HomeMy WebLinkAboutCemeteries
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1. :Fron 1Ir. Rac1~. who obtained his information fran P,f%'. Jåm '<
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Dravder, Class of 1915, Groesteck, Texas. Lara:;rette l11r1pkin Footer, President CD
Texas A. sri! I~. College 1898--1901, has a son, Mr. Joseph Lawson Foster, -c
born in 1882, who noo resides, according to }.Ir. Broader, at 215 Dmvson 0
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Box 211, Facul ty Excha.~-:e
Colle go Station, Te:~BS
Septcmoor 19, 1955
Professor T. ¡'i. Iclal-x-l, C11airnl£L"'1
TI1C Ceræt.erj" CO!3rni t tee
C atmJUS
..
re ar Mr. I.e la:1d :
Pursuant -to ¡lOU..r request for information relatiI"'..g to surviving
relati \~S of -t118' persons buried in the Collage Plot J and other r.erti-
nent inforrùaticn on the deceased rœmbers of tl1C Collec;e group, I pass to
YOtl these facts recently acquired through Mr. E. C. Rack, Class of 1915,
ar£l Professor E. J. Kyle, Class of 1899 and Dean Etæritus of Agriculture.
..
President Foster has a dB.Ur,hter, according to Ray Walter J author
of a tl1esis on LiIoost,one County, 11 ving at 1815 Richardson Street, Dallas,
Te:;{ss. lIar married nmœ is 1!n1. T. D. l!cÌ1eill.
2. I11fol-'mation abcut the Rirres rami~ iran Dean Erœritus E. J.
Kyle .
Riggs (riÞ.i to ) :
Ja.,."'1i tor, the E=~r:iJænt Station Buildi.T1g.
Smoot: I-Ie ad lli1.k J¡lnn at the Dai1jr Barn i.~ the Ha...~~on Ad-
mni~rtration, 1905--1908.
Dea.'1 !\.y1.e knew nOl"'ß of the survivors in these families. Of'
course, t1a.~t of the 01(1 tiœrs O:"l the Campus knal that "Capt" c. o.
Ylatld:1s ~'1d Ilia àmlr:1rter Ruth have no survivors. A sister of the Alvord
'. .-
inf'~~t &"'ld daucJlter of the later C. H. Alvord, Yfaa!lington, D. C. is Mrs.
F. J. Konecny, ,¡Ìloac reside!lCO is 1209 Marsteller, College Station, and
m~osc tc1epi~one is 6-5977. Mr. Konec~. is Execlltive Assistant in En-
2.~iroeri!1G E:¡,'i,eræion Service.
If Tie acq1.lÍre a!1Y" additional inforzr.ation relative to the survivors
of tl1ese rcrs ons ~.:~uried in the Colle r,e Plot, we shall pass it on to you.
Sincero~T yours,
.
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D. B. Cofer
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Biography
ARCH JVES
Foster,
L.
L. .
Bryan Daily Eagle
2/12/67
'EurlyPresident's Grave
. , ,"
L. L. Foster, fourth president of Texas A&M Uni- rests with nine others, all former A&M employes or.
versity, is buried in the official college cemetery, a their kin. Foster was president of Texas A&M from¡'
tiny plot about a mile south of theW est Gate en~ 1898-1901. (Eagle Photo by Gene Dennis) , >. ': '
trance to the campus. Foster's gravé (right, center»~< <
, ~"
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August 20, 2003
Dr. Robert M. Gates, President
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas 77843
Dear President Gates:
Weare concerned about the lack of an informative sign and the overall status of the grave site of
former Texas A&M President, Mr. L. L. Foster, and nine or ten other individuals who have an
A&M affiliation as employees or family members.
F oster was reportedly held in high regard both as a person and President of A&M and had a
dormitory named after him that was razed in 1951.
We believe there are several conditions present at the grave sites that could be enhanced. If you
are not familiar with this old A&M Cemetery, it is located at the northwest quadrant of the
intersection of Luther and Marion Pugh streets in College Station a block from the railroad
tracks.
Specifically, but not limited to, the grave sites could be marked in a manner to identify each
person with relevant information. For instance, a state historical marker could be obtained to
identify Foster who served as a state legislator and speaker of the House after one term;
Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics, History, and Agriculture; member of the Railroad
Commission; and President of A&M. In addition, he was a Baptist minister, stonemason,
farmer, journalist, and executive of a large company. Physical improvements might include a
sign identifying the plot as the A&M cemetery; a nicer fence and gate; and off street parallel or
head-end parking for visitors adjacent to the cemetery. Unfortunately, the east side of the plot is
a catchall for litter.
Additionally, since several of the individuals and, presumably the tombstones, were moved in
1938 to the present site, consideration should be given, in our opinion, to relocating the
individuals to the present City of College Station cemetery. Information we have relates, also,
that an infant was buried there in 1942. Furthermore, from a cursory review of the information
in the University Archives, it appears that with one possible exception no family of the deceased
is still living.
Over the past half century, a myriad of comments have been used to describe the cemetery and
Foster's grave. They include terms like "disgraceful," "a crime the way President Foster's
remains have been treated," and "until two years ago, the cemetery was in shabby shape." We
obviously are hopeful you will change this negative into a positive.
We recognize there would be expense to relocation; however, we believe the long tenn
maintenance, identification, and viewing of the grave sites would be improved. We also believe
this would demonstrate that the University honors and holds in high esteem former presidents
with commemorative markers at least as nice as those for former mascots.
Page Two
We have enclosed related documentation about President Foster and the A&M Cemetery
provided by University Archivist David Chapman, who was most helpful to us in learning more
about Foster and the cemetery. Several photographs are also enclosed.
We will appreciate your consideration of our expressed concerns; and as former administrators in
the University and Agricultural Experiment Station, we are willing, ifrequested, to assist with
further work on this matter.
Sincerely,
---- -
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Ken Livingston, Class of '56
1904 Bee Creek
College Station, TX 77840
Phone: 693-2065
Charles McCandless, Class of 56
310 Suffolk
College Station, TX 77840
Phone: 693-9149
Enclosures
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M U ni versi ty
College Station, Texas
rave ar
, II
ress ' In
eac
Littered with empty beer cans
and crumpled-up Cheetos þags,'
it looks like the after-
math of a
typical party. But looks can be
deceiving.
Hidden behind overgrown
trees and bushes, the Texas A&M
cemetery lies in peaceful sUence
on the corner of Marion Pugh
and Luther streets, near Tree-
house Village Apartments.
The cemetery, which is
about half the size of a
football field, is home to
eight marked and two un-
marked tombstones" in-
,", /:,,: cluding that of a former
"ì A&M college J?resident,
5r Lafayette LumpkIn Foster.
~ h d
,¡¡[[~¡:: Foster, w a was e-
,'..,"<"
':l¡f scribed as a self-made man
,:;:¡;~:'
~yt and served on the Texas State
~:,:"
~~( Legislature for 1 7 years, was
::: asked to serve as president of,
A&M after Lawrence Sullivan
Ross' death in 1898.
Foster served ~s president of ,
A&M from 1898 until 1901,
when he became ill. He was
the first to be buried in a ,
college cemetery on the'
present site of Duncan
Dining Hall in Decem-
ber 1901.
In 1939, the re-
mains and tomb-
stones of the five
people buried there
were moved to the
current cemetery to
make room for Duncan.
The largest gravestone, that of
Foster, lies under a live oak tree
on the west side of the cemetery
and is surrounded by nine other
tombstones. '
According to the Cushing Li-
brary Archives, among those
buried in the nine other graves
are: C.O. Watkins, a long-time ~
employee of the College' who'
died in 1940; "Ruth Watkins, a i
daughter of c.o. Watkins, who
died one day before her father;
Joseph Allison Riggs, a College
janitor; Allison Smoot, head
milkman at the dairy barn dur-
ing the Harrington Administra-
tion; and Charles H. and Lottie
L. Alvord's infaQ.t child, who died
in 1908. '
According to Cushing Arc~v~s,
a spokesman for Foster said, in
1901 that "it is indeed fitting 'that
his remains shÖuld repose in 'the
,soil he loved."- !,:}", '
In 1955, a cemetery commit~ee
:was formed to investigate', the
possibility of moving the graves
again, .to an unnamed cem~tei-y
in College Station. Although the
committee reportedly tried to,
contact survivors of Foster artd
others buried iIi the cemetery for
permis$ion to move the remains,
they were unsuccessful, and the
remains were never moved.
In a letter written to G. Smith:
in 1955, D.B.Cofer, an A&M;
archivist, said he was disappoint ~
ed in how the remains of L.l.
Foster were being handled. '
"It's a crime the way President
Foster's remains have been treat-
ed," Cofer wrot~. "Maybe with the '
help of Professor Lelançl's ce~e-,
tery committee and alumni
. ,-,-
working together,- a suitable plot
. could be provided and cared fo1:-."
, Don Simons, a former station
manager of KAMU - Tv, said he,
along with other members of the
Brazos Genealogical So.ciety, 'have
been mapping out cemeteries in
the Brazos Valley since 1982. He
. said there was solnething unique
about one of thè people i,n the
A&M cemetery.' :.
"Ruth Watkins was the best
friend of my wife's mother," Si-
mons said. "We thought that was
really interesting."
- '
Simons said that in the' early
1980s, the Genealogical Society
decided it wanted to expand and
. do something for all of Brazos'
Valley. In 1984, the Society partic-
ipated in the Big Evçnt, and.
about 500 A&M students help~d, '~-
them clean up cemeteries in
Bryan -College Station. ,
Although the east side of thè
A&M cemetery is filled with litter,
the rest of the cemetery and,
gravestones are generally well-:~'.,
kept. Simons said the A&M Phys'- '.>.
ical Plant started maintaining th.'e':;
cemetery at his request in 1987 ~,' '
'Since then, Simons and ,.his
wife ,have collected 21,:700,
, ,¡.~, '
names ~f people buried in B~~,~ "
zos Valley and entered them irift>
a ,computer database. Although
the listings have not been pub-
'lìshed,' there are copi~s ill: :bqth,!
the Bryan and College Station
public libraries; ,th'e Sterling'C.
Evans library and the Brazos Ge- "
nealogic,al Society offices. ' ,
. Simons said the Genealog~ça~ .
