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Page 27 text:
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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
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Page 28 text:
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that a curriculum, four years in length, be substituted in which proper emphasis would be placed on agriculture and the mechanic arts—with enough literary work to give the student a well-rounded educa¬ tion. It was especially urged that the courses in agriculture and the mechanic arts be made highly technical and that the College should under no condition be made a manual labor school, where the student would be turned into an ordinary field hand or mechanic. These recommendations were accepted by the Board of Directors and thus the College embarked upon its real mission. President James and his faculty had a proper appreciation of the importance of agriculture and the industries in the devel¬ opment of the state. During the three years of his administration the College exerted every effort to put this new type of education on a firm basis, with reasonable success, considering the limited development of these fields of knowledge, particularly agriculture. Two courses of study were established—agri¬ culture and mechanics. In the session of 1881-82 there were 41 students in agriculture and 159 in mechanics, the disproportion being due to the more attractive equipment of the mechanical department and to the miscon eption of the true nature and objective of agricultural instruction. President James resigned on April 1, 1882. He was succeeded by H. H. Dinwiddie, Professor of Physics and Chemistry in the College, who was given the title of Chairman of the Faculty. He continued the work of his pred¬ ecessors in building up the two courses of study, giving particular attention to the Agricultural course, which was not popular with the students and being subjected to criticism from the outside. It was also decided to change the courses of study from four years to three years, to give the diploma, but not a degree, upon completion of either course. However, a fourth year would be arranged for any student desiring it, such work leading to one of the three degrees—Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineer, or Mechanical Engineer. Professor Dinwiddie died on December 11, 1887, and was succeeded by L. L. Mclnnis, Professor of Mathe¬ matics, as Chairman of the Faculty. Steady advancement was made in all departments of the College under Chair¬ man Mclnnis, and the student body grew from 211 to 326 in the four years of his administration. The courses of study were again extended to four years, and the degrees of B. S., B. S. A., B. C. E., and B. M. E., replaced those offered previously. New buildings were erected, new equipment was installed, and the College began to feel that a permanent foundation had been laid for a larger measure of service to the s ate. On July 1, 1890, the Presidency of the College was offered to General L. S. Ross, then Governor of Texas. Chairman Mclnnis had resigned to enter the field of banking. After careful deliberation, Governor Ross announced his acceptance of the position, and entered upon his duties in February, 1891. His letter of acceptance was a mas¬ terly document, showing a deep knowledge of the agricultural and industrial needs of the state and the part the college should play in their development. The statesmanship and administrative ability of President Ross was quickly felt in the life of the College. The faculty was improved, courses of study strengthened, and an unusual spirit of harmony pervaded the entire institution. President Ross adopted the policy of ad¬ mitting no more students than the College could properly accommodate, and many students were turned away each year as a result. His remarkable personality, his wide influence and the implicit confidence placed in him by the public generally, soon gave the College a warm place in the hearts of the people of Texas. President Ross died January 3, 1898. Professor R. H. Whitlock, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was appointed President pro tern., and the following June Hon. L. L. Foster, a former member of the Board of Directors, was elected President of the College. President Foster assumed his duties on July 1, 1898. Page 22
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