Grayson County TXGenWeb
 

Whitewright, Texas
Grayson College's origin was as a 'public school.'  It seems to have originated in 1880 in Whitewright with Professor Lewis Holland, principal.  The school property was privately owned and was sold to H. L. Piner in 1885 for $1,700.  James F. Anderson soon joined Mr. Piner in developing the school.  Both the property and the facilities were enlarged in September 1887 and Piner and Anderson secured a charter for "Grayson College"

F. E. Butler purchased Mr. Piner's interest in the school in 1888 and operated the school with Mr. Anderson until 1890. At this time E. T.  Kemp bought a share in the school.  In 1891, J. L. Truett bought an interest.  In 1894, Kemp sold his interest to the partners.

Operating as a college, Grayson College maintained a primary and high school department and received
state funds, thus termed a 'free school'.

Grayson College was a co-educational school.  The regulating of the daily deportment of young ladies and gentlemen attending classes together proved taxing to the schoolmaster.  The following rules are found in the 1888-9 catalogue:
  1. No profane or other indecent language shall be used on or about the College grounds.
  2. No pupil shall cut, mark, or scratch or otherwise injure of deface the building or furniture.
  3. No pupil shall by word or deed, insinuate the slightest disrespect to teachers.
  4. Pupils shall not loiter around business houses, depots, hotels, or other places in town.
  5. All pupils are required to be present and stand the monthly examination in their respective studies.
  6. Pupils shall not attend balls, hops, or parties.
  7. No young man shall engage any young lady's company at home or as an escort elsewhere; nor shall they walk or talk with each other to or from the college or on the streets at other times; nor shall they have, at any time, any written communications through the mail, from the date of entrance to close of
    the session.
  8. Pupils from a distance will be under the care of the President and of the landlord and landlady of their boarding house; they must comply with such regulations as their boarding house may have.
  9. In monthly written examinations, pupils shall make at least 75%, or be dropped back into a lower grade, provided they fall below 75% any two consecutive months.
  10. If at any intermediate or final examination a pupil should fail to make 75%, he will be compelled to
    review the course.
In 1893 the college enlarged its campus.  A new site was chosen and a three-story brick building was erected. From 1900 to 1904 a military corps was a feature of the school. In 1904, a peak year for enrollment of 740 pupils, the building was destroyed by fire.  Although new facilities were built, the enrollment never came up to its earlier level.  The college closed in 1912.

source: An Illustrated History of Grayson County, Texas by Graham Landrum, 1960, pg107-108


Grayson College History

Schools
Susan Hawkins
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