Society has mapped ~5 cemete'r-,
ies in the Brazos Valley since
1982, but they are constantly
looking for more. Simons sa,i'd"
that anyone with informatio'rt"-
'concerning the 10cation:;!',Qf .
cemeteries in the Brazos Valley.
should contact the Brazos Ge~
nealogical Society or visit th~Ip.
on the internet at www2~c,y-
net.net/ - bgä/ .' ' "
The Cushing Archives show tli~'
, '. \' .
A&M cemetery went virtually un::
noticed by the University ùntil
1993, when the Texas A&M Board
of Rege~ts passed a bill to build ~
cemetery near Easterwood A.ir¡Jort., ;
This bill would allow A&M to build
a perpetual care cemetery fo'r for-
mer students. '
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Lrq;-s'"'/ lit V\~ 3 OJ
LIST OF PERSOr,¡S BURIED IN THE COLLEGE PLOT EAST OF THE TRACKS
J. Riggs C. o. Watkins
S. Riggs Ruth Watkins
C. H. Alvord (Infant of) Three unknown '
(~~ '. (Y\Ao. S}d.G ~ J
MovedCfrom DunCRn Hall arearto present location in January, 1939.
L. L. Foster, Former President
David F. Benson
Rainey Benson
Allison Smoot
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College station, Texas
J\Ù\V 5, 1955
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If L'U Iœ'111<11!'J is correct I you we re J as yolO me
œntioœd to œ wen you were telling œ about President Foster
<md his death in râll.as J a good fr:lond of the Foster r~ an:l
an intir.a.te associate of the son, Henry. You œntioœdtì too,
tho fm:d1y woo large, having seven ch1ldren.
Origina.1J¥ J these bodie s we 1'0 wried in the 0Jd
Sheep Fnsture, on the site of Duman Hall today. Possi~J
too, yon TDérJ recall the identity of saœ of these narœs, whœe
bodies a..-e interred here s .
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Just nŒl I thonghtpœsib3\v you cOuld locate for me
a Ct"Ð of these chi1dre n of Preside nt . Foster. In a c amunic ati on
from Prof. T. VI. !eland, Chair'clBn of the cemtery oœmt ttee. a
reqaest is ttade of cur Archives Office for the addresses of
re lo.t i va s or th 000 buried in the Colle go Plot East or the S-P
Tracks, w he :re fTe S ide nt; tat aye t te Iumpkin F œter is b1ried .
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J. Figgs
S. Riggs
David F. Eeœ on
Arq information that you. can pass to me about t:be
childro n or gr a."'X1chi1dre n of Pre sident Foster J am the 1r whe re-
111: au ts, 17i 11 œ apprec iated.
p&œy 1b ns CI1
Allis on Smoot;.
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Best w-lsllcs arx1 ld..nc1cst re r;ards to you 1."l ever:¡ way'.
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Si.f)Jere ~ yours,
--
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D. D. Cofer
Colle ce Arcl1i
D~)~ : 1.13
Page 2 of 3
Sent: Thursday, August 28,2003 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
Could you pinpoint the cities in which he lived in the counties you mentioned? With that information the task
of
finding out which Masonic Lodge he belonged to will be easier.
Roy
--- Original Message
From: Ken & Susan Lìvingston
To: Roy I" Smith
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 1 0:56 PM
Subject: Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Thanks Roy for info. Fascinating. I forwarded a copy of your message to Dr. Charles McCandless who is
working on this endeavor with me.
-- Original Message ~ --
From: Roy L Smith
To: ksliving@txcybeLconl
Sent: Wednesday, August 27,200310:00 AM
Subject: Fw: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
Information on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. Apparently Brazos Union Lodge conducted a courtesy
graveside
service for his home Lodge. This also means that he was most probably not a member of Adam Royder
Lodge
in Welborn or they would have opened Lodge for the following graveside service.
If a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge conducted the graveside service L. L. Foster was most
probably
an active Mason in another Lodge.
The next step will to try and get further information from the Grand Lodge of Texas or of a Lodge in the
counties
where he resided.
Roy
-- Original Message ---
From: Henry O'Neal
To: ray srnith
Sent: Tuesday, August 26,2003 10:50 PM
Subject: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Roy,
I don't know what information you need on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster but I found a little
information on him.
10/2/2003
Page 3 of 3
L. L. Foster was buried December 3, 1901 with a Masonic Burial Service by Brazos Union
Lodge.
I could find no evidence that Foster was a member of Brazos Union Lodge.
The Lodge was opened on December 3, 1901 for the purpose of conducting a Masonic Burial
Se rvice for L. L. Foster.
Lodge was opened with the following officers present:
W. E. Sanders--WM Pro Tern
J. H. Allen--Senior Warden
S. M. Darden--Junior Warden Pro Tern
H. B. Stoddard--Marshal Pro Tern
Dan Zimmerman--Steward Pro Tern
George Grupe--Steward Pro Tem
Thomas Rowan-- Tiler
Lodge members present:
R. W. Howell
S. R. Henderson
Dr. P.M. Raysor
N. M. McDougald
With the exception of Dan Zimmerman, I was able to determine that all the officers present
were members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Zimmerman was a
member of Brazos Union.
With the exception of R. W. Howell, I was able to determine that all the Lodge members
present were members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Howell was a
member of Brazos Union.
The graveside Burial Service was conducted by Past Grand Master Joseph D- Sayers (Grand
Master in 1876).
Let me know what additional information you need and I will try to find it for you.
Henry
1 0/2/2003
Page 1 of 3
Ken & Susan LivinQston
From:
To:
Sent:
Su bject:
"Roy I. Smith" <smithro@alpha1.net>
"Ken & Susan Livingston" <ksliving@txcyber.com>
Thursday, August 28,200311 :01 AM
Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
Thanks for the info. I found mention that Foster was a member of the Groesbeck Lodge and in fact, was the
Master
of the Lodge. I can now check further.
I also found that the man who conducted the graveside service, Joseph D. Sayers, was the Governor of Texas
at
the time (serving 1899-1903) and was the Grand Master of Texas in 1876.
If you place "Iafayette lumpkin foster" in the Google search engine you will find loads of information on him,
including his complete bio and even his family's genealogy history.
Roy
,,-~- Original Message --
From: Ken & Susa n Livingston
To: Roy t, Snlith
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 11 :34 AM
Subject: Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
According to a 1951 Texas Aggie article "Foster, who came to Texas from his native Georgia shortly after the
Civil War, established the Umestone New Era at Groesbeck, after saving money earned as a farmer and
mason (as in brick), he had attended Waco College."
The article continues "He was elected to represent McLennan, Falls and Limestone counties in the Texas
Legislature, where he served as speaker of the House of Representatives, and later appointed state
commisioner of insurance, statistics, history and agriculture. He was railroad commissioner when he was
elected president of A&M College in 1898. It
Susan has taken a couple of articles that were written at the time of his death from the Eagle and a Georgia
newspaper that did not copy well to retype that might have more personal information.
I did verify with my co-worker that there is a picture in the University Archives from Foster's funeral that shows
a Masonic burial service. Regretably, I did not have a copy of that picture made, but could do so when things
settle down on campus and I could get to the Cushing building without too much traffic.
We think Foster could have joined the Masons in Waco or Groesbeck as a younger man. However, it might
have been in Austin.
Thanks again for your assistance with this matter. And of course, any reference to his calling as a Baptist
Minister or association with the Baptist General Convention of Texas would be appreciated.
on Original Message ----
From: Roy L Snllth
To: Ken & Susan Lìvîngston
1 0/2/2003
Page 2 of 3
From: Roy L Smith
To: Ken & Susa n Livingston
Sent: Thursday, August 28,2003 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
Could you pinpoint the cities in which he lived in the counties you mentioned? With that information the task
of
finding out which Masonic Lodge he belonged to will be easier.
Roy
--- Original Message --
From: KHn & Susan Livingston
To: Roy I, Srnith
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Thanks Roy for info. Fascinating. I forwarded a copy of your message to Dr. Charles McCandless who is
working on this endeavor with me.
..-r -.. Original Message --
From: Roy I. Snlith
To: kshving@txcyber,conl
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:00 AM
Subject: Fw: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
I nformation on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. Apparently Brazos Union Lodge conducted a courtesy
graveside
service for his home Lodge. This also means that he was most probably not a member of Adam Royder
Lodge
in Welborn or they would have opened Lodge for the following graveside service.
If a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge conducted the graveside service L. L. Foster was most
probably
an active Mason in another Lodge.
The next step will to try and get further information from the Grand Lodge of Texas or of a Lodge in the
counties
where he resided.
Roy
~ -- Original Message --
From: Henry O'Neal
To: ray srnith
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 1 0 :50 PM
Su bject: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Roy,
I don't know what information you need on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster but I found a little
1 0/2/2003
Page 3 of 3
information on him.
L. L. Foster was buried December 3, 1901 with a Masonic Burial Service by Brazos Union
Lodge.
I could find no evidence that Foster was a member of Brazos Union Lodge.
The Lodge was opened on December 3, 1901 for the purpose of conducting a Masonic Burial
Service for L. L. Foster.
Lodge was opened with the following officers present:
W. E. Sanders--WM Pro Tern
J. H. Allen--Senior Warden
S. M. Darden--Junior Warden Pro Tern
H. B. Stoddard--Marshal Pro Tem
Dan Zimmerman--Steward Pro Tern
George Grupe--Steward Pro Tern
Thomas Rowan --Tiler
lodge members present:
R. W. Howell
S. R. Henderson
Dr. P.M. Raysor
N. M. McDouga Id
With the exception of Dan Zimmerman, I was able to determine that all the officers present
were members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Zimmerman was a
member of Brazos Union.
With the exception of R. W. Howell, I was able to determine that all the Lodge members
present were members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Howell was a
member of Brazos Union.
The graveside Burial Service was conducted by Past Grand Master Joseph D. Sayers (Grand
Master in 1876).
Let me know what additional information you need and I will try to find it for you ~
Henry
10/2/2003
Page 1 of 2
Ken & Susan Livingston
From:
To:
Sent:
Subject:
"Roy I. Smith" <smithro@alpha1.net>
< ksliving@txcyber. com>
Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:00 AM
Fw: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Ken-
Information on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. Apparently Brazos Union Lodge conducted a courtesy graveside
service for his home Lodge. This also means that he was most probably not a member of Adam Royder Lodge
in Welborn or they would have opened Lodge for the following graveside service.
If a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge conducted the graveside service L. L. Foster was most probably
an active Mason in another Lodge.
The next step will to try and get further information from the Grand Lodge of Texas or of a Lodge in the counties
where he resided.
