A Historical Account

In the Beginning...

When Southwest Texas State was created in 1899, it was charged with the responsibility of teaching agriculture in the training of teachers for the rural schools. In 1908, Dr. T. G. Harris, President, employed H. A. Nelson, an outstanding young graduate from Texas A & M College, as the Agriculture Instructor to begin in the fall of 1909, but he had to spend the school year 1908 - 1909 at Southwest Texas taking education courses to qualify for a teaching certificate. Also, Nelson had to observe and assist President Harris in teaching the agriculture courses. Nelson officially headed the Department of Agriculture from 1909 to 1945, 36 years in all. With very limited resources, he conducted a good program, providing most of the laboratory experiences at his own expense. About 1925, a 75-acre farm was purchased and a dairy was established. Also, poultry and garden areas were developed. It has been said that the road running through the farm was named Bugg Lane because of so many bugs in the area. Evans football field (currently student parking) is on this farm land. At the present time, all of this land is occupied with athletic facilities, except for a university maintenance building.

Buie Saw Possibilities...

H.A. Nelson taught eight basic courses: Field crops, Gardening, Horticulture, Poultry, Dairying, Animal Husbandry, Entomology and Introduction to Agricultural Education. During that time, six semester hours or nine term hours would count as one year of science for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. Therefore, the classes were always large with a high percentage of women.

In 1945, when H.A. Nelson was retiring, a replacement was sought. T.R. Buie, who had taught vocational agriculture in the Texas Public Schools, had earned a Masters Degree from Texas A & M and was serving as a State Supervisor in the Food Production and War Training Program, was employed by the university. Buie, who was young, ambitious, and a hard worker, saw possibilities for this small and sparse program. With the cooperation of Dr. Flowers, President, some objectives were agreed upon. They were: 1. To develop a Bachelors Degree program and train teachers of Vocational Agriculture. 2. To develop an indoor laboratory for milk testing, grading eggs, study of fruits, vegetables, and field crops. 3. To secure another laboratory farm (200 to 400-acres) with desirable sites for dairy, poultry, hogs, beef cattle and sheep.

Changes Took Place...

In the spring semester of 1946 a large number of World War II veterans came to take advantage of their educational benefits. They knew what they wanted and insisted on changes and improvements in every segment of campus life. Their attitude was that they had earned the right to get a quality education in the areas of their choice. The veterans that came from the farms and ranches filled the agriculture classes and it was quite evident that another faculty member was needed. Cecil M. Gregg came in September 1946. Lester J. Cranek was added in June of 1948 and Leroy J. Young was employed in September 1948. Every faculty member had to teach 15 semester hours to meet the needs of the students.

In the years ahead many changes took place: 1. The two large Percheron horses were sold and antique farm implements were discarded. 2. A Farmall "B" tractor and implements were purchased. 3. Arrangements were made to purchase a 392-acre farm for livestock, plant lab work and for demonstrations. 4. Enterprises were established in poultry, swine, beef cattle, sheep and goats. 5. With the cooperation of Gus Schnieder, local dealer of International Harvester equipment, a lease agreement for tractors and implements was executed. 6. Lex Word, Ford Tractor dealer in Kyle, Texas, came and offered the use of a new tractor for two years. 7. Herman Heep, a registered Jersey cattle breeder, gave a young Jersey bull and the use of an older bull for two years.

One of the Best in the U.S...

In the summer of 1950, Lester J. Cranek selected 16 bred Holstein Heifers and a bull in Michigan to upgrade the college herd. The cows proved to be outstanding, making State and National records. Dr. Cranek left the department in 1955 and Frank Pinkerton became the Dairy Instructor. These cows were just coming into their prime production and Pinkerton continued an improvement program and made this one of the best in the U.S. The dairy herd was moved from the old farm on Bugg Lane to the new farm on Hunter Rd. about January 5, 1950. The year 1949 was the year of great change and opportunity. Buie saw a great challenge and believed that with hard work and careful planning a good agriculture program could be developed. He used the power and influence of veteran students.

Jack Neal, an ex-student, was employed in June 1949 as Farm Manager and Supervisor. There was land to be cleared, fences to build, living residences, barns, shelters, and poultry houses to be constructed. The Agriculture Department is greatly indebted to Jack Neal for the hard work, long hours, many frustrations; but he had a strong determination to do the best job possible in developing the laboratory farm. When Neal left the farm, it became necessary for each faculty member to supervise their own enterprises or laboratories. Each faculty member was working 25 hours or more per week on the farm to maintain their respective facilities. Yes, this was not fair, but the college could not get the funds to care properly for the facilities.

Fireworks

Request was Granted...

