A D VA N C E M E N T
Murchsion Influence Permeates Campus
Scholarships, professorships enrich academic landscape By R. Douglas Brackenridge
V
isible throughout the metropolitan San Antonio area, the T. Frank Murchison Memorial Tower on Trinity‘s campus symbolizes the prominence of one of the University’s most influential and generous patrons. The tower’s principal donor, Trinity Trustee Arch S. Underwood, requested that it be named after Murchison, his long-time friend. “Frank has done about as much to build Trinity as anybody I know,” Underwood said. “We need something tall on this campus to remind us of him because he was a tall man in Trinity’s affairs.” Indeed, during the first decade of Trinity’s presence in San Antonio, locals referred to Murchison as “Mr. Trinity,” due to his commitment of time, expertise, and financial resources to the University. The Murchison family had a long association with Trinity dating back to 1910 when T. (for Thomas) Frank, a native of Athens, Texas, enrolled as a freshman at Trinity in Waxahachie. His father, John W. Murchison, the town’s bank president, hoped that the disciplined atmosphere of a Presbyterian university would prove beneficial for Frank and his younger brother, Clint. While Frank thrived at Trinity, Clint preferred to be outdoors rather than in confining classrooms. He lasted only three weeks and embarked on a legendary career in the oil industry that made him a Texas icon. (His son, Clint Murchison, Jr., was the first owner of the Dallas Cowboys.) Clint Murchison Sr. joined with Underwood in 1951 to underwrite the cost of the original Student Union Building. Another brother, John W. Murchison, served on Trinity’s Board of Trustees and contributed generously to University projects. During his four years at Trinity, Frank Murchison (Class of 1914) excelled in academics and found ample time for extracurricular
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Murchison Tower, a prominent landmark, dominates the Trinity campus.
activities and business trips to Dallas. The Mirage described him as “a leader in all student activities. No one fears but his ready wit for emergencies and his broad smiling countenance will make for him a great fortune.” He served as president of the Press Club, president of the State Intercollegiate Press Association, president of his junior class, president of the Ratio-Maeonian Literary Society, treasurer of the Y. M.C.A., and associate editor of the Mirage. His senior thesis was titled, “The Organization of the Banking System in the United States.” Keen on athletics, Frank played football, basketball, baseball, and tennis, serving on several occasions as manager as well as player. Murchison also evidenced a sense of humor. As seniors, he and a group of friends offered
tongue-in-cheek advice to young men who wanted to date Trinity co-eds. Frank’s suggestion was, “See that all pictures of out-of-town girls are removed from watches before entering the [women’s residence] hall.” The 1914 Mirage featured a new organization known as The Ego Club, with Murchison listed as one of the charter members. The group had no president because everyone voted for himself. After military service in World War I, Frank returned to Athens to take charge of the bank for his ailing father. Subsequently, he teamed up with his brother Clint to purchase land leases for gas and oil exploration, but they eventually separated because Frank thought Clint was too impetuous and wanted to expand too rapidly. Frank amassed his own fortune through ownership of gas and oil