Roy
---- Original Message ---
From: Henry O'Neal
To: ray smith
Sent: Tuesday, August 26,2003 10:50 PM
Subject: Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Roy,
I don't know what information you need on Lafayette Lumpkin Foster but I found a little
information on him.
L. L. Foster was buried December 3, 1901 with a Masonic Burial Service by Brazos Union Lodge.
I could find no evidence that Foster was a member of Brazos Union Lodge.
The Lodge was opened on December 3, 1901 for the purpose of conducting a Masonic Burial
Service for L. L. Foster.
Lodge was opened with the following officers present:
W. E. Sanders--WM Pro Tem
J. H. Allen--Senior Warden
S. M. Darden--Junior Warden Pro Tern
H. B. Stoddard--Marshal Pro Tem
Dan Zimmerman--Steward Pro Tern
George Grupe--Steward Pro Tern
Thomas Rowan-- Tiler
Lodge memberS present:
R. W. Howell
s. R. Henderson
Dr. P.M. Raysor
N. M. McDougald
10/2/2003
Page 2 of 2
With the exception of Dan Zimmerman, I was able to determine that all the officers present were
members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Zimmerman was a member of
Brazos Union.
With the exception of R. W. Howell, I was able to determine that all the Lodge members present
were members of Brazos Union Lodge. I could find no evidence that Howell was a member of
Brazos Union.
The graveside Burial Service was conducted by Past Grand Master Joseph D. Sayers (Grand
Master in 1876).
Let me know what additional information you need and I will try to find it for you.
Henry
10/2/2003
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M U ni versi ty
College Station, Texas
Waco University's Most Famous Product
by Thomas E. Turner S1
Sometime in the early 1870s, a rustic Limestone
County lad in his 20s enrolled in Waco
University. He had the unusual name of Lafayette
Lumpkin Foster. It fit him-he was truly an unusual
young man.
This kid from the country had picked cotton, built
stone fences and laid bricks to earn enough money to
secure some higher education. With a bare minimum
of formal schooling he went on to become one of
Texas' foremost leaders in a variety of occupations--
a veritable Renaissance man.
After apparently only a few months at Waco
University, Foster launched a versatile career of
prominence in journalism, politics, religion, business
and education. There are regrettably few archives
remaining from short-lived Waco University, which
would detail young Foster's stay there. The universi-
ty had derived from a Baptist high school, which then
became Waco Classical School, and finally merged
with Baylor University when President Rufus C.
Burleson and all the male faculty left Independence in
1886. and re-settled in Waco.
L.L. Foster"s portrait sho\\'s him to be a handsome.
clear-eyed fello\\' with broad forehead and chin
.
whiskers. Without the whiskers he would have resem-
bled \Vyatt Earp. (f\1inus Earp's propensity for vio-
lence. of course. ì
Foster was a restless man who was never in on~
oiacr vcr" 'on~. f1orn in F-orsvthe County. Geor£ia. If'
I . ~ ' ....
Novemt1c:- 1851. he carn~ Ie) Limeston~ C,ount\.
lexas. \\'hen he 'W'as 18. He settjed at Horn l-lili ant'
oecamt a hard-\\'orking feHc)\'!" at mall\ ioh~"
... . .
A tocai DaS(():-. Ezekiai J, Bilíìn£!ton. lee Y()un~:
, .' ...
Fosre-.r to the Lord. He \vas a guiding spirit In startJnb
Groesheci:'s Baotist churcn. and \\/orked his \\'a" in(('
. .
th~ presidenc\ of the Baptist Generai Convention 0:
1 exa~. becomin~ 3 lorgume patron of Ba\'i~).
l;nj\'~rs!r'.
After his brief stay at Waco University, Foster first
returned to Groesbeck to jump into another career-
newspap~r publishing. Groesbeck had become the
county seat, in 1873, and immigrants were flocking
there, some from England. Several newspapers were
established to get in on the boom, but Foster's
Limestone New-Era soon became one of the best.
During that time he married a local belle, and they
had seven 'children. It was a tempestuous time for
Foster. Groesbeck, like most of Texas, was racked by
Reconstruction Era chaos.
Foster's journalism made him one of the area's
best-known men. In 1880 he took a fling at politics-
with his customary success. He was elected to the
Texas Legislature, where in 1885 he became at 34 the
youngest man ever elected Speaker of the House. His
district included a part of McLennan County.
The precocious publ isher had an obvious flair for
public life. He attracted the attention of top politi-
cians. Governor Lawrence Sullivan (SuI) Ross of ,
Waco appointed Foster to the ne\\' state post as !
Commissioner of Insurance.. Statistics and History..
the forerunner of today's Texas Agriculture
Commission.
Neither man had an\' inklinr then that Fostc¡
,
would succeed Ross as President of 1 cxas A&t\1
Linlversi{,"-and that both would die in that office
When Governor James S. Hog~. tne orpnan ~'nc-
n~camc 2 1 exas Dolitical {!jant in size and oolitlcs" 1!O!
.'" ,...
:' l'exa~ Railroad (ornmission created to control arf(\.
£3n: railroad tvcoons. he named L.L. Foster H' i:
... '. .
Hog~ \\'as the first native 1 e~an tt' hold the ~ove~.
..... ~ ~
no" s ~halr and "'a~ a formei nC\\"SDaoerman hlmsel~
I-it could aooreciatt' an iron-~'illcd cx-ouojiSt1~~.
Seven years later.. in 1 RR'J. anoth~r (1i~ challenr~
. ~ ~
aros~. fer f"oster. }1i~ friend. torm~Þ úoverno:-- St1'
r~oss. had åJcd un~xnectcdl~' \\'hii" scrvin£ as oresi.
0:"1' ",,; T": stn!~~¡Yf1.~" n~'\I.' 1 ~xa~ t;& t,,1 r In'versJt\
The school needed extraordinary leadership during
r
these years of its struggle for existence.
They found it in Foster, age 47. His rural upbring-
ing, his political savvy, six years as a Baylor trustee,
and four years on A&M's board of trustees was just
what A&M needed.
Texas A&M, approachi ng the turn of the century,
was still struggling for the greatness and strength it
eventually would achieve. Located in rustic surround-
ings outside of Bryan-College Station, it still had
primitive plumbing and wood-burning stoves.
Foster was barely settled in his president's chair
when two crises buffeted the Aggies-war and
weather. The Spanish-American war erupted, with
A&M students and faculty rushing to become sol-
diers-as they have in every war since. Inevitably
some of them never saw the school again.
As for weather, it was a home-front horror that
also claimed victims. Aggies had to -keel? the old iron
stoves glowing red all the time-it is said that stu-
dents took to the woods around A&M with axes, and
burned some 3,000 cords of wood to make it through
winter blizzards. The winters of 1898 and 1899
recorded the lowest official temperatures in Texas
history. All Texas rivers froze, as did part G>f the Gulf
of Mexico, and bodies had to be packed away until
the ground thawed.
Foster made significant contributions to A&M's
progress. He expanded the physical plant and the
courses of instruction, established the school's sys-
tem of statewide agricultural experiment stations and
the first summer school.
He also took an unprecedented action, which-
unknown to anybody at the time-would have an
enormous impact on A&M decades later. He quietly
allowed in the first female students--a professor's
adorable twin daughters, Mary and Sophie Hutson.
Half a century later, when a heated lawsuit to
make A&M co-educational set Aggies to battling
each other, the fact of the Hutson girls having been
students strengthened the women plaintiffs.
Less than a month past his 50th birthday, when
things were going well for A&M, tragedy struck
Foster. On a wintry visit to Dallas, he became ill and
died of pneumonia.
He became the only A&M president to be buried
on the campus. His funeral was virtually a state occa-
sion, attended by his friend Governor Joseph D.
Sayers and many other top Texas' notables. More than
30 years later, Foster and several others buried in the
small cemetery were transferred to another location
on the western edge of the campus. It was an appro-
priate ending-Foster had always been a man on the
move. T
Lafayette Lumpkin Foster, a Waco University alumnus,
became one of Texas A&M' s best presidents.
. ..'
. .
Ilj~~!~~
t~'¡..(¡~<i'j
. . . .. .
'.'.'. .
.... . .. .
';:":' .'::: . :. '.
The relocated grave of Lafayette Lumpkin Foster, who is the only Texas
A&M president to be buried on the A&M campus. -"'~'.-:
V\(J ~~" ,\.\" , . . . . .
The denomination will' be surprised and grieved
to learn that Co1. D. L. Fostèr, Pres!dent of the Ag~~-
cultural and Mechanical College, sùddeilly and :unex~
pectedly died at the. St. George, Hotel,' Dallas"l~~'
Monday morning at 4: 30. He had suffered for,",;'~
,month of pneumonia, but had recovered simcie~tlŸl(
visit Mineral Wells.' Ten days ago he started' :,1Y'itl1
his wife to return t~ College Station, stoPPing91~I,
.night at Dallas..Feeling indisposed next. mo~ni!1:g;
. he 'remàined '.in DalIasJ and Mra.' Foster rèturne,({~~o
, " J""'~"
College Station. Co1. Foster gradually greww,?~'~,~.!
His family 'was notified and his son," J.: 'L. Fo~t~r:'
. came to nurse him. ,He seemed to be imþroving~~'~.,
sat 'up ,Sunday afternoon,{a~d received IiOu~ish¥.e~êt~.i
freely. The nurse ,was disìpissed, and that night 't~~
fathêr and SO~ went to sl~ep: in the 'same 'roo'IIi.'."~(
, . ' , .
2 o'clock 1\Ionday,morning ~o1. Foster awoke his ~9~11'
complained of hunger-and drank a milk punch~ ~ ,~.~~
pressing a sense of relief after drinking it. Bothfé~f
asleep again, when 'at 4 o'clock the son was aroui\êd,
by the heavy hre,athing of his father. He rushedQ~t
to' call a doctor, but finding none he lef~ word '~~nd~
hurried back to his father's side, only to find him~.uí;1.
conscIous, and he died in his son's arms at 4: 30~"~I!~S
remains were 'carried to an undertaker's, embal~,è~~
prepared for burial,' and at 11 o'clock exp~essed,~()
. . " '
College Stati()n, where they will he burled. The~ó~y"
was escorted to the station by the Masoniè frate~Il!~Ý:
'ánd placed aboard the Houston and Texas cèií~t~l
trahi~ . , ' , ,':'~':,":'
Lumpkin LaFayette Foster was born at Cummtn~~"
Ga., Nov. 30, 1852.. He càme to Limestone Co11;~~r"
Texas, in 1870. After farming and well digging a ~ea,¡'
or two he earneß enough money to enter Waco ..:u~~~,
varsity, where he remained two years~ ,'Lea~lD:g
school' he established th~ Limestone New ,Era: ,.;:'~t
Groesbeck, the first -paper ever' established in Li~ê~~'
.stone C~unty. -This led him into politics, an~ he.,~~p-
resented his county in the 17th, 18th arid 19th ~~~s-
latures, being Speaker of .the House, this laštter~.
