de corps. In
1879, faculty-presidential relations
were frayed, due to differences in
philosophy of education, lack of
equipment, increasing enrollment
and the fact that the campus it
self was nothing more than a wild
bleak piece of prairie land.
Gathright also found opposition
in the citizens of the state, who
were possibly expecting too much
in too short a time, in the way of
agricultural development. The
staff of the college was not ade
quately prepared to carry on a
curriculum in agriculture, and men
of training in philosophy and the
ology were placed in the Depart
ment of Agriculture. An academic
housecleaning was ordered by the
board in 1879 and it was decided
by the inspecting committee that
it would be practically impossible
to eliminate wholly the friction ex
isting between the various mem
bers of the faculty, thus the solu
tion lay in dismissing the entire
faculty and staff, from the presi
dent on down and to-start ever.
J. G. James
1879-83
Col. John Garland James, super
intendent of Texas Military Insti
tute, Austin, Texas, was elected
to succeed President Gathright in
1879.
His administration was marked
by a reorganization of curricula
to comply with the original aims
of the college. He instituted new
courses, especially in agriculture
and the mechanical arts, that were
better designed to give technical
instruction. He and his faculty im
mediately set about utilizing the
college farm for use in agriculture
experimentation, and in his first
report to the board, James em
phasized the necessity of reorgan
izing the courses of study and
placing the college curricula under
a practical system.
James was not only an educator,
scholar and teacher; he was a
graduate of Virginia Military In
stitute, serving in the Civil War,
and instructing in several military
schools in the South before taking
charge of Texas Military Institute.
He was also a business man, aiding
in the establishment of new banks
and businesses not limited simply
to Texas. He was appointed by
the Secretary of Navy to be a
member of the board of visitors of
the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, being the first in
Texas on that board.
James introduced effective mili
tary training at A&M, similar to
that he had received at Virginia
Military Institute. But even with
the improvements, the year 1883
began another complete faculty re
organization, and the board called
upon James R. Cole to assume the
position of acting president.
L. S. Ross
1891-98
Between 1883 and 1891, -the of
fice of “faculty chairman” was
held by various men, including H.
H. Dinwiddie and L. L. Mclnnis.
Then, in June 1890, Governor Law
rence Sullivan Ross was asked to
occupy the president’s seat at
A&M. Ross, a distinguished Con
federate soldier, Indian fighter,
statesman and ruler of men, came
to head the struggling - college,
I with the confidence and support
of the citizens of Texas. Parents
often sent their sons to Sul Ross,
not to college, entrusting them in
his care at A&M.
During Ross’ term as presi
dent, numerous buildings were
erected on the campus and the
landscaping was improved. This
was the beginning of a new era
and time of growth for A&M. At
the time when “Sully” became
president, it was quite apparent
that the institution needed a head
who possessed the administrative
qualifications, the broad experi
ence, the strong political connec
tions and strong character of Law
rence Sullivan Ross.
As the college grew, so did the
acceptance of Ross and the peo
ple of Texas grow, and the college
assumed its height of popular es-
teer and prestige up to that time
Inventoried for the first time in
its history, the property of the
college system in 1893 had reached
the value of $389,502.64.
L. L. Foster
1898-01
In 1898, Lafayette L. Foster be
came president of the college, a
man precise in his business habits
and dogged in his devotion to duty.
Foster paid particular attention
to the physical needs of the col
lege, and branch experimental sta
tions were set up. In truth, he
was a worthy successor of Gov.
Ross in the power over the youth
that came under his direction, for
he had not only the unswerving
loyalty of his students while he
was their president, but also the
deep respect of his fellow workers
and associates.
Foster died an untimely death
of pneumonia, and many resolu
tions were passed which hold ade
quate proof of the high regard in
which he was held. His appre
ciation went far beyond the aca
demic circles, for the local and
state newspapers carried both edi
torials and news articles on his
career and the great loss to the
state that was brought about by
his death.
Foster was an exponent for the
practical education of the men at
tending A&M College in 1900. In
addition to his own words of prac
tical wisdom on education which
became widespread during his
term of office, Foster was respon
sible for forming a new college
catalogue, filled with illustrations
of campus life and facilities, and
soundly organized, through his
efforts, industrial education took
a step forward within the educa
tional system of A&M.
