The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 58, July 1954 - April, 1955 Page: 24
650 p. : ill., maps (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
thusiastically received at College Station and Bryan, where the
Bryan Eagle later carried a favorable article on Houston in which
he was spoken of as "a disciplinarian who is kind but unyield-
ing," an ideal choice for the presidency of a military school."
A few days after Houston had accepted the appointment, one
of his close friends, John A. Lomax, at that time the registrar at
the University, caused him some embarrassment by a well meant
but careless statement that found its way into the newspapers.
Lomax said that Houston was already planning for a reorganiza-
tion of various branches of A. and M. and some changes in the
faculty.9 Apparently Houston thought these statements tactless
and ill-timed and complained to Lomax. In any case, Lomax told
the press two days later that he had not been authorized by Hous-
ton to make the statements and had given them as opinions
only.'0 Lomax had also stated that Houston planned to spend
several months visiting colleges in the East so that he could study
the latest methods of teaching agriculture and engineering.*" The
accuracy of Lomax's predictions is shown by the fact that Hous-
ton made such a trip shortly after beginning his duties as pres-
ident and did, indeed, make some changes in the faculty.
When Houston took control of Texas A. and M. the college
was just over twenty-five years old. A land grant college estab-
lished under the Morrill Act of 1862, it had opened its doors on
October 4, 1876. Its growth had been less than spectacular, large-
ly because of inadequate funds, the failure of the early admin-
istrators to provide the technical and scientific training for which
the school was intended, and no little amount of bickering among
its faculty members. Some indication of the faulty conception of
the early directors concerning the college's purpose is the incred-
ible fact that the first "Professor of Practical Agriculture" was
one C. P. B. Martin, D.D., a minister of the gospel whose main
accomplishment in farming was planting a peach orchard on a
plot of barren ground.12 Many persons throughout the state were
well aware of the college's failings and from time to time efforts
were made to reorganize the curriculum and improve the quality
BBryan Eagle, July 23, 19o2.
9Waco Times-Herald, April 11, 19o2.
lolbid., April 13, 1902.
"1Ibid.
1zCofer, First Five Administrations of Texas A. and M. College, 12-13.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 58, July 1954 - April, 1955, periodical, 1955; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101158/m1/43/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.