Southwestern University

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Southwestern University, right there in Georgetown, Williamson County. Now, before we get to what stands today, you've got to understand what came before — because this story doesn't start in Georgetown. It starts in four different places, across four different decades, before anybody had even dreamed of pulling it all together.

Rutersville College, down in Fayette County — chartered in 1840 by the Republic of Texas. Wesleyan Male and Female College over in San Augustine — 1844, also chartered by the Republic. Then McKenzie College up in Clarksville, 1848.

And Soule University in Chappell Hill, 1856. Four institutions. Four communities.

All of them Methodist. And all of them, eventually, destined to be folded into something bigger. Around 1870, church leaders started thinking it might be wiser — smarter, more practical — to take all those scattered pioneer institutions and replace them with a single church-related university.

One place. One purpose. Now, here's where Georgetown enters the picture.

The citizens of that town heard what was being discussed, and they didn't sit on their hands. They offered land. They offered money.

They offered what the marker calls moral support. The community worked alongside church leaders, and when the dust settled, Georgetown was chosen as the home of what would be called, at first, Texas University. At the helm of this new institution was a man described on the marker as a distinguished and devoted educator — Dr.

Francis Asbury Mood, born in 1830, who would die in 1884. He served as the founding regent. The administrator.

The man at the front of the room before there was much of a room to stand in. The Georgetown College plant — sitting about seven blocks west of where you'd read this marker — was donated by the city. And on October 6th, 1873, classes began.

But that name — Texas University — well, that name had other ambitions. When it was ceded to the state, a new charter was drawn up, and on February 6th, 1875, Southwestern University came into being. The charter specifically granted it all the rights and privileges that had been given earlier to Rutersville, to Wesleyan, to McKenzie, and to Soule.

Four old charters. One new name. The university kept growing and kept changing.

Women students were first admitted in 1878. Then in 1889, the Ladies Annex opened on what would become the permanent campus. And between 1898 and 1900, the present Main Building went up — marking the spot as Southwestern University's forever home.

Four colleges born under the Republic and the early state. One community that raised its hand. One founding regent who gave it shape.

That's what it took to make the marker call Southwestern University what it does — the mother of all Texas colleges and universities.

What the marker says

Mother of all Texas colleges and universities. Absorbed charters of Rutersville College, Fayette County (1840), and Wesleyan Male and Female College, San Augustine (1844), chartered by the Republic of Texas; McKenzie College, Clarksville (1848), and Soule University, Chappell Hill (1856). Georgetown citizens offered land, money and moral support when about 1870 it seemed wise to supplant the several pioneer Methodist institutions with a single church-related university. The community's work with church leaders resulted in location of "Texas University" here. A distinguished and devoted educator, Dr. Francis Asbury Mood (1830-1884), was the founding regent (or administrator). The Georgetown College plant (7 blocks W) was donated by the city. Classes began Oct. 6, 1873. Upon ceding the name "Texas University" to the state, Southwestern University was chartered on Feb. 6, 1875, and specifically granted all rights and privileges given earlier to Rutersville, Wesleyan, and McKenzie colleges, and Soule University. Women students were first admitted in 1878. The "Ladies Annex" was opened (1889) on present campus. This became permanent site of Southwestern University with construction of present Main Building, 1898-1900. (1973)