D. F. Houston
1902-05
David F. Houston served as
president of the college from 1902-
1905, coming to assume the posi
tion from a professorship at the
University of Texas, where he
taught in the Department of Polit
ical Science.
Houston was not a native Tex
an, coming from South Carolina,
and being a graduate of Harvard.
The educational outlook and aca
demic policy of Houston were in
fluenced considerably by his own
scholarly training and studious
habits. Immediately upon his as
suming control of the college,
many changes were made in the
faculty, requirements for admis
sion and in the courses of study.
To fill vacancies in this new
teaching staff, the new adminis
trator selected the strongest and
most capable men available in their
fields of technical training. He
made it very plain to his co-work
ers and associates that the courses
of studies to be followed at A&M
should be comparable with those
in like institutions and that their
students should not be embarrass
ed when they proposed to do grad
uate work in other colleges or to
transfer to other schools.
Some considered the educator
stern and not-understanding in the
problems of his students, but sel
dom were such opinions justified.
Houston was president during a
time when A&M was gaining in
popularity because of the success
of the graduates who had gone out
into the fields of business and in
dustry.
He strengthened the frame of
men coming out of A&M by mak
ing the entrance requirements and
degree requirements somewhat
stiff, and in doing this, he aided
very much in the development of
a fast-growing industrial and tech
nical school. In 1905, he resigned
to become president of the Univer
sity of Texas.
H. H. Harrington
1905-08
Following Houston was H. H.
Harrington, whose administration
from 1905-1908 was noted for rapid
and sound expansion of the col
lege. The president had scientific
training and a comprehensive con
cept of the workings of a college,
and he instilled his knowledge to
produce a better A&M. But dis-
sention arose between the student
body, the faculty, and the presi
dent, because of the dismissal of
several of the employees of the
college. The student body prepar
ed and signed a petition to have
the executive dismissed. After the
proposal was ignored by the board,
a strike not to attend class was
begun by the students, and Har
rington resigned.
R. T. Milner
1908-13
In 1908, Robert T. Milner, di
rector ex-officio as Commissioner
of Agriculture, distinguished citi
zen, man of affairs, long a news
paper publisher, assumed the pres
idency of the college after Har
rington. Milner was familiar with
the agricultural and industrial
needs and conditions of the state
and he set about to train men to
fill positions to alleviate these
needs. Otherwise eminently out
standing from the point of view
of attendance and expanded activ
ities, the Milner administration
Was marred by another student
strike. In 1913, twenty-seven ca
dets were dismissed for hazing,
the student body, thereupon, very
promptly signed another petition
to remove the president. Milner
resigned, and Charles Puryear was
made acting president in 1913.
W. B. Bizzell
1914-25
William Bennett Bizzell was
elected president in August, 1914,
and made great advances in ex
panding the departments of the
school. Under the authority of the
president’s office, he created the
School of Veterinary Medicine,
The Graduate School and the
School of Arts and Sciences.
Bizzell had formerly served as
president of the College of Indus
trial Arts, later to be known as
TWU, and through the experience
he received in this position, he
was able to make the college more
efficient.
He inaugurated reform of the
college’s accounting system and
caused obligations to be settled
promptly. During his administra
tion, enrollment saw an increase
from 888 students in 1913 to 2,363
in 1924. During World War I, with
teaching facilities under the di
rection- of the secretaries of war
and navy, the college soon increas
ed its hours of military science of
fered to cadets, and hastened the
graduation of seniors in order
that they might enter training
camps as soon as possible. .
T. O. Walton
1925-43
Following Bizzell in 1925 was
Thomas Otto Walton, a country-
bred, farm-trained and highly in
formed individual on wise farm
practice and in the science of ag
riculture. Walton was one of the
first to realize the limitations of
the college executive, and conse
quently, he placed more authority
in the deans, directors and fiscal
officers of the college.