The President, Dr. J.G. Flowers submitted an application for the right to train vocational agriculture teachers to the (9 member) State Board of Education in April 1949, and the application was approved at the May meeting. East Texas State had applied in January and was approved in February. At the June meeting of the State Board of Education, Stephen F. Austin College presented their application. A motion was made and carried that the three applying institutions be approved subject to the recommendation of W.E. Lowry, Executive Director of Vocational Education, Robert Manire, State Supervisor of Vocational Agriculture, and George Hurt, Assistant Supervisor of Vocational Agriculture. This committee's recommendation was that an evaluation study be made of the applying colleges and the four colleges presently training teachers. These were: Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Sam Houston, and A&I. The study was made in August, and submitted to the State Board of Education at the October meeting. The report was full of errors and misrepresentations. The presidents of the applying colleges asked for an opportunity to bring the board a report showing errors and false statements. This request was granted and a report of the data and implications was submitted in November 1949. The State Board approved all three applying colleges at this meeting.

The nine member State Board of Education was being terminated as of January 1, 1950 and a new 21 member elected State Board of Education took over thus establishing the Texas Education Agency. This State Board elected Dr. J.W. Edgar as the first Commissioner of Education.

Carnations

"If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress."

Several staff members of the Vocational Agriculture division of the U.S. Office of Education assisted Lowry, Manire, and Hurt in making the evaluation study of the colleges. It was well known that the U.S. office personnel for twenty years or more had assisted the Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture to develop and maintain a monopoly on teacher training. The vocational people of the U.S. Office of Education wrote a letter to Mr. Robert Anderson, President of the new State Board of Education, asking for evidence to support a need for additional teachers in Texas. Also, to provide justification for not following the recommendation of the Texas State staff for vocational agriculture.

This letter placed the problem in the hands of the new Board. All of the new board members were contacted in person by individuals from the applying colleges to explain the problem and ask for their support. It can be said, that this developed into one of the biggest political fights that ever existed in Texas. This political fight caused a number of the Texas congressmen to become involved. It was apparent that the applying colleges were losing the fight, unless some very strong pressure was applied. If anyone had a close or kindred tie to a powerful political figure, it was time to act. Buie wrote a letter to Senator Tom Connally, and asked Dr. Flowers to write one also. Buie mailed them in the same envelope to Senator Connally's office in Washington with instructions on the envelope to forward immediately to the Senator, who was in Germany where he was conducting the World War II trials. On the fourth day after mailing the letter, Dr. Flowers received a telegram from the Senator, stating, "I am taking drastic action through Speaker Rayburn and Senator Johnson. Tell Tollie Buie." Drastic action it was! Strong pressure was not only applied in Washington, D.C., but in Texas. It became a matter of saving face and retreating gracefully. Mr. Robert Anderson, President of the State Board, went to Washington and the problem was settled very harmoniously in favor of the applying colleges. Someone once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

Yellow Flowers

Fast Growth of Department Created a Need...

During the next five years, all of the teacher training colleges worked together and tremendous improvements in facilities and quality of instructional programs were made. Southwest Texas Agriculture Department increased to seven members. The Agriculture faculty began to take leaves of absences to obtain Doctoral Degrees on a rotation plan. Gregg was the first to go, followed by Buie, Cranek, and Young. Ed Smith from Georgia was added in Agriculture Mechanics. Other faculty members were: Coy Neely in Dairy Science, Joe Williams in Animal Science, Harold Phillips in Poultry. He was followed by Gerald Champagne. In September 1952 Dr. James Elliot, who had just completed a Ph.D. at Cornell University, joined the staff. He organized and developed an outstanding Mechanics program. The fast growth of the department created a need for instructors and laboratory assistants. Some of these were: Noah Thompson, Burlen Horton, John Arnn, Kenneth Hughes, Quin Schlorts, John Henlee, Telvey Robbins, and Bill Roberds. During the 1950's and 1960's the department had other outstanding faculty members. They were: John Moore, Spencer Norwood, Tilmon Moore, Harvey Farris, Llano Barron, and Roy Biffington. Other faculty members, who came later and have brought distinction to the department and University with hard work and long hours are: Dr. Ray Helm, Dr. Glen Rydl, Dr. Mike Abel, and Dr. Lon Shell.

About 1954, a Master Degree was developed and became second only to the Masters Degree in Education in number awarded annually. However, Dr. Flowers, in trying to appease the State Commission on Higher Education in 1963, agreed to phase out the Masters Degree in Agriculture, which took six or seven years. In 1975-76, a Masters Degree program was initiated under the leadership of Dr. Roy Miller, Jr. This is going nicely and serving the people in central Texas.

Blue Hills

One Major Strength...

Many of the agriculture department graduates are in the public schools as teachers, principals, and superintendents. But most of the graduates are in teaching agriculture, Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation, or other agricultural professions and enterprises.

About 25 agriculture graduates have earned doctoral degrees in various universities in the U.S. Several have become nationally known for their achievements.

One of the major strengths in developing a strong program in agriculture from 1945 to 1970 was the faculty working hard and long hours harmoniously together for a common cause... helping the students to develop their potential abilities.

Graduate cheering