The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 341
672 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Alexander Penn Wooldridge
meeting of the board, A. P. Wooldridge was selected to be secre-
tary of the board and also was appointed to the committee created
to organize the curriculum in the various schools. The com-
mittee decided to have one professor teaching in each of the six
schools. The schools and their respective professors' annual salaries
were: I. School of English Language, Literature, and History,
$3,500; II. School of Chemistry and Physics, $3,500; III. Mathe-
matics, Pure and Applied, $3,500; IV. Metaphysics, Logic and
Ethics, $4,000; V. Latin and Greek, $3,500; VI. Modern Lan-
guages, French, Spanish, and German, $2,5o0.56
The next major task of the board was to select the professors
to fill the chairs which had been created. Volumes of correspond-
ence were written between the secretary, the prospects, and the
people who recommended the applicants. Characteristic of the
favorable impressions received by the new professors is this state-
ment by J. W. Mallet who was the first professor of chemistry
and physics employed by the University of Texas:
.. There was much in the new atmosphere of a young, vigorous,
and rapidly growing State, and in the hopes and plans for the new
institutions of learning, to inspire one with enthusiasm and interest.
The first Faculty consisted of a fine body of men, sound scholars
in their several fields of work, gentlemen of good judgment and
experience of scholastic affairs, kindly, courteous and helpful to each
other and anxious to be true friends, as well as teachers, of their
pupils ... there was .. much to encourage us in the attitude of
those who had been most active in securing the opening for actual
work of the University, which had been for long a project on
paper only, and I remember with much gratitude the words of
counsel and cheer of such men as Col. Ashbel Smith, Dr. Wooten,
Mr. Wooldridge, Judge Terrell and others.
Among the most vivid impressions that remain to me of those
days is that of the Texas spirit that seemed to say--'Yes, it is not
very clear how the thing is to be done, but the State of Texas has
said that it shall be done, and it will be done, somehow.'"'
The spirit which so impressed Mallet prevailed throughout
the attempts to find the professors, build a home for the uni-
56Minutes of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas (microfilm,
Archives, University of Texas Library), Volume A, 24-25.
57J. W. Mallet, "Recollections of the First Year of the University of Texas,"
The Alcalde (April, gi93), 14-17.341
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964, periodical, 1964; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101197/m1/399/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.