Texas A and M University - Aggieland Yearbook (College Station, TX)

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invested in 6 per cent, bonds, the Leg-islature, by changfe in the law, could authorize its use for any purpose con¬ nected with the support and maintenance of the College, “but not to the purchase, erection, preservation or repairing of any building or buildings.” In addition to the bonded fund above mentioned, the Agricultural and Mechanical College is interested in the million acres of land granted by Section 15, Article 7, of the Constitution to the University of Texas and its branches, for by Section 13 of the same article, said College is made and constituted a branch of said Univer¬ sity. The Legislature fulfilled its obligation by providing for its location in an act approved April 17th, 1871, and by making appropriations aggregating $187,000, for buildings and equipments necessary for putting the insti¬ tution into operation. The county of Brazos secured its location within its limits by donating to the State the present College tract of land of 2,410 acres. Article 3685, Chapter 2, of the revised statutes, embodies the personnel of the first Board of Directors, composed of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and one Director from each Congressional district. Governor Richard Coke, Lieutenant Governor R. B. Hubbard, Speaker Guy M. Bryan, B. H. Davis and C. S. West, met at Bryan, June 1st, 1875, to organize and put the College into operation. But after full investigation it was deemed impracticable to effect a full and com¬ plete organization of the College at this meeting, and a committee of Governor Coke and C. S. West was appointed to prepare and present to the next Legislature an address recommending more specific legislation upon the powers and duties of the Directors, and in regard to number, character and methods of appointing beneficiary

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agricultural department was embodied or made promi¬ nent. The introduction of the present system of shop instruction and practice, primarily for the benefit of students in the department of Mechanical ICng-ineering-, owes its origin to the Centennial Exposition, held at Phila¬ delphia, in 1876, at which the Russian Government made an exhibit of the Russian system of shop-work and instruction. The great features of simplicity and comparative inexpensiveness characteristic of this system, so com¬ mended it to practical educators for its wonderful adapta¬ tion to the ends desired, that in the autumn of the same year, (1876), the Boston School of Technolog-y adopted and put it into practice at once, and it soon found favor in all the Land-grant Colleges. By joint resolution, approved November 1st, 1871, the Legislature of Texas formally accepted the pro¬ visions of the Congressional acts, and the State received from the general government script for 180,000 acres of land, the proceeds of which constituted the frst perma¬ nent endowment fund of the College. This fund is now invested in Texas 7 per cent, gold frontier defense bonds to the amount of $174,000. By an act of August 21st, 1876, it was made the duty of the State Board of Education to collect the interest due up to the end of the fiscal year, and invest all of it except $12,000 in 6 per cent. State bonds. An investment has been made to the amount of $35,000, so that the endowment fund now stands as follows: Seven per cent gold bonds.......................... $174,000 Six per cent, gold bonds........................... 35,000 Total principal........................... 209,000 Total annual interest............................... $14,280 With respect to the $174,000 seven per cent, bonds, these constitute a permanent fund, but as to the $35,000

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scholars to be admitted from different parts of the State; also recommending- an additional appropriation to put the Colleg-e into operation. After further determinings that the Faculty should consist of a President and five Pro¬ fessors to be elected at the next meeting- of the Board, they elected Jefferson Davis, President, but he declined the honor on account of a prior business eng-agfement. The Collegfe was formally opened for the admission of students October 4th, 1876. The first Board of Di¬ rectors had entered upon the discharg-e of their duties under conditions of the most embarrassing character. There was nothing- in the experience of the past to gfuide them; there were few models for imitation. Similar in¬ stitutions in other States were still groping- in the dark. It was not an easy matter to find instructors whose train¬ ing and inclinations fitted them for work in the new educational scheme, instructors who would be able to arrange the outline of instruction in harmony with the purposes of the College for a course of four years. There was no time to acquire familiarity with the methods of other institutions. By an act of the Legislature, approved March 30th, 1881, the Board of Directors was made to consist of five members to be appointed by the Governor, and to be se¬ lected from different sections of the State ; to hold office for six years or during good behavior. They were to re¬ ceive their actual expenses incurred in attending the meeting of the Board. A later act made the Commis¬ sioner of Agriculture, Insurance and History, a member ex-officio, to fill the first vacancy. It would be a pleasing- task to recount the names of all who have served on this Board at different times. The record of their unselfish labors will endure as long as the College exists. The above mentioned act of March 30th, 1881, not only changed the number of directors, but marked a new policy by providing for the admission and