In 1885 he became editor of the Dallas 'Herald; which
, ..,~ " '..
position he held until appointed Cómmissione~o~ I~.
surance, . Statistics and History by Gov. S. L. . ~~~~.
. He continued in this office unt'n the cr,eation of ,the ,
Railroad Commis~ion, of which he became a memþer~
by appointment of Gov. J. S. Hogg. He afterwards
bêcame' general manager of the' Velasco Termirial
" I
Railway He cond,ucted Gov. Sayers' -campaign 'in
, 1898, who, being elected, appointed Co1. Foster Pres-
id~nt of the Agricultural and Mechanical College at
Cpllege Station, which office he held at the time'"of
, his 'death. ' .
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
, '. O"""""
Co1. Foster was married to Miss Laura pe~l~Je.~,:";~
. at O:roesbeck, in 1875. He leaves five sons, JO~:~:p."-~.:ë.<,.j."'
.' L., ,Walter D., Jacob> ~..' Mack and Henry I., a~~~~.t~~~
,daughters, Edna and May Alma. Co1. Foste~-':'~~~~<~I:
baptized' into the Baptist Church in early ma~~Rj.9~{
, In 1885 he was elected -President of..the. BaPti~~,::'Çl~ll~:
,- , "" r' :- ;¡.,"J~"I¡~4
,~,. eral ,Association at Ennis, and again.. at Waxa~~?~.1t~;\,
in 1890 'he was elected President of the Paptist-~~P)ÿ"
, " :':',':. '<..,>,,~,~~"'5.:
:::eral Convéntion. ~ In 1892 he was.. elected '~re:S~2~~Y¡'
.: ~f ,theBapti~t Sunday School and. ColPortage3:qe~1
; v~I?-tion at - Dalla~IIe was President of the '~~~f~~
, of Directors in 1894, and a member of the B?ar~J~g~~
,,18,90£0 1895. ,This was the. iast o'~cial pO~iti~,~¡~J
. ever held ip. the. Baptist denomination.' He was ~.::~a.!\~
, " '-, ' . .." , ,--, .~___m_----- "i'-.' ," --~; ~':,:~.1.i~.,~~'~
-"""-"" ' ",' "E-" """""~""
'ot untiring energy, 'excellént administratIve' ,abln~t!Þ:!
" '\, . ",',""".!tt,',A'
/-aètlve industrY' and a genius for 4o~e .application.:,":~~~~~~i~
'was~ a, '~ember of m!i.ny benevolent order.~,' Ma~,~~;,~:};
Knight Tem:plár RJ?Ã ¥ysti<l Shriner. He was an.}~J:~::
. corruptible politic.ian, whose management, couP~~.~-r~~:
,', ','" - . ,t'6..~,.¡'¡i}
with à lárge popularity registered his name in ev~g£~~t'
, , ' ";i','~~."','/;;'
':'office' he sought, and made him a vaIuaß1e al1y '~~~;fJ~,¿
::lèade~.in ,every campaign. We extend his ,_berë~!~ }~~'
'family, sincere 'condolence. .- ,,~~:-;Ü;¿;d\.ð'~1~ a, :".'~,":3;..~,:n1r;J~
. . ~'., .,t~,,\ ",.""",-
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
&OL l. L fO81lR D[AU."¡
.:' J',
" ",':::.;t{1~::;',~
DRY,AN AND COLLEGE' SHOCKED 'iBE~;:
, , ytND EXPRESSION. ,~ ' .'~>; ';':Ì
" , ';f,~
I NU:Òf :'1 Ñ'i ß 1 , V [ÎÑÌ 'ijsÚullfd
"':~"';' ,",' ';"'-",' ::,'?" ~J
, " , ',' ::;,. ,\{ ,I
, , , ,"..' ' ", , ::~)
.A Malt of 'Noble CJtar.ctérand" M, ',~':~ ~~
, ,.'," ,,', "-,, " . ,", " ; ,:,,-:' "'(1
',~ .Ability, , H,e Ser~~ed JUs S~ate)i: .
, , , " , .' , " ' ',':,.
"'" ' :in J,:Maoy ~sitions ~~of,';,~:j.:
'o'.:',,' ' "',' .. ',. í,' ".,-':"..,,:,..}.
,:';>'~: ,', ',::",tloåor rand ~Trust.:,',' ,:.i
:,;, ,,~, ',', ~, ' " , ' ," \\"}"
: ,/' '. , "'::'~J5~,\),.'1-.~".Jt"':.J^,,,'~,,1,'
.' ":1',"',:'::,"""",;,'"""" ';" "'",',',"""-":,
:~òm T~esd~~s Daily Eagl~,.';:.", ..j
, " " ,,' ..,",
, ' T',lÌe p'e~'ple of ',Brya~and>.~,R"~lf'¡
;:1eg'e'C ":1.~e' re' Bftockedahd' g' rieVoeil~~ep,;~,;
]' 1'1' , ' ""..,z",1i¡,;: .
. ",,-,,:1'~,,~,:.Ì"!( .
:).ondexpre8,sion yesterday ~~~~;,;:
~.ing by" the, new,s" of" t~~d~.~¡~1~l"
',0 1 : 'L,T-" ,tt:"o" S" t'e' 'r":~;\p":-r-ésid:eii)Æ~~òI,¡: ~:~
01., . .LI. ,~, "" '\, ,',' ,i~
Agricult~ifal "~nd, ',Mec~an~~~.: ,','
l~ge, àt.iDallas. -",' ,:,..,'"", ~" ;':"Y'\
" ., ' , ",' ""~,,, ,
" f.,Th~ .,~T~~\, ,intellige~~~<:..,~a~,.}:,~;~~:~
:v,~'ye~f,'t0i~~bi.s,' c,~ty ':,~n' ':,~, ,:~~.~:pli, .~,
'~'~'~~agé!t({.Mr. "Ciiff A.Å!d~;~"::~ffi\(j~~.:
rapl? I Y Ipa sse ~ f ~ 0 m ,Ii p ~~ li p.;~f~\~~
'1ng'-u~nf,un wIllIng aGd'rtd,m.o~~,:¡~,~~;
'érédult(Jùs ears.,'" B~~., ,~S,,~~~t.,' r v-:
';',').,..:,,"',~' :", " <"" .:,',;~,ç:;</',:'\~~:;'~; :~:'.',~,~i:'
~'
}tit:~:: c, ' ,:' ': ',::,:'
~",,~:.. "t.r
'II!;,'" J, ' , ,':I,?;;':
" ,,~ ' ,,' .. >. ~~", .j
",," ".,',,", ;..:.,i~:-"",..~,~" \;:~f~~~;':,;ì
" ':~.' "', Nc 1 ;~()sterb'àd'\~.e~n':~
bd ~oo true.; o. 1"' " ' "" ¡i<~~J:. ¡;.: ~ I
~ 41\¡ "", ,': '",," ,,", "a'¡ ';L.:"V~
4,', "." '¡Vall
in ill', health .fo'l~"~<?!D.e:t~,m~ '~~\~~4ã";
~;l. ~'~t'e-a ,:'Mfner'ål ~:W e~J~i~n '4;~¡'jtrP~
'v =1. . '..', , ""'f'."'"
""'" """. ,"".', ::lëbià):cüÌl-,'
<?f ;~~eu peratln~,and Wfll , "..'/,:i~~~i.;:""
diti,on was known 'to' bB.s_~r~o~,~,t~?Y
Born'e,his death ,ya~ nð;t àÎ1tiq~p.~t-
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
:,
ed ât this 'tIme and came 'as a A,#~~';~
~en'a'n'd severe shock"t;0 the ,fa\~~~.t;
" , J,' "
and '.friends. ,,' ':.:',">i,
I d ,".
'Vile 'remains w'ere ,~Ðnveye ),!~
Colh'gehythe aftern,()ßt1, train}:if,i
'te'rdav,accompàriied by-one O\;,ÞJft~
, "of' ,,' ,...."', ""~~",,,""j
Fon's',:whb 'wH8'ihD'a11as:,~~.jth ..~,h!ilii
,Gei{"II' -B ' 'StocÎdà.td aò,(l,'1\fr/~~;1 )}~,
,.....-,~,.',.,:"..." o"¡"";'..":'.;~,, \)è ~,
';R::<Cavi t'f wen t~.-to Çal '.e.'rtä~ "~i!~ '..".-~
, , " " '", ,j',.. <~ '1!ì'"
ànd\~ë~fue' 'dow"n" witlr,ìi;he',,~~H~:~$J
Th&i.w~re 3òinedhèr~;bYi~ d~l'm:~
" " 'f I~t" ' .' 'I' a.ôØ Me8s'f'è"'
t,i?n,~'O " '~l .~ ze~s; ',:,lß.C, U , i~~' : ,,~:"t<ftm~~1,,~i
C A~':ådam8' L. 'L.":McJtI1n18,~~{tD ,,~
. ",...' 'I, "," "g
j." L.,'Fo~n tal Ii,- \V ~ S.', ~I~~~l.!" ]:
'M' ::~~Per'dép~J'.',\V.' pôr~~~.,,~tA ;,;~!
'B' U;" C':h'~n" "ån# ":W~' ,', P'.'~::~Côö.Dèlly\;:ffjìna
.', ,,' "'~"'*'~"
,:' 'h:r: "", "" 'co'", , ~\~j~:i~ii,"~
'ote'-&! ,,',J' ,,' ""',, ".',)"" .',~
, ~. '0"" .' : ' ' "'; ,-" "
~: >~ l'h:é:cfuï~e~âi .\~¡ill, be,èòndmcf~~~'\~l~~~~:
Bralzos' {U nion ,'Lodge N9..'1~ ,~A.}~r.\~.
