Campus Life: Then and Now

By : Tyler Reeves and Madison Millsap

#TBTAMUC

But First, Let Me Take a Selfie

• Intro• Glimpse into the past, student life

throughout the years of TAMUC in celebration of the 125th anniversary• Looking into the past, as we march

on toward the future

#LetsDoThis

#Flashback to Centennial

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so what are people saying with a commemorating statue? The pictured Resting Lion statue has been a part of the campus since 1929. The event pictured is the Centennial Commemoration event of the university in 1989.

And It still stands today!

And now, here we are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the university, and the Resting Lion still stands!

A LITTLE HISTORY…

Our story begins in 1889. Back when you could throw a rock and hit every building on campus, founder William Mayo opened the doors to a one-building campus called East Texas Normal College in Cooper, Texas. After a fire destroyed the original campus in 1894, Mayo moved the college to its present location in Commerce, Texas, due to the presence of a railroad to commute students from Dallas and areas from both North and East Texas. The state of Texas purchased the campus after Mayo’s death in 1917 to become East Texas State Teachers College.

After recognizing that the purpose of the institution had broadened from teacher education, Texas Legislature dubbed the university East Texas State College in 1957 and then to East Texas State University in 1962. In 1996, the university joined the Texas A&M University System and the university system decided to honor the affinity of the town and the school and it became Texas A&M University–Commerce.

What’s in a name?

Texas Governor John Connally signs the bill changing the name of East Texas State College to East Texas State University. Standing, from left to right: Senator Ralph Hall, Representative James Cole, and Representative Ben Atwell.

AND NOW…

• Standing tall and proud today with over forty-five buildings across nine different campuses including the Commerce and Online university educating well over 12,000 students in over 40 different areas of study.

A Tour of THE Old and the New: oh, how the campus has changed!

The year pictured was 1948, and East Texas State Teacher’s College was full of students on the road to a new adventure, living the dream that is college. The campus was much smaller then, but size of the college or the number of buildings did not stop the university from growing and expanding to the university it is today.

DORM LIFEBeing on the go has always been part of the student life. From extracurricular activities or academics, a student always has to have a place strictly to themselves

Representing Womens Residence is Binnion Hall (pictured above). Dian Fife and Colleen Lewis Hines were both residents of Binnion Hall and write of their experiences in Memories of Old E.T.

INTRODUCING WHITLEY HALL

Towering 12 stories high above TAMUC stands Whitely hall which houses over 400 students. This newer edition to the campus provides residence for incoming freshman. Compared to housing the past, where there were exactly two residence halls: men and womens, this hall is co-ed.

Also pictured is Pride Rock, the newest housing addition to the campus and is also for Freshman.

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?

The sandwich shop, the ice cream parlor, and the student center are all places of interest to meet new people, hang with friends, or just have some time to yourself. Sandella’s today is that place for us to grab a bite to eat and do homework

Ice Ice Baby!“It’s a Snow Day!” a sentence we all look forward to, giving us a greater gratification being residents of the bipolar state of Texas and the rarity of extremely cold weather. The students here during the Ice Storm of 1950 were probably ecstatic at first with the lack of homework, but probably grew tired of being stuck after weeks; I know I was when the ice storm last semester hit and decided to dangerously go driving around town.

STUDY TIME

The University has many places for students to seek refuge in a quiet place to do homework much likes the days of the past where you could spend all day in the library doing research or studying with friends. For present day students the James G. Gee Library is that safe haven as well as for us English majors the Hall of Languages, formerly the library in the ETSTU days, is our current home away from home.

Pictured right is the old library, what we now call the hall of languages.Below is the james g. gee library present students use today.

EDUCATION BUILDING

What was once filled with future educators now proudly incorporates many subjects within its historic walls; from university wide convocations to future politicians the Ferguson Building still stands proud today being watched over by the Resting Lion statue.

Photography, Sculpting, and Painting Through the Ages: The Art of War in the University.

The arts have always been an afterthought in the world of academia as displayed in the photo titled, “The Shack,” where patrons of the art had to do what they could to complete their work. Today it has been transformed into the Wathena Arts Temple where students still proudly pour their sweat, blood, and tears into their artistic expressions for the sake of art.

From first to last: English majors unite!

From a mere seven students with an interest in pursuing literature at a time when the American greats were on the rise to today’s graduating class we all want to dive deeper into the world that is literature and hopefully in future generations this number will grow preserving the wonderful world of Literature.

Together, We are lions

Everyone in the world of higher education wants to be there to become experts in their chosen field they are studying and no matter the number of graduates across the large range of subjects to choose from we are all proud of our university and all are here to better ourselves and learn from the people our school has chosen to guide the future leaders of the world to their success. From 1934 where Grace received her Bachelors of Art to the Alumni of tomorrow we all are here to learn.

Conclusion

In this walkthrough we have guided you through the history of what student life was like here at TAMUC and the fun that was had, the struggles of being a little fish in a big pond, and the great accomplishments of this wonderful university that we call home. From this we hope that you can take with you some knowledge of this university and remember the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with school or personal issues that somewhere in time another student much like yourself may have been sitting in the same spot you are now thinking the same thing. They made it out alive, and so can you.

Works Cited

“Binnion Hall,” Cir. 1950. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives. Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

“Campus Ice Storm 1950.” Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives. Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG [FAIR USE]

“Dorm Life,” c. 1950s. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. October 3, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

“Randolph B. Binnion” Northeast Texas Digital Collection. 1920s. Image. 17 Sept. 2014.

“Senator Lyndon B. Johnson Visits Campus.” Historic ET Collection, Historic ET 2014.09, Historic ET. 1960. JPEG. [Fair Use]

Dr. James Conrad. “Campus Map 1911.” 1977. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

E. Reynolds, and Conrad H. Donalds. James, Professor Mayo’s College: A History of East Texas State University, Years of Crisis: 1925-1946, The East Texas State University Press, Book, 1933. 20 Sept. 2014.

E.T. Sandwich Shop. “E.T. Sandwich Shop.” 1926. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

Works Cited (cont.)

East Texas Normal College. “Campus Panorama c. 1908.” c. 1908. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, Texas. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

East Texas Normal College. “Class of 1907 B.Lit. Graduates,” 1907. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M Commerce, Commerce, TX. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

East Texas State Teachers College. “‘The Shack.’” 1923. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

East Texas State Teachers College. “Aerial View of East Texas State Teachers College 1948.” 1948. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives. Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

East Texas State Teachers College. “B.A. Diploma 1932.” 1932. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. September 17, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

East Texas State Teachers College. “Education Building, c. 1940s.” c. 1940s. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives, Texas A&M Commerce, Commerce, TX. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

ETSU. “Centennial Commemoration of Lion Statue,” 1989. Historic E.T. Collection, James G. Gee Library Digital Archives. Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, TX. October 3, 2014. JPEG. [FAIR USE]

Works Cited (cont.)

Fife, Dian. “Binion Hall – 1959/1962 – Class of 1962,” Memories of Old E.T., 50, Book. 20 Sept. 2014.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Binnion Hall Present Day,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “But First, Let Me Take A #Selfie,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Campus Map 2014,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Driving in Snow,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Ferguson Building 2014,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Resting Lion Present Day,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Sandella’s Café,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Wathena Arts Building,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Millsap, Madison & Tyler Reeves. “Whitley Hall 2014,” 2014. iPhone 5. JPEG File.

Purdy, Bobbie Flemming. “What a Difference 25 Years Make – Class of 1967.” Memories of Old E.T. Print: 2010, 10-16.