University of North Texas - Yucca Yearbook (Denton, TX)

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Joshua C. Chilton: 1890-1893 J. J. Crumley: 1893-1894 Menter B. Terrill: 1894-1901 75 Years, Eight Presidents A short, bearded Yankee in a Prince Albert coat convinced Den- tonites in 1890 that their town needed a college. Joshua Crittenden Chilton of Indiana, with no college degree, opened classes over the B. J. Wilson hardware store in September, 1890. Maintaining a stu- dent could stay the 40-week school year for $148, Chilton and his four-member staff began with c4nine full courses:7 including teachers, training, scientific, classical and music courses. Soon ill health and his sch0017s financial problems broke Chilton, and he asked new faculty member John Crumley to see the 1892-93 year through. In the spring the trustees asked Crumley to continue. Recently President J. C. Matthews praised Crumleyis tenure, end- ing in 1894, in a letter to Crumleyas son: cTor every institution which lives, several die in infancy. This would have been the fate of this institution if it had not been for your fatherf7 In 1894 Menter B. Terrill of Tennessee assumed leadership of North Texas Normal College, so named when Crumley was president. Changes appeared: The school had been authorized to issue state teaching certificates the year before Terrill took over; financial troubles were eased with Terrillis enrolling students below the college level; the governor signed a bill authorizing the creation of a state normal college on March 31, 1899. State support and a new name, North Texas State Normal College, were official in 1901 and J. S. Kendall became principal ttitle of leaders of state normals until 19111. His successor, W. H. Bruce, described Kendallas curriculum as 4Lthat of a high school, but Ken- dall worked diligently to improve NT7s physical facilities. After KendalPs death in 1906, Dr. Bruce, age 50, began a 17-year tenure that included the rise to a junior college and then to a senior college. With no dean 0r busineSs manager for several years, Dr. Bruce was nearly a one-man administration. In 1914 the Training School Hater called Demonstration SchooD was opened to aid practice teachers and prepare pupils for entrance into NT. Dr. Bruce wanted NT to be a strong teachers7 college and got what he wanted in 1923: North Texas State Teachers Coilege. 9Know the past but . . . live in the present, President Marquis said in the 1925 Yucca. His philosophy is we11 illustrated: In 1925 his school became a member of the Southern Association of C01- leges and Secondary Schools, and the college was relieved of all preparatory work by the formation of the 11-grade Demonstration School. Consideration Was later given to offering graduate work. The graduate school which Marquis had planned and worked toward was approved during the administration of W. J. McCon- nell, named president after Marquis died in 1934. The first 27 master7s degrees were awarded in August, 1936. Reorganization of the college gradually became necessary, and in 1946 a plan was adopted that remains the general basis of the universityis present organization. Dr. James Carl Matthews, named chief executive when President McConnell retired in 1951, is the first North Texas graduate to become president. He was an instructor, professor, dean of the School of Education and then vice president of the institution. In the past 13 years, the school has nearly tripled in enrollment, gained recognition as a major state university, developed four new doctor of philosophy degree programs, and added 14 buildings, increasing the value of the physical plant to $30 million.

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W. Joseph McConnell: 1934-1951 William Herschel Bruce: 1906-1923 R James Carl Matthews: 1951-