DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna pass it right along to you. Back in 1876, a man named Reverend George O. Richardson had an idea — and in Texas, an idea with enough conviction behind it has a way of outlasting just about everything that tries to stop it.
Richardson founded a college in Dallas, built around a single purpose: the education of African American youth. He leased St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church for the private school, and they called it Andrews Normal School.
Simple enough. But this story was just gettin' started. Two years later, in 1878, the school packed up and moved to Austin, holding classes in the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church.
That same year, the Freedman's Aid Society stepped in, adopted Andrews Normal School, and the name changed — it was now the West Texas Conference School. Then in 1880, nearly six acres were acquired on East 12th Street, and for the first time, the school had a place to truly call its own. Seven years on, in 1887, a man from Marengo, Iowa — Samuel Huston by name — donated property worth ten thousand dollars, and in his honor, the school was renamed Samuel Huston College.
Now, the road wasn't smooth. Funding difficulties caused the school to close several times in the 1880s. Several times.
Each time, you might've thought that was the end of the story. It wasn't. In 1900, the school reopened at that same East 12th Street site.
Then in 1910, it organized as a private educational corporation. By 1926, it had become a senior college. And in 1952, Samuel Huston College merged with Tillotson College, relocated to the Tillotson campus on Chicon Street, and took a new name — Huston-Tillotson College.
What Reverend Richardson started in a leased church in Dallas in 1876 is still going. That's not just survival. That's a distinguished history.
What the marker says
Samuel Huston College traces its history to 1876 when the Rev. George O. Richardson founded a college in Dallas for the education of African American youth. St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church was leased for the private school, named Andrews Normal School. The school moved to Austin in 1878 and held classes in the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. With the help of the Freedman’s Aid Society, adopted Andrews Normal School in 1878 and the name was changed to West Texas Conference School. Nearly six acres were acquired on East 12th Street in 1880 for the original campus. The school was renamed in 1887 for Samuel Huston of Marengo, Iowa, who donated property worth $10,000. Funding difficulties caused the school to close several times in the 1880s. t reopened in 1900 at the same site. Organized as a private educational corporation in 1910, it became a senior college in 1926, and merged with Tillotson College in 1952. Relocated to the Tillotson College campus on Chicon Street, the school was renamed Huston-Tillotson College. It continues a distinguished history of education. (1996)