The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-08-15
s. w. UNIVERSITY.
STANDING SECOND TO NO INsTITU-
TON OF LEARNING IN THE
SOUTH OR WEST.
Beautifully and BEAUTIFULLY Located and
Splendidly Equipped with Every
Modern Educational Aid

town, Williamson county, Texas, on
the high plateau of the Colorado
mountains, overlooking most beauti-
full rolling prairie on the east and
south, and fringed on the north and
west by growth of ash, cedar and
pecan, bordering the banks of San
Gabriel river. The place was chosen
over nine Others in different parts OF
state, because of its natural exception
from malarial and epidemic diseases,
the salubrity of its climate, and the
abundance and purity of its water sup
DIV. The citizens OF Georgetown, APP
preciating the advantages OF such an
institution in their midst, donated to
the trustees as bonus large stone
building and campus and other prop
erty, representingin the aggregate $5O,-
900. The decision of the commission
ers to locate the school at Georgetown
was made on the oath of August, 1873,
and was greeted by the people with
great rejoicing, the firing of hundred
anvil expressing their great satisfaction
at the result. Perhaps in all the state
no more suitable place for the purposes
of a great, growing school could have
been selected.
IT'S HISTORY.
The Southwestern University is the
central institution of the five annual
conferences of the Methodist Episcopal
church, south, in Texas, and of the
Mexican border, and German mission
conference, and by the terms of the
charter, approved February 6, 1878, it
inherits its records of the history, ira
.ditions and alumni of Rutersville col
lege, chartered by the congress of the
Republic of Texas, January %, 1910
of Wesleyan college, San Augustine,
chartered January 16, 1874; of Ionle
University, Chapel Hill and McKen-
zie college, GAINESVILLE, whose charters
were approved by the legislature of
Texas, respectively, in 1856 and 1860.
The great church to which the Uni
versity belongs commissioned its first
missionary to organize the Christian
school alongside of the Christian
church. DR.. Martin Ruter was the
pioneer in this noble undertaking and
is indissolubly bound to the enterprise
of church education in Texas, as is
Wesley to Sportswood in England, and
Asburyto Cokesbury in America. Old
Rutersville college has passed out of
existence, but from its ruins, on the
foundations of its work accomplished,
and faith manifested, there has arisen
its lineal descendant, and cherished
"promise of hope"
The Southwestern University, the
last and best effort of the "people
called Methodists" III this great com
monwealth.
ORGANIZATION.
The convention which met at Gal
weston in 1870 to establish the univer-
sity, came together under the call
which declares: at is of vital import
ance to the general interests of religion
and education in Texas that there be
an institution of learning that will by
its endowments cheaper higher edu-
cation, and by its other advantages Sc
cure general confidence and patron
age. In the absence of an institution
of this character, large numbers of our
youth are being yearly sent out of the
state, withdrawing large amounts of
money that should be expended in
building up education at home. A
Union of effort ought to secure with
out possibility of failure the establish
ment of an institution OF highest grade
with ample endowment and the most
liberal facilities for widespread useful
ness" For these ends was the uni
yersity founded, and its doors opened
October 6, 1873. The charter provided
for two separate boards-a board of
curators, consisting of ministers, to
govern the institution, elect its facul-
BY and direct its discipline; and board
OF trustees, consisting of laymen, to
hold its property and manage its
finances. The curators organized the
first faculty as follows; Rev. f. A.
Mood, DID,, Regent and Professor OF
Mental and Moral Philosophy, History
and English Literature; b. E. Chrietz-
berg, A. NJ, Professor of Ancient Ian
guages and Mathematics; II. Nj. Rey-
nolds, NJ. d., Professor of Modern Ian
guages. With no productive endow
ment, and little to hope for as salary,
these noble men, inspired by the dig
nifty of their great cause and support
ed bv the indomitable courage and UNI
yielding faith of their intrepid leader,
himself the founder of the institution,
entered upon their duties, and thirty
three matriculants answered to their
They were "young men OF
age and attainments, requiring the aid
of professors to direct their studies,
and ranked as freshman and sophie
more" The record of discipline for
the first year shows chat several OF
these were dismissed for unruly con-
duct, and four were handed over to the
Jurisdiction of the civil authorities for
To be student of the
University has meant,
from the beginning, to be law-abiding
and subject to moral government. The
principle has been, better
school without students than without
To control the exuber-
ant, untamed spirit of Texas youth in
that day was an undertaking, but this