.¡., '" ' , '.,' ,,' .. ",.,;\~.,..,¡~;"" i
årid.>A:.~.\ o(Brya~.'",',,~he,~~;~~lC.~,:
~,illj;efue 1 Q in theässem ~IY;i~lf~l
;'~t' :/boltege,~b~~::: ~f~~rn,~~~:~':::i. ',t'~ ".~,~
,~o;è16ck -: ";~nd' tbei~_te~meot,\'{1J"l};,
íï~k'; p I~e ' '~1Il me,d ~~ t;e Iy" the'~.ti
.on tl1e,.'c~11ege ,group9~s';'~~'~']~~õ1~;N:;~?;
b~te'9f raIWect ,b~il1g~;pái~ A~9." ~~;
l~~~-~'å~~d :,~r~s~d'eI1~~\ ':~~~y~:t~~'~~~; ',~;~
;~d"~om.c'eis.öf ,tbe,~qll~g'ef.th~,~,~~., ~"
'.of c1{det;s' :aiM1,~8seÍn~!~~~;~r~e~~:~~~~~:~~~~}
:¡~', ,THe'~~em'aws of thè 4istiDgt1~~,Jî;~
ft ~'w' ~~'-re sid e ô t \Will he '.'t lì e '~ fir~~~
",b~/~ Ûriéd ,: on Æ~ e~~ 11 eg ~g rô~è~ ~~
)l:tb,åØbeeri purposad ~to 'ê8ta?1!~,~
;~~ ~~;; :~f ~¿ ~':Oa~ 8 ~ :;:! t~~¡i
1~r"";::'~~:'::'~ß' wf1ralaid ():ff:and p'repa'.1"méê\)
10 ~:I-\¡ ,-, '" ' :: ~.'«~( ":"~'J'", ' ,""':'w.¡~ !,:~¡.¡t
Siòc~"he isdè~d à~d caD:.:no l~R" ~r
~uid~" the:desti'~ièB'~ ~¿f ;"th~t',;g~,~~t
t=> " , , r-r'1i", iI < '
"institution, with a ma5t~rba~,~,{,!,~
'.. ,'" ,. ",:,,;~,!I'."¡"~y<~
is ~ndood ,,~tti~g .th,~.t'~lS reI~\~4~~
should repose In the ,s(Hl he 19X~~~'~
~:~:hiîe"the' memory of his nobJ~""':~!i~;
',u~': S" e' "'f"'u'~"l'" '1- ire ' ~ill 'bè: 's,' gre:åte:f'~~j~~~:
, " " ,';/:', , ¡
~~i,r8:~i~~ ,to ,~~e~houBaIl~~Òf/~~~~
men .wno "'wlll',b~reaft:f,r,tt~,~' "~;
'¡ ,.' ,,',', ',:,"',-;'~ ,~
,:Jollege hall~,... "', ,'~,.: ,~I:i'~j;,t,~ ';~,
'\0010 'Foster,' wa3 ,8', nati ~~;J¡~~t
Gt~orgia, aböut ,fift,y.fo~r' 'Y~~tê"
old\~ ' and bad spent, the g'r:~~~:,
..
,
er ,part Qf, hi~ life In Téx-':;
a~. "H~ '~as, educated at Bayló~,
Univ~er8ity and ~a~ formerly"in the:
,ne\\"spaper ,:bûši'neB~)". ~.&ving ~~C-:I
:'cesst"ùf.ly' êondl1èted, the': Limes~~~
New Era 'fora~':Dtim ber:of ,~"y-e~t~.,:
'He",åèrved ;':"ii1~\.'~he':,Se'rent~eÏ~~b~_':
, ." " ',', ," , " " " , ' ',' J" , i.
]flgll t~~:~ ~ b.'~~~~'~~~!!t~,~é~n tQ,!~i~~'"
7Jí~t"~"""':-"'i")""::"" "d/'-',-7"""""" ",r""':""-'"~'Kè~~'
'16, ~,r~$"/,;a;n ,'~as ::,~P'6.a, .', :";~~ ';'../'\.,:.}"~J>i
'ho,'u,"'s.~",.i,I1, t~.~, "~,a,,', t~e~ .;"',',:,,f!~,: ",,\¡~~, ,'i:~~)ßf~.'
"",.,' ""d"""" c,-",'""';:f¡f.",, "/""'f'a\~""""l+i
~P9,inte ",':~,~Ó~~IS~t?,p'~r::o,,:,~~,~c~,::~
'tû~e ' by.""G:o,i,,:,,'~~s., .,~se.r'\~eä ~:f?,t~},.
"years,' ,and ;",~r' tis'" ':1"~,'~&1>,på~n~¿d :>':;~,~:~
\lov'.:Hógg/. ,L&t~r,;"'~b~~ ;~Ra CO~,';
" ' " '. ,/I', "... ' \ " " " "', ..,' '~", "1
¡Øis'sion, l,a'y¡ J'~.~~'~;E!,ti(t~~~g,/~1e,~: ~~'~,.i
,', " \",:_,:;,',:,>"""~':"'~~",:>.",:t,,';';:;"7' :"",;,:~,:".'":",.",'f,,:.',,: ';',~f~',,
:~~~p p~i~,~~',', :~~~;l~?~!l, :',C?:~J~~~;~~,~¡g;V<
:~by'~o~,~ ~"';~ðg:~»':,;:~s :'.~~~~'l~:~~}~~,~[~,{
'q fji gri,~1\t,t[l re,";i~~~à'lc,e..i "~ ~äJ!,~J~,Q~,l
~n~, bf~tår!' ,~f~ f~8:'I ó~ "1m u! ' ;, ~~§I~;
an ex--offimo member '.of:~he,":b.Q/a.rd,;
6fdi~~t~rs':oì:th:e' A. "aRd . M.;'íÖÒ'i~'\
1',' ~,~":':~;:,':>,;~",;":>'~:,,.,',( ',: ",',\,',:,:,,:t~,;
ege."f.", :i~"';..,,.""" "'í'~\,',i
.~".., " ',','""""":.",, , ",~".."i.i>,~
, . ,~_O D ,:U(u~:6 ,'}~ ~, ~:by,_f~ ù n a~lrp 9 ?"~I
~~òt~', :'Of.<i~A"~'idirê(;töi~,~ ì ~~ ,wå~":~~l,ê,çt~,
"-,""'J """"",\-:"""."'." ""."""">"""1
'~'d "þ~~~~,~~¡~', ~~,,~;(:: t ~ ~ ~~? 11 e~~': )~'."<~~~,
~c, s'Ua-,',e,', ,:;:~~)o." :" :,",':':htS, ::~"I1:ew"'djuti~~",'/' ,!i,deJ.~'¡
, ,¡""..1"'~'" ,'" ""f .." '.,ó"..,1
;'ltQ(jw:~~,~~~;'âri:'~þ~~,.~n:.an4 ,~~j~y~;
';tb~:i~t,é¿m'i~b:d' h~~ c6tl\id el1 çe:;: 0 f :;:~
-,.,.,.,',,::"1':" '~""'~" ,,'. ."'. :,","';'.j:~'..:~!r
:pu'þl,jc., ',,<' ';Hffi ~sü.b., .s~uent, cQu,rse~!,~,:
¡ . ,,', I ' , ; " ,~~.. ' ;r ','
, th~e,",I~þag~Bien ~,,'ol',t1h e.., i,n st~t\l~~:~?P;
;n:~'B':s.h'ó~~:ri~tb'e:;w'íSdÐni' 'of' ihis";:èe~~
.,.:...,.,.,',..'(f>..' ',' ",,~, I ' "~"",,..,,{.,\
,'~tion'..,,~.>!&j '~Wâ8'~. ':,man . of:htig1h
I ~è)~iÁ ÙJ6 d~';~~ ñ ~; gr e~t:' ëx~
", '.,. ".',' ';. ,òi '" . ',""" , " " ':" "¡, ", ' ,
ti¥e\aLilitv ,and,indomitable .efiel~-
"""""'~"."":".""'i"':." '> ';i,;r,
'~~~~ '.' "':'.A:~ .jth~ ~ri,~~sor' 'of th~,t:l~,~~
: Œ6Bttéd ~Jl~s;' he' ~~ded ,and ,dir~1~fl.
,f"',,"', , ~ ,,!,,:,.,...' , :\,":,I.,'"¡.,,
)~he .~:.:éont)Dn_øa;~q~uild~ng< g(:.~t,q:e;
'.." ",' '."""',,";'Y":"Ì>,""'" ,¡.".'.'q"r...""""""i,~
I 'A.. iØ¡nd:]{t.¡~911e'g~ ~itn' a ~a~n~:r '~nå,t'
i,s"'~igbly ~r~tifying tQthe~"fr¡~t1aS
rJf the ,~(jl~ìégé' thrO-\tgQou~, thè'~tate.
I ,~ " " , ." .', ' . ; ,,' , "
',,~\"'Tfbe 'ifQ!!oe r8: 1 '~'.on ' 'Tuesday;' after-
';1.., ,. "",..,:".,¡" :'. ,.,."':
n.o(1)on'~'&8 '¡~rge1.y.*:,ttendëd. ' :':A. f~}~
, , ' :" , . ' , , " OJ; ,
r-!~f)ørt~f ~be; .:.: t~~er~l "is gi yea, '~,n~,
'Ç'::~:-:';:':f:;h"" "-""""""""'-""""'""".... ,",',
;~~.ov.e_rfpag~.~~,,;..';':','~,-; ,,' ,';,~,;.~:~;,~:.
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
r-'
¡; ': '"c-,
". .
....--, .---...
.
III"
(continued)
Biography
ARCHIVES
Foster, L. L. ,-
Bryan Dail~ E~gle
2712/67
oster
, ., .
