University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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tlH comimuiit.v. 0 vnin r no in-operty, save its buildini;s and };-rounds, it luid ;i better endowment in its trustees and teaoliers. In recent years the Academy has been transformed into a pubHc graded school of the usual type, to the advantage, perhaps, of more chikh-en, but to its hurt as a preparatory school for college. Young Houston ' s studies at St. John ' s Academy were interrupted by a year ' s teaching in a country school at Dovesville, undertaken from the necessity of contributing to his own support; but when, in 1884, he left the Acad- emy, he was so well advanced that he was able, even after a year ' s w ' ork i n a drug store, to enter the South Car- olina College at Columbia witli sufticient credit to enable him to graduate with honor after two years in the class of I ' - ' T. During liis college course he was editor of the college magazine, the South Carolina Collegian; Captain in a volunteiT military company, holding a conmiission from the Governor in the Palmetto Regiment, and finally Pres- ident of the Senior Class. He was a member of the Euphradean literary society and of the Phi Delta Theta fra- ti ' i-nity. )r. J. M. McBryde was then President of the South Carolina College, and his faculty contained such men as .laiiK ' s Woodrow in Geology and Benjamin Sloan in Matliematics. men whose superiors in the essentials of useful manhood President Houston has never found. After graduation ' Sir. Houston was appointed to a tutorship in Greek and Latin in the South Carolina College, and for a year taught freshmen classes in these languages, doing at the same time graduate work in History and Economics. Reappointed for a second year, he resigned to accept the superintendency of the Spartanburg city schools. In this position he ser ed with great acceptability for thi-ee years. In l ' .ll he went to Harvard with the idea of entering the Law School but decided to continue his studies in economics, history, and government. The character of his work at Harvard is shown by his being given a five hundred dollar Morgan fellowship in the spi-ing of 1892 and his being reappointed to the fellowship for the two following years. In 189 ' 2 he received the degree of Master of Arts. During that summer he was employed to write a leading chapter for the Democratic National Campaign Textbook on the repeal of the ten per cent tax on State Banks, and in 1S94 he edited the Doc- uments of Ordinances of Secession for the American History Leaflets. Yet Mr. Houston was, while at Harvard, in no sense a grind. He saw life broadly, acquiring that knowledge of men and things that has meant so much in his later life. An evidence of his standing among his fellow stijdents, men gathered from over all the United State and Canada, may be found in his election as President of the Graduate Club for the year 1893-94. Leaving Harvard in ls94 Mr. Houston came to the University of Texas as Adjunct Professor of Political Science, a subject now for the first time separated from Philosophy. As Adjunct Professor in charge of the School he developed a work so strong and sound that at the end of his three years ' appointment he was as a mat- er of course advanced to Associate Professor. In l!-i96, on the coming of President Winston to the University,

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JT DAVID FC

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he was in ett ' ect made dean of the Academic Faculty, but his duties were not clearly detined rmr the title u:iven till IMi--. In those days associate-professorships were for five years, but Pi ' ofessor Houston was niadc lull professor wiien he liad served only two years as Associate. In 1900 came a further recognition of his woilc in lijs appoint ment as Visitor to West Point, along with such men as Congressman Slayden, of Texas, Senator Carter, of Mon- tana, Ex-Senator Manderson, of Nebraska, and General Anson J. McCook. In this capacity he wrote the i-eport of the sub-committee on changes in entrance requirements, making recommendations that subsequently found their way into law. Spoken of for President of the University when President Prather was elected, he continued to hold his double position of Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Faculty till .Tuly 1, IDOi ' . when lie re- signed to become President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College at College Station. Into the details of President Houston ' s work at College Station we cannot enter, but it is worth while to note the progress of the institution in general during his three years ' administration. The legislative appropriation for maintenance when he went to College Station was twenty-five thousand dollars; by the next legislature it was made sixty thousand. The total appioiniation for the two years, ]903-190. ' i, was fixed liy the legislature at three hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars, and, though the Governor cut out one huiiihed thousand of this amount the net sum was far in excess of any previous biennial appropriation. Thoroughgoing repairs were made in the buildings; four new professors ' houses, a new dairy barn, and a textile building were erected; the textile building was provided with twenty thousand dollars worth of machinery, largely without cost to the State; laboratories were equipped in entomology, farm crops, soil physics, electricity, civil engineering and drawing, chemistry and veterinary science, at a total cost of sixty thousand dollars. The new departments were added of animal husbandry and daii-ying, of farmers ' institutes, of textile industry. The teaching staff was increased by the addition of four- teen new professors and instructors. Moreover, the sum of ten thousand dollars annually was secui-ed from the government at Washington for co-operative work in cotton and other crops, bringing the total annual national ap- propriation to fiftj -two thousand five hundred dollars. In all this improvement of plant and facilities the other in- terests of the institution were not neglected. The courses of study were completely overhauled; the general science course was abolished and technical courses only retained. The admission requirements were made equal for all courses, being brought to the standard of the engineering cour.se, which had itself been raised a full year shortly before President Houston went to the college. Last, but not least, student welfare was looked after with great care; sound standards of work and conduct were enforced, and athletics were provided for by the appointment of a Physical Director. One result of this last movement is the rise of the A. M. to be our chief Texas competitor in football. It is needless to comment on such a record of progress. It was recognized in the honorary degree of i