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

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The attendance continued to increase, and for the fifth conse utive year notices were sent to the papers of the state that no other students could be received. The various Legislatures had been disposed to act favorably on the earnest pleas of the College authorities for increased facilities, but the financial condition of the state seemed always such as to make it neces¬ sary to limit appropriations to the amount required for current expenses. The increased interest in the work of the College was caused, among other things, by the overcrowding of the pro¬ fessions and the rapid development of the industrial life of the country, which af¬ forded an inviting field to thousands of the nation’s finest young men. The students willingly accepted the crowded conditions existing in the College in order to receive the benefits of its instruction. President Foster died in 1902, and Dr. D. F. Houston of the University of Texas was appointed President. During his administration a number of important improvements were made, including a revision of the courses of study in order to provide more thorough technical training. The task of building curricula in courses of this kind had for many years been an experiment and few people knew just what subjects should be included. Among the lines of study which received emphasis were Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Textile Engineering, and in the course in Agriculture, options were offered which enabled the student to special¬ ize in Farm Husbandry, Plant Husbandry and Animal Husbandry. The Texas Textile School was established by an act of the Legislature in 1903, and marked the beginning of the development of the textile industry in the state. President Houston resigned in 1905 to become President of the University of Texas. Dr. H. H. Harrington, Professor of Chemistry in the College, was appointed to succeed Dr. Houston. President Harrington’s administra¬ tion was characterized by a decided increase in the number of students. At the time of his accession to the Presi¬ dency, the enrollment was 411; when he resigned, in 1908, the enrollment had increased to 625. The Legislature failed to provide dormitory facilities for the overflow in the student body and it became necessary to resort to tents to take care of those who could not be accommodated in the regular dormitories. This was the beginning of what became known as “Tent Row,” which occupied a prominent place in the affairs of the College for about seven years. In 1908, Colonel R. T. Milner, who had just served the state for several years as Commissioner of Agricul¬ ture, was appointed president of the College. Colonel Milner’s administration from 1908 to 1913, marked a turning point in the history of the College, as regards increase in equipment and in enrollment, and in expanding and strengthening the teaching staff. Several new buildings for purposes of instruction were erected and the dormitory facilities were largely increased. However, the attendance grew so fast that it was necessary to continue “Tent Row.” The enrollment, which was 639 at the opening of the Session of 1908-09, increased to 1,130 by the end of President Milner’s administration in 1913. This period of five years also witnessed a remarkable growth in interest in the course in Agriculture. In the session of 1912-13 the enrollment in Agriculture exceeded that of all other courses in its history. President Milner resigned in 1913, and Dr. Charles Puryear, Dean of the College, was appointed President pro tern. At this time the College was ex¬ periencing financial difficulties, but through the untiring efforts of Colonel E. B. Cushing, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Puryear, these difficulties were all overcome by the end of the session 1913-14. In September, 1914, Dr. William Bennett Bizzell, then President of the College of Industrial Arts, was elected President. As a native of the State, educated in Texas institutions, Dr. Bizzell brought to the College a knowl¬ edge of educational conditions in Texas which peculiarly fitted him for the great Page 23

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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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work he was called upon to do in placing the College in the front rank of American educational institutions. In the beginning he announced cer¬ tain policies that would guide him in his administration. Among these were: (1) higher standards of morality, (2) greater religious activity, (3) higher standards of scholarship, (4) proper conduct of athletics, (5) development of the ma¬ terial equipment of the College, and (6) a greater field of usefulness for the College through the Extension Service, the Ex¬ periment Station and resident college in¬ struction. The thorough manner in which these policies have been carried out is well known to all of the friends of the College. The standards of scholarship have been raised so that in this respect the College is now on a par with the best institutions of the country. From the standpoint of material improvement, the ten years of his administration are by far the greatest in this history of the College. In the 38 years previous to the beginning of President Bizzell’s administration the State of Texas ap„- propriated $1,250,000 for buildings and permanent improvements. During the last ten years the amount appro¬ priated for these purposes has been in excess of $2,500,000. At the present time the College has a valuation of approximately $6,000,000, and is the best equipped institution of its kind in the South. The enrollment at the beginning of his administration was 1,219; the enrollment for the session 1924-25 has exceeded 4,000 students, a gain of over 300 per cent. The Agricultural and Mechanical College System of Texas, which includes the resident instruction at College Station and at the two junior colleges, and also the work of the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Extension Division, has proved a most important factor in the industrial development of the State. The purpose of the College is well summed up in the excellent definition of an education as given by John Milton in his famous Tractate on Education: “I call, therefore, a complete and generous education that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully and magnanimously all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war.” The Agricultural and Mechanical College now offers degrees in fourteen different departments. These degrees cover any phase of Agriculture and Engineering that may be found elsewhere in the State of Texas and many that cannot be found except at A. and M. Besides these two general divisions the School of Arts and Sciences offer courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and also one in the natural Sciences. Military Science is taught all the four years of a regular course. With the Military Staff that is maintained there by the U. S. Army, the rating given by the General Board of the U. S. Army Inspectors is second best in the entire country and the largest enrollment of any Military School in the United States. This combination with the numerous other courses puts the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas on a plane with any leading University or College in the entire country. The graduates of this institution are found in every part of the world and in every business that there is; always making good regardless of the existing circum¬ stances or conditions. They are putting into practice the theoretical as well as the practical principles that they were taught in their four years at A. and M. College of Texas. Entrance to College, 1926 Page 24