, '. . "',. "r
By TOMMY De F~ANK' I,. Hurt -says~he-believesthat 'official. He was~amed Speak- was the only president b~i~
Eagle Staff .Wrlter _,any member of the college er of th~ Texa;;. House of Rep- on tl¡.e campus. ,,', ..¡.;. ¡
The fourth preSl~ent of Te~1 ~acu~ty or staff could. be bur-resentabves in 1.8.84 àfter only ,,^ ~,'.
as A&M U m verSI ty :r:ests In¡ led In the ce me teJ:Y: if ~ e r~- one tenn in the Legislature. "The other graves in th\:!, cQk
~he shadow of a sprawlIng oak! qUest;d~. but the optIon, If stIlI. GL ,'" " S 1li lege cemetery are those ~of'J,Ó-:
In a'desterted cemetery west permIssIble, hasn't been used. °Y't ~w;;,~nce C u v~n,Ross seph A. Riggs, aherdsm~"'in
,of the colleg~ he helped nudge In 25 years. - . :~f~In e - 1m - onun1sslOn~r the Animal- Husbandry:~
toward prOmInence at the turn The la~t person burIed there It nsura~cea~d. later AgrI- partment g~red to deathbt.:a'
of the century. was themfant son of Mr. ,and lcU UTe omnusslOner. ~~en bull, and lus wife Sarah; ~thê
Lafayette Lumpkin Foster..:...., Mrs. C. G. White.. The. child, 'Ross left the. governorship to infa~t . child of Charles "añd
educator, Speaker of the Texa~whose' father worked In the become preSIdent of ~&M, Lothe 'f, Qlvord buried in 1908;
House member of three state student activities office, died ~o~' Jam~ :gg reappomt,ed Allison Smoot, who died 'in
I' commissions newspaper Pub. in January, 1942. , 't os tehr,' afZ: t Ter. namRedil hIm11909; Capt.C. 0., Watkins, 'heaä
' .' Th I t t b b . d' 0 e Irs exas a road f th II ,. . . ".
I hsher, 0 r d a i n e d minister, e Irs 0 e urle was Commission' ' 0 e co ege s Jamtonalfor~e
¡friend of governors-remains probably Foster, alth?ug? . ,'"., . for over 30 years, and. hIS
¡ a forgotten man in death. , there are no re co r~s to mdl- He too k charge of -'J;'ex as d ~ ugh t~r ~ u th, both of whom
' When he died in.1901,. th~cate when the burIal ground A&l\{ on .July 1,. 1898, ~ and dIed. ~thIn .24 ~ours of the,
¡ governor attended services and was developed. serv~ untIl Dec. 2, 19~1, when o!her In ~940, RaIneyaD:d D.~"
I state offices in Austin were Foster, who came to Texas,he dIed from penumoma at the Vld Benson, and the White 'In-
! closed in tribute to a revered, from Georgia. when he was St. George Hotel in Dallas. lIe I fan t. . . '" ~ ,'~:j
and dedicated public servant.! 18, was presIdent of Texas
, Today, Fost.e~'s only visitors! ~&M from 1898-1901, but. dur- '
are college maIntenance 'men,llng that short span he b~oughtt
who dutifully inspect the tiny!about several a~vanceSIn!~el
burial plot weekly .'t1college' s 'physical plant and-
His grave-and those of nine curriculum. ,
otlrêr persons connected with He established the' branch
the college-lies' in the barren agricultural experiment sta-
college cemetery, 1.2 miles tion. system and. also .began ¡
south ,of. the 'college's West the college's first summer ses-
Gate and one-tenth of a mile sion in June, 1900.
west ~f oid State. ~ighway 6. . New facilities during F~s-
It IS the offIcIal college ter's presidency included a new
buryi~g ground: The plot once power pl~nt; the first sewage
o~c~pled the sIte of' Duncan disposal plant; Foster Hall, a
DInIng Hall but was- ,moved t large and fairly luxurious!
its present location when con dorm, and the old agricultUre I
structiqn ?n Dunca.n and th building, the first large build..
acomp9nYIng do~mltory .. com~"'! ing at the college solely devot-
pl~x was begun In 1938. ed to scientific agriculture. !
Until two years ago, th .
cemetery was in shabby shape. Before .comlng to 4&M Fos.
Tombstones had toppled, the ter complIed. an envIable re?-.
ground had caved in and the' ord as a legIslator ~nd publIc
'entire plot was overgrown -- ---,- - -, -- .., - --'----
wi th weeds.
, 'C 011 e g e Archivist Ernest.
Langford alerted physical plant
I officials, who filled in the I
cave-ins, made necessary re-
,pairs and planted some crepe
: myrtle to help spruce up the
. otherwise drab plot.
The cemetery is now check-
i ed each Thursday, according
i to B. C. Hurt, assistant super-
intendent of landscape main..
I tenance for the college. I~
eat.
, .
, '.
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
. RESOLUTIO~S OF RESPECT.
P~S~)Cdt~'~'(hC r;JCUIIY ó-n the De3th ~ of
. .
, Col. L. L. Foster.
"
I '.
. .t;,~. '!"..I/.~ I~'(.}~t.t~lr. J)rt.,~{l("ut of lK
.-\gr.ic III tll ra 1 a 1 Hj ~I .~~~Jr,~.l..~Lt;a~~Ç-,Ttl(~;:t~
iUfé=tt-.fll i} ~:~'~f~:~( fi á \,' ¡'i l'g-" he t' t) '-e :!" ti t ..f
h\- t!r{~ tnUT':l'-~Jf d'.\,tth .l.r) Ù,]) i~rH"r
to, - '.'-~ - " ..
t)Xi~tt'11l't~.. t-l.\t-rp(Ó!.p he it',' '
-l~t'~ul\'t.d" ,'l'hat' tht~ -l;'úll{,~~~'-'~Hnd
, , - . . " '" ' , . , '
8tatt~', 1ín-,\:-t"~"- ~l1:rt.i.l~d an irrfipÙra}dl~,
- ..........-----.. ._..-.._~ -... ..-
lo~~1 _ina,,~U}lf~I~":i~--l),t:h..~llt ~-I1P full
l~U'\._t'r (_~fo!lL"-1.!:lrrll!~t 'J)~.tturt) -t()."t h,-.
tlt~\-('lupn1¡:Iit of 't"()ll~g-l~ '\\"'n"l~. -+t-hTt-
. ,- '10 - - .
,\- t~- :111 ardt-ut. adyueate of illdll~t"I'ih1-
ed ll('~l t iün.
. \
Dis.tiu::l1i~!Je(Ull eotll1l'il~ Of ~tat,~"
. .
. ,
h~ brollg-ht ¿t. ya.ried ,tnl! r1pf- flxpt'ri-
e n e A toll i ~ ]} ~,¡ \ Y P u :' i f i.() J r a; e u 11 ~ I ~, .
. "
prf~si_¿let1t, null '~,l,i'S \vurl~ ill ì)}o.)JJ}ot ~Il~:-
the' Jl1atf!rial dc\-elup}})t:nt. òJ the en,l-
ll' 1! e . \y i II 1 i \ - é ' a s a 1 tlt) illlll1 e 11 t t l) h i :-'
. .
IJ1el!1Ur\. .
..
1 ~ is i 11 ~ 11 t1 aid (, d f r n 1 nth tl II 11 t 11 lJ I (" r
, .
\ Y a] k::; u f. I i f e t (,) t Ii c - ~ 11 (' C C ~'~ i "., (~ ~. 1> t ) ~ i :
liO11'3 lì.~i~~tr, ef}tfm1Ís'~i~
.. . . ,,---.;I" , , , '. ..
ag-rielllturp" railruH(1 ('OIl11Ui~:,iuI1er
.
a 11 (I fì Î 1 al I.y coIl fIg- t\ l' r fl ~ i d . ~ 11 t, .11 t1 i 11 -
~ P i r La d t 11 ~ ~ :,\0. C ) U tl g- ])'1 (~Jr 0 f - 0 11 r. e u II. . g- t:.
'a t1 d :" t a tt ~ \\0 t t ! 1 It i ~ I p:¡r-!'-fl i 111:--;" all d (q}-
0 . . I
Cull r 11 ~ t.' d t t 1 tl ~ 1} tug' r l' It t lj r a c 11 i (, \9l'-
,. ,-
"
1 n to J1 t ~ . ..
:"}'aitl1fnlnpss to dl1t\. \V:lS J}ot. onl\"
--' . ~
h OJ ~ I) u r 1 ;'0:-; !-' i 1) ,1 i r t', ü1ft.., --f.ro 111 1"011 g-
. -
l)racti(~..)" 1>e('an1n Recond . nature.
\\~is() and cautious ill <:oun(~il, he ,vas
;t] ,va vs it ftah lp, aDd k i ud, find ,ve
. .. ,
('h..rj~11 h i~ 11lt~1J1ur\. :If' t-hut:oi.n. trttÙ
. ' - ,.,," . ... . . "4 . .
and tru~t#"d frj."nd.'
,
\ \" , . d t 'I \ 1 d ~.. ~ y 11) !) a t It i i"(~ "" j t h t I H'
h4..r-::lYt,d fall1iJ~", \11'°11 'VllOJ1l }H.t ]a,'-
ish (I d t h,. 1 0 ,... c' . þ n 1 II S lJ H 11 d a 1) d ~~~~_t. I ! ~ r ~
,UJliL.tlJf.,nt'rn '\\-irfy"'-y,'i;..-,.'r;-.ra t i \"f)~ , a 11<1
fri"'!Hts OY'4Ir hi~ untiJ)Il~].\" rf:lll~)\"al
frt)nlltj~ ~plJt'r(~ of l1sí~((1II1()ss.. .
....
-.~r I t ~~'-llf'.~~' 1\ r t i f)n ~~,:",s h:t t t.~ tJr:--~r,tï'! {Ú l'
upou ()I,lf lJ)jJ)utf)~. and a' I1ag'r:' ,~(.t
a~idf:' in Jl1t'lJ1()r~" of ]~ i,ndl~' aff.'eticH1
. " ""
fo r Ii i r! 1:..1\ c:.!) V.Y -( ~t_Jl)(' resùlu LlO 11:-\
shall"b,. traf1.~1I1it1,..d to his ral})il~.
\,. í t.1. t ~! f- .11~~ t1 I:.a.llCë.:.-1J1;¡.f-=Jfi~~Ht~iti~t..~.;...
~-, -'" "
\\' i 11 a 1 d d f ~ \ \. i f J J 1I ~ a I \\9;¡ .\. ~ .
