Focus on Texas

Immigrants who settled Texas didn't sign their names with an X. In 1850, after the Nation, Texas had become the 28th state in the Union, a survey found that 92%%, the new citizens could read & write!

Despite a lack, funds, Texas leaders moved to build a foundation for higher education facilities. The Methodist Church established Rutersville College in La Grange in 1840. Five years later the Baptist Church established Baylor University in Waco.

The Texas legislature set up charters for private colleges. 117 were started in this way, three, which are still active including Austin College, now in Sherman. The state wanted to set up a means, funding higher education on a long term basis. Some legislators thought that land grants which could be leased would provide an income to be placed in trust to fund facilities for higher education. Law was enacted which set up 50 sections (50 square miles or 32, 000 acres), land for this purpose. They even added to the deal an additional acre for each 10 acres granted for railroads. Texas entered the union & the congress, the United States gave another 180, 000 acres for an Agricultural & Mechanical College. There were to be over 240, 000 acres available for leasing which would produce income & funding for the colleges.

The legislature didn't specify the location, the land to be granted, a typical bureaucratic loophole, so for some strange reason, the land granted was mostly in west Texas. Sandy land, dry, occasional cactus & mesquite trees provided the shade for tarantulas & rattlesnakes. No crops could be grown on it, it could support few cattle, & fewer students!

The Civil War interrupted plans to establish Texas universities. After the war had ended, after the carpetbaggers left, after Texas once again had full privileges as a State, attention again turned to education.

Plans were made for the establishment, the University, Texas in Austin & a related Medical School in Galveston. A site was selected for the A&M College, close to Bryan.

In 1882, the Agricultural & Mechanical College laid the cornerstone, its main building. Ashbel Smith, President, the Board, Regents, said in that ceremony, "Smite the rocks with the rod, knowledge, and fountains, unstinted wealth will gush forth"

This was quite a prophecy.

In 1923 a wildcatter drilled in the sand west, San Angelo & hit a gusher, the first oil well in west Texas, wealth gushed forth to fund the buildings, the university systems. Much, that useless land owned by the university system turned out to be sitting on top, major oil fields. Revenue from the land goes to a trust. The income earned is used for capital expenditures.

The result is an education system that is a major benefit to the citizens, Texas -, high quality education at a relatively low cost - about one third the cost to out, state students. For Texans it is still possible to work your way through college.

The University, Texas system now has 9 major campuses spread throughout the state; the UT Medical system has 4 sites; The Texas A&M System has 11 campuses; there are 4 other systems, Texas colleges; plus private institutions & those founded by religious denominations. Add to this the extensive system, community & junior colleges & it seems like there is a school desk for everyone that wants an education.