Posted 1:24 am Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Texas College To Get Marker
By CASEY MURPHY
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Texas College will be honored by city officials Wednesday with the unveiling of a historic subject marker on campus.
The ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday will take place at the entrance of Texas College, 2404 N. Grand Ave. and will be a part of the college's homecoming activities.
In accordance with the Tyler 21 North End Action Plan, the city of Tyler launched a three-year program in 2009 to promote Tyler Historic Landmarks status and the installation of historic markers and plaques at North End locations important to city history, including the history of the African-American community.
Texas College is the third local legacy to be honored through the Reflections Program, which encourages residents or organizations to submit nominations for the designation in the North End as Tyler Historic Landmarks, Tyler Historic Subject Markers or Half Mile of History stones.
Texas College is an historic post-secondary institution that provides a unique college experience for the students it serves in Tyler. The college was founded in 1894 by a group of ministers of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church who were interested in offering a quality education to African American youth.
In the spring of 1984, Texas College received its original charter from the State of Texas and the teaching and learning process became a reality. The first class began in a four-room frame house with six students.
The school came to prominence in 1905 with its first president Professor S.W. Broome. Its first brick building, erected in 1909, was named Phillips Hall and in 1924, the school gained state accreditation and constructed Martin Hall, followed by a girl's building in 1925. In 1931, the college recruited Dr. Dominion Robert C. Glass to serve as president and under his leadership, the college was able to obtain its four-year college accreditation, as well as increased enrollment to nearly 3,000 students and a teaching staff from 10 to 103, according to the historic subject marker application submitted by Texas College President Dr. Dwight Fennell.
"Texas College has continued a legacy of educational excellence and community involvement," he wrote.
Texas College has evolved for 116 years into an institution with a rich heritage that is committed to its mission -- to ensure that graduates experience a balanced intellectual, psycho-social and spiritual development aimed at making them active and productive members of society.
The college recognizes the dynamic nature of the modern world and the need to integrate faith with technological and scientific advancements to improve the human condition.
Today, with its diverse student, faculty and staff populations, Texas College admits students of any race, color, gender, religious affiliation, or national or ethnic origin. The college is an affiliate of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and has a modified open admissions policy that permits it to serve a broad-based traditional and non-traditional student clientele.
Tyler's Historical Preservation Board in December approved Texas College and three other local legacies to be preserved with historical subject markers. Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Henry M. Morgan's Barber College have already been honored with the metal markers and Butler College awaits a ceremony to receive the recognition.
The Historical Subject Marker Program was developed by the board last year to honor pieces of history, which may not meet the criteria of a historical landmark. Unlike landmark plaques, which are mounted onto buildings, these markers will be attached to posts at the site.