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
IN
MEMORIAM
By DR. '.r. C. BI1c'rLE, PROFRS80R OF 'LA....~GUAGES
TIlE 111 oral legac~r ,yhieh a lllan leaves ue- Hd\~o(;acy (¡f pl'inciple~. jn
hind hÎln ,,-beTh he dies is the measure or vill.leh h>~. had .been tra¡ne~l,
'\rhat he "~as 'worth to the\rorld. Such a all.d 'VhlCh broaden and fit
10rtune is neyer in the forln of hoarded stocks, t.henls~lves to every era and
bonds, and treasures "Thich DIUSt be divided out pas! of a.c1van('.c~ hrcugld ),11'. l~'oster intn I'ublie
after his dellli~ by process of la"T or ".j11. There ~lotH'e, and at the age of 30 he v;.a~~ ('!eeted io the
seems to he, as implied in the famou:;. ut~rance f;tate I.cgÜ~lature ~r?n~ Lime:;t?ue C~OUHtJ. He-
of a. contemporary .ll1illionaire, sonlethlllg lllC?n- ~?rvec1 th1Ht a~lc1adJolnl~g countJCS at ..~\.~l..;;:,tin duro.
sistent i:,) a. ll1an's having to leave the ,vorld ,,~lulst lIlig..the Sevellteenth, EIghteenth, and NJìlütccnth
his ,realtl1 is yet in va\llts or bd:ns. 'The, fact is, se~sIons. Those \vere stirring days for trex3:::,
such ".ealth jg only a 'representative of what tIle Capital from ,abroad. \vas venturing 11ither; ~ail.-
man holding it could have done and ought to haye roads \vere pusning their interests, 8ometimes to
done in his environment. Sonle enterprise of the disadvantage, or rather at the expense, of
moral or social yalue advanced by him to a point State affairs; speculation "'aB rife, and oüt~ide
fronl "Thich it becomes self-supporting find perma- scheDler:; "~ere lobbying the legislative halls. It
nent, some tree of ethical significance planted or needed firnlness in the BteerSJIlan and united 11011-
'\vutered, whose roots strike deep in the ~oil of hu- est action in his helpers to avoid ruin. .A.m_ol1g
'~)a.nity's ,v ant s, and fronl ,vhich distant genern- the conservative men of that day Colonel 1~c5ter
tions may gather nourishing fruit,-such fin ill-w"as prorninently busy. Governor RO3S, with his
vestment of '\realth is noble, manly. accu~ac.y ,)f judglnent., saw this al1c1 called Cololle]
Back of the campus on a little rise, no,," set Foster ;:¡;t onee to the evlIl1l1issiollership or hirltory,
apa'rt as th~ College eelnetery, ,ve depu~~ite(l the ~tatis~i('.~, and agriculture. During tht~ ndmin-
other ,veek the remains of a Jnan ".hose 'Ne~llth 1st-ratIons or l{ossand I-Iog:g:,¡ernnrkùhly different
consisted not in '\vhat he accumulated but in ,,"hat in man)" -features, C.o]onel If-'o3ter kept thi~ posi-
he has don€ for his fellow men. rrhe College is tion and served his State 'Mith honor. It - wag
again bereaved in the loss of its president. 'v hi~8t acting as Co1nnliss~oner of Statistics an{l
Co1. L. L. Foster, late President of the A. and AgrIculture that Colonel tF-oster was brought ex
.:.\1. Collecre ,vas born jn 1851, at Cumming, Ga. officio into touch ,,"ith the ~.A.gricu1tural and l\Ic-
The ".rit~r' kno\\;s only enough gf hh, early life tochanical College. Nor CaE. "\\\e deeDl jt ]~ð than
perceive tl1at he ".as largely dependent on his own -pi"ovic1ential tha t during tbi~ time he ,va~ in 'close
exertions~ a. condition ,,"hich is never unfavoTab]e touch with the m.an; Governor Rós~, ,yno: ,,"ag to
,vhen backed by 'in~ustri?U~ precede hinl by ei:ght years in the presidency of:
habits and Dl0ral Int€grlty. the College. . .
The ~o-ca]1ed X ew South has In the interin1! b-J'Ct'\veen his service as Commis-
been lJl1ilt. of material to?gh-t sioner of ..:\.gricultll1Ie and :his call to the ¡-\. and ~I.
ened in such ~UITOUndlngs. College, Colonel~~oster acted a~-. Rajlroad Co~-
Whèn a youth of 18 yea~ tnissioner and as railroad D1unager."7" e have
Foster can1e to Texas, a 8011 -never heard of a. ~'i;]ngle instance in ,v11 jell personal
'\yhich has proyen ,vonderfully con!sideration8 led hin1 to deyiate fro-Ill rectitudp-
healthful for the transplant- and honest adn)ÏI]]F;tiatioll. Neither \vas he the
iug of the vigorous 8h,001:.8 left lnan to allo,,~ allY 111easnrf:, t.~- pass through his
t by the Ciyil \\T ar. \Vork, hands or receive his indorsement "TitlJout pcl~onal
steady ".ork, in and for the (.ritjei~nl. lIe eyiclentIy felt the -£u1] responsibility
deyelopJllent of that soil, ha~ of any office <ls:signeù hÜn~ and no ~llperior' nor
31,,~ays characterized the TIlan ~uborclil1ate could do the "".oJ'k \yhjch he ,v~is CO1n-
for \-rhOlTI \ye 111ourn to-day. fni~.sjoned to do.
~a1}0!', 'rhi.ch :;e t~~ug~~ 'vag' C"pOll the nntiln:'èly deHlise of President Ro~:,
YIeldIng h]~l a lIvIng, "~as t"1n]onel Fo~ter "-fR~ not H c¡lndidatf' to sHcc>,ced
renny ]naknlg the charac~.er hinl. 'fh is :-;peaks. in itæ]f lor the Juan. 'rhe
\ve kne\y. In {he ,cotton field, place called him; }).e did not apply for the plß.ce;
handling the tro\vel, taking and ".ltcn~ over agminst n nnlltitllJc of eanllidates,
the college course for \,,-hich the honrd of diree1ors announced t heir:3eleetion,
he prepared hÍ1l1self and in the friends of the c.o11ege :seconded it l1nnnintously.
'\yhich he maintaÜled hi_n~self Fe" of those pe'tOple ,:rho nre evell no\y propos-
by ,hi~ OW)) exerti?ns, -he. \\?as ing thenl~e1Yes or their candidates for t~1e {)ffi~e
the S3.1ne earnest, ?ndustrlous¡ of pt'esident of thfi~ College knO\f what bn1ber It
honèst ,\yorker. '"ith the year requires. It does ][lot follo,v th'at l)ecauf:c H n1an
1876 Colonel .Foster's public has Dlade a trustY' legislator or an exccllent sol-
career began. }."or four year~ dieT, or all efficiœnt Sl1perintendt;llt of public
he edited fI, 1)(~nlocr9tjp papëI' ~chool5, or an intelligent eì{¡.ssrooIll in8trnctor" he
pnh1i..d1Cd ai Groesbeck, tlu~ \rO111d Inakc the best college president. (1overnbr
l.Jilllc~tone :x í.-1\1, }~rü. lJ i3 firTH
\
H..:o::: ,1id )I)t tin the ,\. ên~'¡ .\1. pre~i.lf--,ntinl ('hair
;-50 ",'c]] because he had been gu~:ernor, 1n1t hCCH1.U~e~
\\~h(1rc'.er yon put hÍIn, he \\it-: JÁ. S. J~os,:;. The
~;l]llt' C..1U be said of CoJone.l Fo~~rer. l1hi~, })O\\--
l>Vl~J\ hy the \,~a.y.
.-\ fter all, the Dl0St inlPQrbuìt feature in a col-
lege prc:i-Ïc1enf's duty j:: the influence he exert~
npoll the youth in hj~ charge, Cülü11el }'oster ,va~
the boY~;~ friend. lIe ".'a~ ev€ r OJ1 the alert to
ubtajn 'for theill f,1Ynr~:~ and yça~ Hh"(;a.ys ready to
;~n pervÜ:e personr11l.' ,1 nel T11ëJ1 ntnin their right~..
Iiis ndc1r~~:-::t\'; to t11P1U n~ a. body \vtJre \vise., tÜnel,.
0, '.
full of ~()u!ld ~en~~',' Hull lacking in cant. lIe pro-
IJo;~,-)d 1"0 1 hel11 TIn jnìpracticable llleasurc:-: either
;'3 iu nl()rnh~ or ~chola5tj(' c1ntjf)s. lIe h;:¡å been
;ì, ~cl ¡'-T1.:dinnt hoy h inls(}l£ ::r1d IH~ preferred treat-
ing llH~ ~tuc1ent iron} that :-:lal~~~poÜlt. If he erred
in jllc1g111cnt it ,va~ on the bo)"s' siåe.
Finally, and 110 doubt conditionÜlg all that
ha::; been sain in. his praise, (1o1onel Foster was
n. sincere Chri~tian, He ,,;as a ftrnl believer in
the pote-ney of the Bihle a-s a. guide to manly life,
è1ud seeln~ to haTe relied more upon it than any
cl.e~nolninational creed for hi~ Christian fa-iib.
~Iay 'he rest in peace, and 1uay (4od, ,vho directed
hiln, see that his ,,-ark js nor; ]o~t..
RESOLrTIOXS PASSED BY THE FACUL'ry.,
(101. l.J. L. l~oster, Presi("'en¡., of the A. and M.
College since June; 1898, having been called by
the touch of de~th 1.0 a higher existence; there-
fore, be it
I~esolved, that thp Uol1ege and the State ha'Ve
suffered an jrreparable loss, inasmuch as be ~"'Ve'
t he full po,,"er of his earnest nature to the develbp-
111cnt of college ,,'ork, and 'WiS an ardent advocate
of the adv;1ncement of jndustrial education.
Dif'tingulr.;hed in councils of State, he brought a
varied and ripe experience to his new position as
College p-resident, and his \vol"k ill promoting tM~
1naterial deycloprnent. oJ the Co1lege will live as 31,
monUlnent tu hi~ fl1enlOl'Y. RÜ~Îng unaided from
., t 1} 11 ~l'f ," . .t.
llH~ tl ure. u cr "":1l1\:i 01 ,1 P to (,IH~ Gncce.SSlve POSI IOns
of J(1gi:~liltoT: Cn~nnll~fSitn1er 01 .A.gricultuI"e, Rail-
,val Cornmissionér, and finally College president,
tle il1Spi:r~d th e young men 0 f our College and
:,..;tate 'Yi th higller ~imf~, and encouraged them to
greatci> achityements.
l~~ajthfulnc~s to duty Wag I10t only his ,purposc
in life, but Írolll long p.ractice became second na-
tu're. '\;j~e ;1nd c¿\ nt-ions in council, he was nl-
,va~ys affable anò kind) and ,ve shall eherish his
n1erl1Õf)' as that of a true and 8teaùf~t friend.,
,\~ è deeply 8ympa.th~ize with the bereaved family,
upon \vhorn he lavished the lpve of husband and
father.~ H1Hl 1110Urn with his-: relatives and friends
aver his untjmely re~ovál.
froml his sphere of useful-
ness.
