Junction High School - Golden Eagle Yearbook (Junction, TX)

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Early Spanish missions add a sense of history to modern Texas. Gm m'fhoX' RELIGION The 1837 Ecclesiastical Committee of Vigilance for Texas was more likely to find a group of rough, rowdy Texans preferring to raise hell than seek salvation. Nevertheless, the committee’s efforts were undaunted, and the missionary zeal that brought Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian ministers to Texas lives in many counties today. w t hen the state entered the Union in 1845 — 12.5 percent of the population belonged to a church Camp revivals soon became a way to relieve the monotony of the frontier. Baptists were among the first to pioneer changes in the wicked West and the religious press. Texas Baptist George Washington Baines (Lyndon Baines Johnson's grandfather) published the Texas Baptist from 1855 to 1861. The Cumberland Presbyterians followed with the Texas Presbyterian. Evangelism was spread by publicity gained through the efforts of individuals and groups like William Y. Allen and his Texas Temperance Society. Many religious leaders did more than fight hard liquor. Organized religion opened the first colleges in the state. Many fought illiteracy. Thomas J. Pilgrim, a Baptist, started the Texas Sunday School Movement. The founding of Baylor University in 1845 prompted many religious organizations to seek education as a means of sending their message. Some religious groups appealed to the diverse immigrant population. German, Czechoslovakian, Polish and Hispanic people were Catholic. By 1860 over 30 percent of the Texas population wa« black and many joined the Baptist church. Famous religious leaders became advocates of social justice. Joseph Martin Dawson, a Baptist, fought child labor, exploitation of immigrants, advocated women's rights and rebuked the Ku Klux Klan. In 1950, the Baptist General Convention created the Christian Life Commission, an activist agency dedicated to applied Christianity. They opposed universal military training in the early 1950s, defended the supreme court's desegregation and school prayer decisions of the early 1960s, sanctioned abortion under certain circumstances, promoted sex education, urged a settlement in Viet Nam, and fought against air and water pollution. Texas Catholics like Archbishop Robert E. Lucey placed the church in support of the underprivileged. He championed rights to decent wages, racial integration, housing, equality and health services. Today 56 percent of the Texas population belong to organized congregations.

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Before the first white settlements were established in Texas, Spanish missionaries were converting Indians to Christianity and teaching them Western traditions and ideals. Education didn’t become an issue in Texas government until Stephen F. Austin’s first colony was settled. Each colony in 1836 was required to have a school to teach not just the three R’s,” but a variety of subjects including history, rhetoric, composition, philosophy and foreign languages. eligious organizations became instrumental in the education of Texas' youth, and in the early 19th century, a variety of religious colleges were opened The first, Rutersville Gdlege, opened its doors on Feb. 1, 1840 The founder was a Methodist named Martin Ruter. The Baptists established Baylor University in 1845. Baylor, located in Waco, is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher learning in the state When Texas entered the Union in 1845, its constitution pledged to make changes in the field of education. Later, the state adopted a schedule of funding schools through property taxes. The Morill Act in 1862 prompted the founding of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University to promote agricultural education. The next major educational development occurred in 1915 when the Compulsory Attendance Law was passed. This law required children between the ages of 8 and 14 to attend school for 60 days-a- year, unless the child had a proper excuse. The law was amended in 1918 to require 80 days of attendance and amended again in 1919 to require 100 days of attendance. In 1949, State Senator A M. Aiken supported a series of bills through the legislature aimed at improving education. The new system immediately showed positive results, and the quality of education in Texas grew to become respected nationwide. The United States involvement in World War II led to a drop in college enrollment, but enrollment soared in 1944 with the introduction of the GI Bill of Rights and the flood of returning veterans wanting to enroll in college. The growth in college enrollment continued through the 1960s and into the 1970s. However, the role of education and its influence on our lifestyles may change in the future if enrollment figures at the high school and university level continue to drop — a recent trend attributed to a decline in the birth rate after 1967. In addition, university budget reductions and a tightening of student loan requirements have forced both schools and students to economize their educational opportunities. A schoolhouse established in 1890 was still standing in 1965. R

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For several decades, Americans have watched with anticipation as astronauts reported to Mission Control in Houston. TEXAS Jhina-' Much ado about Everything The Astrodome, eighth wonder of the world,” was the first fully air-conditioned, enclosed, domed, multipurpose- sports stadium in the world. The stadium seats 66,000 and could hold an 18-story building. The Astrodome is the home of the Houston Oilers football team and the Houston Astros baseball team. ☆ ☆ ☆ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, was formed in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Manned Spacecraft Center is an astronautical complex of more than 1,000 acres located near Houston. It is here that the spacecraft that have been to the moon and back are displayed. ☆ ☆ ☆ The Texas Flag was adopted by the Congress of the Republic of Texas on Jan. 25, 1839. Texas became known as the Lone Star State because of the single star on the flag. ☆ ☆ ☆ Chili became the state dish of Texas in 1977. Chili is similar to stew cooked with a variety of ingredients, ranging from jackrabbit, rattlesnake and pork to jalapenos, frijoles, cayenne and comino. Texans pride themselves on their chili recipes and host many chili cook-offs to show off their culinary expertise.