The Junior Historian, Volume 28, Number 6, May 1968 Page: 2
32 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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THE JUNIOR HISTORIAN
members was selected, two more were
later added. The permanent board was
divided into three classes according to
time of their retirement. The first class
retired in 1870 and consisted of F. L.
Kirtely, Colonel B. J. Chambers, Elder
W. A. Mason, Dr. A. Willingham, B. T.
Powell, J. A. Renfro, Judge James Hines,
W. B. Senter; the second class retired in
1871 and consisted of A. B. Herald,
William Kingsberry, R. Robin, G. B.
Granberry, N. H. Cook, J. N. West, Dr.
A. Young, W. S. Majors; the third class
retired in 1872 and consisted of Bill
Harrison, I. A. Ledbetter, Elder H. C.
Renfro, Elder C. K. Stribling, Dr. T. D.
Lorance, Dr. D. B. Gatewood, S. Dyer,
and Solomon Locket. With this plan of
one-third retiring every year, none of the
original members would be on the board
at the end of three years unless re-elect-
ed. A resolution was also adopted that
an executive board for the school be ap-
pointed to co-operate with the board of
trustees. The executive board was com-
posed of the following five members:
Elder F. L. Kirtely, William Harrison, B.
D. Gatewood, Solomon Locket, and Wil-
liam Jack. The executive board was given
the task of selecting one man to serve as
both general financial agent and mission-
ary for the school. The board learned
that Elder Mason, who was employed at
the time as one of the two associational
missionaries, was interested in the posi-
tion. Consequently Mason, because of his
experience and his regular income, was
appointed the first financial agent and
missionary of the school.
Two other committees were appointed
by the board of trustees. One committee
was to sell 700 steers donated to the
school and the other was to sell the lots
donated to the school. The lots were sold
at auction on February 11, 1869.
From the time of his appointment to
the school, Elder Mason also had been
minister of the First Baptist Church of
Cleburne. Because he was overloaded
with work, he resigned the pastorate of
the church and the Reverend J. R. Clarke,who had been principal of the school,
took over the church in March, 1869.
Thus, the Reverend Clarke was principal
of the school and minister of the church
at the same time.
Plans were made for a temporary build-
ing which was situated on the corners of
Anglin and Chambers Streets. The build-
ing was a frame structure painted white,
measuring about 25 x 40 feet and was
planned to accommodate one hundred
students.
On October 1, 1868, the first session
of school opened with J. R. Clarke as
principal. His assistants were J. C. Locket
and J. W. Mitchel. In March, 1869, a
music department was created and Mrs.
Holmes Smith was secured as the in-
structor.
Students could get good board in
"nice" homes at from two to ten dollars
per month. The Cleburne Chronicle ad-
vertised that the school offered a "reg-
ular collegiate course," and that it
charged the following tuition:
Per session of months:
first class $10.00 (specie)
second class 15.00 "
third class 20.00 "
fourth class 25.00 "
The sessions were divided into two terms
of five months each.
The Reverend Clarke was interested
not only in the students learning the three
"R's," but also was concerned about
their having access to wholesome read-
ing material. Hence, the Chronicle of
January 2, 1869, announced that Clarke
was assuming the position of junior edi-
tor without remuneration, because he
wished to establish the paper on a "firm
basis." He saw that the best of poems
and stories found their way into the
paper.
Seventy pupils were enrolled in the
school before it was two months old;
by May, 1869, there were 110 enrolled
and an overcrowded condition existed.
This was a larger enrollment than Baylor
at Independence had been able to obtain
in its first five years. The first session2
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Texas State Historical Association. The Junior Historian, Volume 28, Number 6, May 1968, periodical, May 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391564/m1/4/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.