The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, July 1945 - April, 1946 Page: 294
717 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Coke wrote:
Executive Office, State of Texas
Hon. Jefferson Davis, Austin, June 14, 1875
Memphis, Tenn.
My dear Sir:
At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural and Me-
chanical College of Texas, held June 1st, at Bryan, in Brazos County, near
which the college is located, it was unanimously resolved, that the Presi-
dency of the College be tendered to yourself, with a salary of four thousand
dollars per annum, with residence properly furnished, and as much land
attached as might be desired for yards, garden, etc. As President of the
Board, I was instructed to communicate immediately with you, present
the offer, and urge its acceptance. I now perform that most pleasing duty,
as the representative, not only of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural
and Mechanical College of Texas, but in behalf of the State of Texas and
all her people ask that you come and live with and be one of us, and make
your home and resting place, after a long and eventful public service, among
a people who will never cease to love and honor you. Nor are we entirely
unselfish in making this request. We desire to build up the Agricultural
and Mechanical College, an institution which shall be a prominent feature
in the educational system of the great State which founds it, and worthy
of her pride and fostering care, and we know of no living man whose
name and efforts can do so much as yours towards accomplishing that
purpose. The duties to be performed by the President of the College have
not been defined, and will not be until you are heard from, and, should
you accept, as we trust you will, your wishes will be consulted in fixing
them.
It is hardly necessary for me to assure you that it gives me great
pleasure, personally, to be the medium through which this communication
is made.
Hoping to hear from you at your convenience, I am
Most respectfully and truly yours
RICHARD COKE
Governor of Texas and ex-officio President, Board
of Directors, Agricultural and Mechanical College
Davis replied:
Memphis, Tenn.
His Excellency Governor Coke: July 8, 1875
My Dear Sir:
With sincere gratitude I acknowledge the honor tendered me by the
Directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, as set
forth in your letter of the 14th ult.
No occupation would be more acceptable to me than that which would
enable me to co-operate with you in the organization of a system for the
instruction of the youth of our country, in the two important branches
to which the colleges at Bryan are to be specially devoted.
I cannot too fully thank you for the generous confidence manifested
in offering me the presidency of those colleges, and it is but a fair return
that I should cordially confess that you have overrated my ability and
in the consciousness that I could not satisfactorily perform the duties294
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, July 1945 - April, 1946, periodical, 1946; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146056/m1/327/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.