 Grayson
College The
literary societies of the College were a vital part of the activities. All
these clubs were under the supervision of the faculty and were organized with
the desire to develop excellent literary taste in the members as well as to
train them in public speaking and dramatics. The
first men’s organization was the Sam Houston Literary Society. Its programs
included recitations, readings, compositions, dramatic entertainments,
orations, and debates. The
Sam Houston Literary Society grew so rapidly that it soon had more members than
it could accommodate. Another men’s organization was soon formed which chose
the name of Henry W. Grady. Much rivalry was displayed between the two
societies, each one trying to excel the other. The
young ladies’ organization, Rose Cleveland Literary Society, changed its name
to the Frances E. Willard Literary Society. Each
society had a hall in which to hold its meetings, and during Commencement Week,
each had a day for its annual celebration, when the spirit of rivalry was at a
peak. The Houstons chose a silk banner with a motto written upon it to
represent their society, whereas the Gradys and the Willards adopted colors,
the former choosing red and white and the latter blue and white. The
W. B. Duncan Society was a high school organization. Its activities consisted
of declamations, original compositions, readings, letter writing, and
discussions. The
primary department had a similar organization named the Lilliputian Society.
Source:
Virginia McFatridge, ”A History of Whitewright, Texas: Its Education and Library Facilities” (Unpublished paper, Library Science Department, East Texas State University, January 1969) Grayson College History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |