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

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Top row: Waggener, Winston, Prather, Houston, Mezes Bottom row: Battle, Vinson, Sutton, Splawn Past Presidents of The University Although founded in 1883, The University of Texas had no president until 1895, the Chairman of the Faculty being the chief executive officer. J. W. Mallet was Chairman from 1883 to 1884, Leslie Waggener until the summer of 1894, and Thomas S. Miller from 1894 to 1895, when the office of President was created. Leslie Waggener (1841-1896), LL.D., the first president, aided The University in its formative period, helping it to secure state lands and revenues. Prior to his presidency from 1895 to 1896, he served as chairman of the English department. George Tayloe Winston (1852-1932), B. L., former president of The University of North Carolina, was president of The University of Texas from 1896 to 1899. William Lambdin Prather (18S4-1905), B. L., LL. D., regent for twelve years, and president from 1899 to 1905, established the School of Medicine at Galveston. David Franklin Houston (1886 ), LL. D., professor of political science, and farmer president of A. M., was president of The LJniversity from 1905 to 1908. Sidney Edward Mezes (1863-1931), Ph. D., president from 1908 to 1914, added the departments of home economics, business administration, and journalism to the curriculum, and started extension work. William James Battle (1870- ), Ph. D., now professor of Greek in The University, was acting president from 1914 to 1916. He founded the Co-operative Society, and is now chairman of the Faculty Building Committee. Robert Ernest Vinson (1876- ), LL. D., D. D., w as president of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary before he served as president of The Uni- versity from 1916 to 1923. William Seneca Sutton (1860-1928), LL. D., acting president from 1923 to 1924, was formerly Dean of the School of Education w hich he helped to establish. Walter M. W. Splawn (1883- ), Ph. D., LL. D., prior to his presidency from 1924 to 1927, w as professor of economics, and Director of Re- search in Social Sciences. Pagi 5

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Copyriglit 1933 Texas Student Puhlications, Inc. Joe W. Riley Editor-in-chief Cliilton O ' Brien Associate Editor Burt Dyke Business Manager Photographs hy Paralta Studios of Texas, Inc. Engravings by Southwestern Engraving Comi any Printing hy The Steck Company

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H. Y. Benedict Presiimt, The University of Texas President H. Y. Benedict Existing in dreams only for nearly fifty years The University comes now to the fiftieth anniversary of its existence in fact. Growing out of the same ideals that created state universities first in the South, later in the North, our University has become one of the great state universities of the Middle West and the record of its performance during the last fifty years shows that it is destined to become one of the great universities of the world. If Texas but half takes care of her University, and Texas will, gifts from patriotic Texans, already to be counted in millions, will, during the coming century, pro- vide all those things that are required to make a university really of the first class. The immediate future is not very bright because of w orld ' wide conditions that threaten to make things worse by damaging education, which is the hope of the future. Happily, The University is not specially threatened: a fortunate combination of cir- cumstances has provided it with a fairly adequate collection of buildings, its cost per student is very low considered in connection w ith the fact that it is one of the twenty-nine highest ranking universities that form the Association of American Universities, its various details are such as to stand fair criticism with much more pride than shame. Why a state university? Why taxation of the many for the teaching of a fewf Not to make doctors for the benefit of the doctors, but to make do ctors for the benefit of the sick; not to make teach- ers to draw salaries, but to make teachers qualified to teach children. Inevitably those who come to The University must prepare themselves to make a living. The vocational element, both in its private and public aspects, should be and will be forever prominent. This is a world where work must be done and livings earned. But over and above this essential ftinction rise the two dominant tasks of The University: to train for citizenship, leadership, statesmanship so that our State and Nation shall grow better and not worse, so that men can live to- gether helpfully and not harmfully; and to make finer living possible, a living that will know how to use and not to abuse the leisure that is coming, a leisure that will open the beauties and intricacies and glories of a great universe to those with eyes to see. ( y - . ' - OT President, The University of Texas. Pane 6