Austin College

Austin College, an independent liberal arts college in Sherman, was established by the Brazos Presbytery of the Old School Presbyterian Church as a men's college and theological school. It was founded at Huntsville by Daniel Baker, James Weston Miller, and William Cochran Blair, who were appointed by the presbytery in June 1849 to select a college site somewhere between the Brazos and Trinity rivers. Huntsville citizens provided $10,000 and five acres of land to secure the location. When the college was incorporated on November 22, 1849, it was granted a charter, still in use today, modeled after the charters of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton universities. The college was named in honor of Stephen F. Austin despite suggestions by the Huntsville Presbyterian Church that it be named San Jacinto College and by others that it be named after Daniel Baker. Baker, known as "the father of Austin College," steadfastly objected to the idea of naming the college for him. Sam Houston and Anson Jones—both presidents of the Republic of Texas—were charter members of the board of trustees of Austin College. The board, which included Abner Smith Lipscomb and Henderson King Yoakum in its membership, was appointed in 1849, met for the first time on April 5, 1850, and selected Samuel McKinney as president and Baker as agent. Baker traveled over the settled districts of Texas and over much of the United States raising funds for the college. The school began operating in the fall of 1850, and the Masonic lodge at Huntsville laid the cornerstone of Austin Hall on June 24, 1851. Baker served as president from 1853 until his death in 1857. For a year after his death the college did not have a leader, and even closed for the fall semester of 1858. In general, however, Austin College was prosperous and well patronized until the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, when it lost enrollment and suffered financially. In 1876 the Texas Synod of the Presbyterian Church, United States, decided to move the college to Sherman, where the first college building was completed and fifty-three students were enrolled in 1878.

After 1878 Austin College grew slowly but steadily until a fire set by a homesick prep-school student destroyed the main building in 1913. The college recovered when citizens of Sherman contributed $50,000 for a new library and auditorium. The school became coeducational in 1918. After 1930 it was strengthened by its consolidation with Texas Presbyterian College at Milford and financial assistance from Sherman citizens. Austin College has had its most dynamic period of growth in students, endowment, and campus facilities since 1950. The presidents of Austin College succeeding McKinney and Baker were Rufus W. Bailey, Samuel M. Luckett, K. B. Boude, E. P. Palmer, Donald MacGregor, Thornton R. Sampson, Thomas Stone Clyce, E. B. Tucker, W. B. Guerrant, John D. Moseley, and Harry E. Smith.