S
chreiner University, which opened its doors in 1923 as an all-male military school, has become a flourishing, independent and coeducational university— thanks to those dedicated to keeping Capt. Charles Schreiner’s vision of a prosperous Hill Country and higher education alive. Now, in honor of his 175th birthday, we reflect on the past, present and future of our beloved university.
by Caitlin Probandt ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE LOPEZ KELLER
14 Spring 2013 SCENE
The Beginning Schreiner University is the product of two streams of influence: the Presbyterian Church and entrepreneur Capt. Charles Schreiner.
Capt. Schreiner, who moved with his family from France to San Antonio in 1852, called the Hill Country home. He purchased a ranch in Kerr County in 1857 and started a family. After serving in the Confederate Army for three and a half years, he started a mercantile business that would culminate in one of the largest mercantilebanking empires in the Southwest during its time. Capt. Schreiner was a visionary for the Hill Country, and saw the need to educate young men. In 1916, he set aside a quarter of a million dollars to begin a Presbyterian school for boys and young men in the