It was a match made in academic heaven. The marriage of a tiny, struggling but well-intentioned private school with one of Texas’ educational behemoths celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017. An anniversary whose historical significance is marked by the dedication and commitment of supporters of John Tarleton Agricultural College’s effort to join with Texas A&M.
Ideal Match Links Tarleton to Texas A&M Among the key players in the century-old drama were a steadfast college administrator in Stephenville, the visionary head of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College, various local boosters, benefactors and staunch supporters. The courtship began innocuously enough when Tarleton President James F. Cox, who took the reins of the school in 1913, realized the dire straits facing the school in the early decades of the 20th Century. According to Dr. Christopher Guthrie’s John Tarleton and His Legacy: The History of Tarleton State University, 1899-1999, Cox knew the job of just keeping Tarleton operational was a massive one. “The buildings were in bad repair,” Cox reported. “The library was depleted and entirely inadequate, even for a second-rate junior college. Laboratory equipment and furniture and fixtures for the college were very poor.” The endowment fund, which launched the school 14 years before, had been depleted by a quarter and Tarleton’s academic reputation was sagging. “No college president ever faced a more discouraging set-up than was mine at Stephenville in 1913,” Cox said. Through sheer determination and resourcefulness, Cox and a dedicated, underpaid faculty guided the school’s survival. Cox envisioned success for Stephenville’s private, self-supporting junior college through joining forces with a larger, stronger state-supported school. His plans revolved around improving Tarleton’s educational quality, thereby boosting the school’s reputation and making prospects for a marriage more appealing to suitors. Three years after implementing this strategy, Cox contacted Texas A&M President Dr. W.B. Bizzell, suggesting a plan for Tarleton to become a branch institution of the College Station school. Bizzell was intrigued at the prospect. With the University of Texas beginning to expand, why had Cox and the Tarleton board decided to approach the Aggies?
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Agriculture. The College Station institution was the only school in Texas that offered an agriculture-based curriculum. The educational opportunities at Texas A&M dovetailed perfectly with Tarleton’s rural environment and the career requirements of a majority of area students. Cox’s proposal for the two schools’ promising union depended mightily on supporters of the Stephenville college uniting to impress both A&M higher-ups and the Texas Legislature. A key provision was for area backers to donate funds to buy 500 acres northeast of Stephenville on which to build a college farm. Additionally, money was needed to reinvigorate the shrinking original John Tarleton