At no other time before his ad
ministration had a more cordial
state of mind existed between the
faculty and student body. Also,
settlement of the long standing
controversy with the University
of Texas over the “branch” prob
lem was completed. Under his ad
ministration, numerous dormitories
were built and other development
within the college increased its fa
cilities many times.
Gibb Gilchrist
1944-48
Gibb Gilchrist followed Walton
as president in 1943 and emphasis
during his administration was
placed on scholastic achievement
and faculty improvement. The
program designed for veterans was
outstanding. Perhaps the biggest
crisis in the history of the college
began and ended during this per
iod: the Revolution of 1947.
The college before this unpleas
ant incident had reached its zenith
as to size, facilities, and enroll
ment. The unsavory situation in
cluded such inglorious highlights
as cadet trials, public denounce
ments, mass meetings and state in
vestigations. Newspaper’s through-
count of the “College Station
Trouble” back to the folks at
home. A question of hazing soon
became a question of the status of
the Corps of Cadets.
F. C. Bolton
1948-50
Frank C. Bolton became the 11th
president of the college in 1948,
and was one of the most popular
ever to be inaugurated. His two-
year term included such improve
ments physically as the construc
tion of the Memorial Student Cen
ter, as well as strides in improv
ing the school academically.
Besides being one of the smooth
est and most efficient administra
tors of the college, Bolton was
noted in many different depart
ments, having served A&M for
over 40 years before taking the
presidency.
M. T. Harrington
1950-53
1957-59
In 1950, M. T. Harrington was
inaugurated as president of A&M.
Born at Plano, Tex., in 1901, Har
rington graduated from the Plano
Public Schools, then entered A&M,
graduating with a degree in chem
istry in 1922. Five years later he
completed a M.S. degree in chem
istry at A&M. In the interval be
tween these degrees he found em
ployment as a chemist with the
Texas Co., then with the Lone
Star Gas Co. He began teaching,
and studied at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, the uni
versities of Michigan and South
ern California and Iowa State Col
lege, where he received his Ph.D.
degree in 1941.
Promotions became a habit with
Harrington, entering A&M as a
student, then working as an in
structor, progressing to assistant
professor, associate professor, pro
fessor, assistant to dean of college
at Annex, Dean of Arts and Sci
ences, Acting Dean of the College
and finally president of the col
lege.
During Harrington’s adminis
tration, the organization of the
college was improved, with the
head of each part of the System
being asked to make a careful
study of the internal organization uum up unti
of his unit, of the relation of his James Earl Rudd
fices, and of problems which ha<
arisen in relations between his am
other parts of the system. Th<
building program which had beei
continuing at an even pace uj
until Harrington’s administration
was speeded up, and many nev
and modern buildings were adde<
to the college.
As advancements were beinj
made on the physical plant, si
were they springing up in the lab
oratories, as new techniques of bet
ter emthods of agriculture were be
ing discovered every day, especial!;
in the field of cotton growing dur
ing 1952.
D. H. Morgan
1953-56
On September 1, 1953, David l
Morgan was inaugurated as 13t
piesident of the college and Hai
rington was promoted to Chance
lor of the college. Morgan cam
to A&M in 1952 from Colorad
A&M, where he was dean of tl
college and dean of the Gradual
School. Morgan received his Bad
lor of Arts degree from the Un
versity of California in 1933, rm
joring in math, and in 1938, he r<
ceived his Ph.D. from the sam
university in education adminis
tration. He was at Colorado A&l
for six and one-half years befor
coming to A&M, before in whic
he rose from head of the Depart
ment of Education and Psycholog
to the deanships he held afte
coming to A&M.
During Morgan’s administratio
numerous advancements were mad
within the college, including th
re-organization of the Corps c
Cadets, organization of Studer
Personel Services, Student Healt
Semces Program and a Council c
Military College Presidents t
present the problems of thes
schools to the Department of Nr
tional Defense. He was also ir
strumental in strengthing the cm
ncula and raising scholastic stanc
aids, as well as raising the lew
ot faculty salaries. More parkin
°ts were created and gener;
campus beautification took plac
In 1956, Morgan resigned a
president of the college, and M. I
ar nngton was once again r<
urned to that position, which I
T!I. he i'" P _ untiI the ™ng <
!er as president