The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 86, July 1982 - April, 1983 Page: 137
616 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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A University of the First Class
response. Early in 1839 the Texan Congress set aside three leagues of
land in each county to support the establishment of primary schools or
academies, and a total of fifty leagues (221,400 acres) to endow two col-
leges or universities. Another law reserved land in the new capital of
Austin for one of the two institutions. For the time being, however, no
part of the endowment lands was located or surveyed. The failure of
public education to progress during the period was due to several
causes. The public lands of Texas were at the time so abundant and
cheap that they were of no practical use as a source of funding. Support-
ers of private schools at all levels opposed state-supported education or
were neutral at best. Several private colleges and universities, notably
Baylor, were chartered by the Congress of the Republic of Texas dur-
ing this time. Most functioned as preparatory schools; few survived
more than a few years. Also, during the 184os and early 185os, Texans
necessarily focused their attention on other issues, including war with
Mexico, annexation to the United States, and financial difficulties.5
Although governors and legislatures during Texas's first eight years
of statehood took cognizance of the education legislation of 1839, they
did nothing to further its purpose. The election of Elisha Marshall
Pease as governor in 1853, however, ushered in a period of renewed
interest in public eduction at all levels. Pease made specific suggestions
for such in his first legislative message, including a call for an enlarged
endowment for a state university. The lawmakers responded by passing
a public school law in 1854, but its provisions were so weak that few
schools were actually established. Various bills were introduced to aid
the immediate establishment of a state university, but the session ad-
journed before action could be taken on any of them."
The legislative session that began in November of I855 provided
5Gammel (comp), Laws of Texas, II, 134-136, 161, 165; Ernest W. Winkler, "The Uni-
versity of Texas and College Hill," Alcalde, V (Nov., 1916), 98; Frederick Eby, The De-
velopment of Education in Texas (New York, 1925), 91; Frederick Eby (comp.), Education
in Texas: Source Materials (Austin, 1912), 215-216; Harry Yandell Benedict, "History of
the University of Texas," I, 5, Harry Yandell Benedict Papers (BTHC); James A. Tinsley,
"Genesis of Higher Education in Texas," Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of
Texas, XXXII (1969), 52-55.
6Texas, Legislature, Senate, Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, First Legisla-
ture (Clarksville, Tex., 1848), Appendix, 9-1o; Texas, Legislature, House of Representa-
tives, Journal of the House of Representatives, Third Legislature (Austin, 1849), 278-279;
Texas, Legislature, House of Representatives, Journal of the House of Representatives,
Fourth Legislature (Regular Session) (Austin, 1851), 49-50; Benedict, "History of the Uni-
versity of Texas," I, 29, 33-35; Roger Allen Griffin, "Connecticut Yankee in Texas: A,
Biography of Elisha Marshall Pease" (Ph.D. diss., University of Texas, Austin, 1973), 75,
89-90o; Texas, Legislature, Senate, Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Fifth Leg-
islature (Austin, 1853), Part II, 15; Eby, Development of Education in Texas, 116-121.137
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 86, July 1982 - April, 1983, periodical, 1982/1983; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101209/m1/173/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.