 Denison Daily Cresset
Wednesday, September 1, 1875 SCHOOL MEETING Remarks of President Luckett of Austin College A Committee Appointed to Request the Common Council to Give Our School House Away Quite a large number of our prominent representative men assembled in Mr. Cook's office at 4 p.m. Tuesday to hear what Dr. Luckett had to offer in behalf of the college, and to pass a resolution to lay the matter before the common council. Mr. Wm. Hughes was called to the chair and Mr. J.H. Day appointed secretary of the meeting. Dr. Luckett being invited to speak, said: GENTLEMEN - In behalf of the Symal of the Obi School Presbyterian Church of Texas and the Trustees of Austin College, I will explain what our institution is and what we want. Austin College is governed by 16 trustees, appointed by the Old School Synod of Texas, one-third elected every 2 years, so that an entire change can be made every 6 years. The college was chartered in 1840, and the building completed at Huntsville in 1851 or 1852. It was very prosperous and successful up to the breaking up of the war, and had an average of 180 students. The total debt was some $10,000 and the endowment fund valued at $800,000. In 1871 the debt had increased to $18,000, and the endowment fund decreased to $35,000 or $810,000. We got our creditors to give one-half their claims, and by donations paid off the balance of the debt. Our fund is now valued at $70,000, $10,000 in money and the remainder in land an good property that is rapidly increasing in value. Thirty-five thousand dollars is asked by the trustees, or its equivalent, before they locate at any other point. Huntsville, the present location, is objectionable on account of yellow fever. The trustees will promise to use the present fund, and what may be obtained in the school wherever located; and if at any time they conclude to move, the donations will revert back to the city. They will erect dwellings for the faculty, but will not bind themselves to add other school buildings at present. This is the only small institute of the denomination in the State, and asks a merited support. They want and expect to raise the endowment fund up to $200,000 and thin, where they can put in 4 or 5 times the value of the school buildings, that the city receiving the location should donate the building or building fund. It is exclusively under the control of that denomination, but will not be a theological or sectarian school, but a literary and classical institute. It will be conducted on religious principles, but scholars of any denomination can attend, and attend their own churches and Sunday schools, but must attend some church every Sunday when able. We will have a preparatory school, where boys will be received as soon as advanced enough to study grammar, geography and arithmetic. Students for the ministry receive tuition fee when duly authenticated. Students can board wherever their parents see fit and proper to them. The Doctor expects to canvass the State soon and $25,000 or $30,000 extra fund. The trustees met at Austin on the 25th of August, and after hearing the offers and claims of the different places, competing for the location, passed the following resolution: Resolved, That the Board of Trustees of Austin college will accept offers of $35,000 or over from all eligible points and will select its location from the places offering the most and that possess the greatest advantages. They hope to unite the Southern and Northern Old School Presbyterian Synods, and if they do that, it will greatly increase the funds of the college. Dr. Acheson then offered the following resolution: Resolved, That we would recommend that the city give the school house to Austin College. And supported the resolution by timely and sensible remarks showing the advantages that it would be to us, in a financial and social view, and an increase of population that would result if we can secure it. Dr. Luckett added that he was constantly receiving letters of inquiry from all over the South from people who wanted to move to the city where it was located. Mr. Cook was called on and made a short speech in favor of the resolution and the mutual advantages that the location would bring, both to the college and Denison. He said that although Sherman was our rival he sincerely hoped that if we were not fortunate enough to secure the location that Sherman would. Mr. Hughes made a few remarks in support of the resolution, and put it before the house for a vote, and it was unanimously carried. Mr. Hanna moved that the chair appoint a committee of 3 to present this resolution to the common council and advocate the donation of the school building at the next meeting of the council. Mr. Hughes appointed as a committee Mr. Cook, Mr. Persons, and Mr. Bennett. Dr. Luckett said that the trustees could not meet until a call 30 days was made, and that he knew if the city concluded to give the building that the trustees would consider it a liberal offer and give Denison as a favorable consideration; would probably call the board together about the 1st of October, and they would meet either at Sherman or Denison, and would visit both places certain if they received the offer from the 2 cities. They could not use the building before January 1st, 1876, and September 1876, would suit them just as well. After short remarks Mr. Persons, Mayor Winn, and others, the meeting adjourned.   Story of Austin College's move to Sherman in journal entries Austin College History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |