Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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Qamphrn-Svihlwg 1113211 in Elrxas Qi QQ: Q Q EXAS has been a heavy borrower. ln order to develop her vast and varied resources, she has adopted a large family of sons from other states. 39 To all of these she has proved herself, not a proverbial step-mother, but a Q very mother. If these sons, by adoption, have learned to love Texas, Y7 she, in return, has lavished love and fortune upon them. In her smiles they have been made happy and from her generous hand they have received Qfl? fame and fortune. Jw Among the favored sons of the Lone Star State, some native-born, jx others adopted, many Hampden-Sidney men are to be found. Texas P began many years ago to make requisition upon Hampden-Sidney for Q strong men. Daniel Baker, pioneer preacher and educator in Texas, was a gifted son of Hampden-Sidney. There are still living men in this State who knew him, and many stirring traditions hang around the name of this remarkable man. Eloquent as a preacher, powerful as an organizer and successful as a money-raiser, he was the chosen of God to be the founder of Austin College, in l849. To him, therefore, belongs the high honor of being the father of Presbyterian education in Texas. ln i883 Dr. Dabney came to Texas, becoming at that time Professor of Philosophy in the University of Texas. ln the fall of the following year, Dr. Dabney became associated with Dr. Smoot, of Austin, in the founding of the Austin School of Theology, which was destined in the providence of God to be the predecessor of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The synod of Texas now has four chartered institutions of higher learning: Austin College fmenl at Sherman, Daniel Baker College fco-ed, at Brownwood, Texas Presbyterian College fwomenb at Milford, and Austin Presbyterian Theological Sem- inary at Austin. Of these four, two were founded by Hampden-Sidney men. The later history of these Texas Presbyterian institutions reveals the interesting fact that Hampden-Sidney men have held professorships in all of them. According to the best information obtainable, there are at present some seventy-five sons of Hampden-Sidney residing in Texas. They are a representative lot of men. Preachers, educators, lawyers, physicians, bankers, merchants, farmers and ranchmen. All of these seventy-five men are rich in culture and character. Besides these abiding riches, quite a number of these stalwart sons of Hampden-Sidney have dared to lay up for 18

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themselves treasures upon earth. The writer has been in the palatial homes of several. While a guest in one such home a few months ago, the writer was told the following by his host: On my graduation day, l885, Dr. lVlcllwaine spoke to me and said, 'lVlr. D-, what are you going to do?' l answered, Doctor, l am going to Texas. To this President Mcllwaine replied, 'You are doing the sensible thing,' and then he advised me as to the best location in Texas and, said my host, to Texas l came, and to this very spot, and right here l have stayed and made my fortune. The gentleman referred to is not only a son of l-lampclen-Sidney, but a native of Prince Edward. Coming to Texas as a young man, just graduated from college, he engaged for a time in the philanthropic but unremunerative business of teaching: but the lure of the financial game was too much for him. He soon developed a genius for invest- ments, and now, though still vigorous in body and mind, and with, apparently, many good years ahead of him, he is one of the well-fixed men of this great State where verily, self- made men are plentiful. Of the seventy-five Hampden-Sidney men now at work in Texas, an impressively large number have already risen to enviable distinction. There are learned jurists, eminent physicians, able educators, leading ministers, wealthy ranchmen, bankers and merchants. A dozen or so of us met in the city of Dallas last week, on the occasion of the l..aymen's Missionary Convention. It is something quite out of the ordinary for a round dozen of Hampden-Sidney men to get together in one Texas town. Distances in Texas are too great for men living on opposite sides of this Empire State to see each other often. Estes, of Texarkana, and Dwyer, of El Paso, and l-lall, of Galveston, and Bondurant, of San Antonio, and McDonald, of Gainesville, are all loyal and enthusiastic sons of Hampden-Sidney, and all are in Texas: but they are situated very much as five men would be who resided, respectively, in Richmond, Kansas City, Atlanta, New Orleans and Cincinnati. It is eight hundred miles from Estes' front gate to Dyer'sl Men who must travel eight hundred miles to shake hands, cannot be expected to fraternize very often at alumni gatherings and banquet boards. The question of dividing Texas into four states is beginning to be agitated. Should this be done Hampden-Sidney men will be needed for governors, congressmen, judges, educators and constructive leaders along all lines in these new commonwealths. The success achieved by Hampden-Sidney men in Texas is a challenge to other stalwart sons of the old college to invest their lives here. Texas spells opportunity. The development of the vast resources of this Empire State has scarcely been begun. She is an agricultural empire of almost inconceivable possibilities. Texas alone could be made to feed, clothe and house the entire present population of the United States! But let not the gentle reader think that the prerequisites to success in the East are not needed out here in the Southwest. Hampden-Sidney men have made good in Texas because they brought to their great task here those qualities of mind and heart which always and everywhere compel success. 19