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

Page 27 text:

Academic Building, 1877 Historical Sketch of the Agricultural and A(echanical Qollege of ' Texas f’lP ' HE A. and M. College of Texas was j[ established in conformity with an Act of Congress approved by President Lin¬ coln, July 2, 1862. This law is called the Morrill Act, from its author, Senator J. S. Morrill of Vermont, who carried on a valiant fight for its passage over a period of five years in the face of much opposition. It is also known as the Land Grant Act, because of the provision that for each Senator and Representative in Congress 30,000 acres of land be donated to each State for the establishment of an institution of higher learning, “where the leading object shall be, without ex¬ cluding scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.” The provisions of the Land Grant Act were accepted by the Legislature of Texas November 1, 1866, and an Act providing for the establishment of the A. and M. College of Texas was passed by the Legislature April 17, 1871. This Act also provided for the appointment of three commissioners charged with the duty of selecting a suitable location for the College. After careful investigation the Commission accepted the offer of the citizens of Brazos County, and located the College on a tract of 2,416 acres, five miles south of Bryan. The initial meeting of the first Board of Directors of the College was held at Bryan June 1, 1875. This Board was composed of the following members: Richard Coke, Governor; R. B. Hubbard, Lieutenant-Governor; Guy M. Bryan, Speaker of the House; B. H. Davis and C. S. West. The Presidency of the College was tendered to Jefferson Davis, who found it necessary to decline the offer. The College was opened on October 4, 1876. Six students presented themselves for enrollment on the first day; however, before the year was over, a total of 106 had matriculated. Difficulties were encountered from the beginning. The faculty was composed of men trained in the classical fields, and although of high scholarship they seemed unable to grasp the real significance of the law under which the College was established. Consequently, for the first three or four years the College was little more than a clas¬ sical school with the military feature top-grafted, in order to comply with the provision of the Land Grant Act re¬ quiring the teaching of Military Science. Little thought was given to the leading purpose of the school—to teach those branches of learning related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. The state of affairs soon caused dissatis¬ faction in the student body and resulted in much criticism of the College throughout the state. Dissensions now arose within the faculty and finally, in the summer of 1879, all but two members of the faculty were asked to resign. In November, 1879, the College was turned over to a new faculty with instruc¬ tions to work out a plan of reorganization. The new faculty, headed by Colonel John James as President, presented its plan in July, 1880. They found that the College had been conducted on the university plan of elective studies, and that no real in¬ struction had ever been given in agricul¬ ture and the mechanic arts; on the other hand, it seemed that a sentiment antag¬ onistic to these studies had been fostered, which accounted for its failure to receive the support of intelligent public opinion. It was recommended that the elective system of classical studies be abolished and Academic Building, 1926 Page 21