These resolutions Bnall be
r;pread upon our ll1inutes, and
a, page set asjòe in melTIOry þo{
k'inclly affection,. for him. A'
eopy of the resolution sha11
he tran:';J1l1tted to his .family,
with an a~surance that bis
Olenl01'Y shall abide ,vitb us
a 1\vays.
II. II. H.AnnTNGTON,
CHAS. PUR1~EAR~,
T. C. BITTI..F'.,
C-o 111 Jll i ttee.
I desire to express t~rough
the columns of your paper the
sincere appreciationnlY
mother, sister and brother:::
feel towards all our friends to;
the sympathies expressed and
courtesies e;tended us during
our late berea vemen t.
Sincerely,
EDN Â EARL FOSTER.
, .. J'-
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"~ran is an intellectual being, and any kind
of Jabor, on the far1l1 or elsewhere, that retards
intellectual gro""'-th, and is an obstacle in the way
of the development. of 'his highe~ facultL;~'s, wilf
~ooner or later drive him away from it to some
ca11ing ,vhich' affords thEf mind equal opportunity
for developnlent with the body.
.'There ni list be--there is-a wider range of
lUèll tal effort open to man than that suggested by
the confines of professional life, ~nc1 the key to
it will be found in industrial education.
"There never was a time in the history of the
At\.gricultural and Mechanical Col1ege ,vhen it
could not hav~ been improved and lllade more
serviceable to the, people, nor ,viII there' eve~
come such a time until growth and advancement
shall cease to be the law of life." - .
L. 'L. ~'O~1>ER.:
e
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
: Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
.,
,..'-.---- ,--- _..~
BY" ;.q~¡ ¡t~ttf:' ,<¡~tìe m, B? ~d ", : (1 :}~(:' ~~ ' . . ': '
',.' ,~,,<~~"-,' ~ ":, :~",~. ':'t'~'~,""','&! r ': ,","'~ >",;I,;~ ",,\:,,',' ,,';\~'~<,.~,:', ,",', '-L.-
, '~\" ,o,. "'J~""';'" '! :C;"'",ff.: !"!'?t~ " '.' /!!a.. ,~OO, J:t,,' - . ! :,'
'TftO'\O, :"'/~S:"1ft..~~.¥J~r,"":"~'.'.j,':~ ".,'a'~,~':~ l//Þ '~~'~f~~;~' ~:;1j'..i¿'71I,' 0' . , L,' " r.,'.,:,'.,""'~' , ".il.',",", ..,'~',.o,,' ..'J".';.ri"". k"
r. .l/Q"~~)::-.. 'I " "~J.r~ ":-'¡:l1ililllfn.'ûr. ' I
", ", \;-," ~~" ~ V"'I' '-..;-. --, - '. r 'f'ç~'-" ~":¡W.lith~*~r . \ ; - ,
Buìlr~?i'$n'-. '99,Tô~::;-B~'-"'Ìlã1ed .
'/" ~:": ,-r:;," , {'i; "... " " : '.~'~';';',,~, . - - i. .:/:'.' ' 1~-:~r:í>;,.:, , ' " :
. - "i'~~,¡,... 'r -"o:..,.~.,'~'~~~~},\!.,.:f:';:i',\"" : ,~~~~~~'" : , I
Foster Hall;.~ a'Íamilíâr:,' land- physica] needs :~~~hê:'¥Qung and'~fv:()tion to whatevet';'duties -he as-!
rnark and or~~.,o~ the oldest build- - growipg institution. "'He was a,rs1f5fd.. 0.. ." ."
~ :~~ 0 t; I~ h ~d~ ,A,~M Ca 111 pus, w ill be fï~h~::~~ t ~~ s~~~:~~ ~~ d~fgth:s4:~= 'J:ttf;~: n;S~ i s à:~ ~~n in W ~~C;~;b~~;
(
The hand-made brick building: as Agricultural Ex,periment, Sta- 1901. lIe ,vas buried 1n the old
since its'éoi1~rú:ction iff 1899 at; :,~ion in the Blain geo~raphic are,as College CeJnetery, loca~,ed in 'what
a cost of ---$2-&000 "va's' named - ili"r.<;>f Texas and the.~,.flrst sumlller then \\Tas a sheep pasture on the
honor of oneof'A&M's early presi~session \\7as held, June, 18-~une 2,~, south side of the call1pus, '\There,'
dents, L. '11.-¡Foster~' ~.<c~hough' ,he ,1900. HO\~TeVer, no other,' 8ym-. ,Duncan Hall now stands.
spent the early P8:~,:~f.:'~h!s~ ~~~~r. m~~~ ses~iol~S \vere held.,u~til~9~9.~: ,","~Wlì~!i.-:the -~ite -w:as ,clea~,~d. to '
a~ a farnler and brIck mason -PFes- The Increase of at~ndapce ,dur.-,; ,make "Way for I?un<;-~Jl H-aJ~;~:~Ies-
ident I~'oster later -~gained' r~cogni- ing the' administrati<?~ - of '-;Fresi-', ident Foster's, remains ,w~re re-
tion as a ne,vspaper publisher and dent (La,vr~nce, Sulllv,an) Ross," il1tern.é~. ~n, colleg:~ . p.roperty 'west.
po1itjean. C" : " -,...'-.- ,an ~a~'ly hlstOl~Y. recounts,. "em- of' t!te,' :'rp;¥;-.~a9'-~1_,-.~~' College,
Foster, \vho came to Texas "fro~1 phasl~ed a co~1dltIon more or less Sta bon. . ,;~~:~: :',~:~,:" -,~ -~ .
his native Ge<?rgia short}y att~r~.Þß.."clhr~nl~ d b:fO?t€ and aftdert-:- th~ ' Building 'Co~demri.ed .
C.v'} '\Tarestabrshed the:',Lim~~t. ac 0 011111 ory accomo a Ions. ,
- ~ 1) J' I ~ :; '-.A.#- T. Foster Hall, conden1ned as a
s:~nc ..~?W Era at GI oe,sbeçk~t,,:~ Ga \ e . ~ e ~ed Rooms dorn1itory D1any years ago, more.
~~.l. ~<, ~lng D1oney earned 'a~à' a Foster Hall, erected the year af- recently has been used for stor- ;
~~~ }~1t'1 CaIn] mason, he had ~,~~~;: e? tel' Foster beca1ne. president, . and age. The. buildiJ.?-g has been grad- ;
a _0 0 ege. " .. later nan1ed for hIm, was aImed ually fallIng apaJ:t, and the board.
lIe \\ras elected to. represent Mc- '~at alleviating this situation. of directors recently authorized".
I:enna.n, FaJIs and Llmesto~e co un- The Foster adn1inistration also the college to take. bids for de-_'
tJes ]11 the Texas LegIslature, sa\\1 construction of an agriculture molishing it, after hearing, 8: re- .
\vhere he served as sp'ea~er of the building, vvþich later becalne known port that repairs arid upkeep were'" I
House of Re'presenþ.tlyes, -: > a!ld as Science.tffalI;..-and a sewage dis- making it too costly...to mai~~in.
]~ter 'was .apPolnted stàt~ ~°!llm~s- po sa] plarit;'~:~h ,in 1900, and a: ,.()nly three, þ;qgdings erected~Q~:.
~10nel' of lJîS,Urance, 3tatIStICS, hl.S- power plant In 1901. ' the', ,A&Mca:~pus~¡: before Foste~::r
tory and ag-I:)C~]]ture. He was raIl- HPresident Foster," according Hall remain. 1<They are' Pfeuffel'.'
road. COH1111JSSloner.. "\\1hen . elected to the college history, "was a man RalJ, erected in 1887, Aust~n' HaIl,
pres1dent of A&M Co]]ege 111 1898. of lofty personal character, ex- built in 1888, and-Ross Hall, which,
Presjdent Foster is remembered perience in public affairs, of pre- still houses the ;School of Military I
for the attention he "gave totke cise business habits, of. deep de- Science, built in ,-1892. ¡
I'
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UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&M Uni\-rersity
< ",::*------~.--..:.v.:9.,.- College Station. r-rP-X::1R
Local"man finds,
. .~. -"",.-'_'d.' ""'--""'" mapscemeterie:
i n Brazos Cou n 0
. .
,SPECIAL SUBJECTS
'THE:BATTALION
NOVEMBER 26,
'. '. '::'\;~1,';!~4r
...:-::i;?:írf:Jf,',"
By KEN DORSEY
Reporter
Don Simons, assistant director of
KAMU-TV, has a hobqy: he locates
and. maps cemeteries in Brazos
County. Simons, president of the
Brazos Genealogical Association,
helped start, the project two years
ago. .
"~f Y kids think I'm nuts," Simons
said,
Simons has identified 78 cemete-
ries in the area,
"\\~hen \ve started, I figured ",e
rnight find a little more than 30 ce-
nlete ries in the comm unities
around," he said. HI really have been
surprised by the number."
The Alexander Cemetery, located
in Bryan, is the oldest cemetery Si-
mons has been able to find, with
burials dating back to the 1840s.
Ou tside the cemetery, area, another
burial site exists. However, there is
no way of knowing how many peo-
ple are buried since inscriptions car-
ved on \vooden markers have disap-
peared with the passage of time,
Simons said,
In many cases, cemeteries are de-
,
strayed by cattle pushing the mark-
ers over, he said. Landowners who
discover burial sites on their prop-
erty frequently move the markers to
a place they consider safer, or en-
close then1 in a solid fence that resist.
cattlt and the intrusion of others, .
"In ~d}' cenleteries, particularly the
rural ones, vou have the individuals
'~vho feel it is a good thing to steal or
te~r-up a I11arker...or simply to de-
h " S. 'd
stray t. e cen1etery, lmons sal .
"'There are some very pretty cemete-
ries around here, but there are some
that need tender loving care which
haven't been looked at for several
..
veal's. .
I n The Big Event two years aso,
T exZìS .\~~\f students equipped ,vlth
:~ ~:. ,~.~:, :11 (,\'.'e rs and other tools got to-
._¡.~.[ ;1:'.:' . :lc1 t leaned seven cemete-
:\C:;. ; ,~S[ " ear. about 500 A&~1 stu-
. ¡:~:::.S hei~)èd gather inforn1ation
,1'\;:11 h~~ lnrnbsrones and listed five
'",q~1t-'fl-'1'~>:'-; ;n Brazos County he
\d_"\\"\." , "
';..111.1.
"\\'e took ~oo of those students
in (0 rile ß ¡':r'an City Cemetery, and
we listed IBore than 6,000 graves
there." Sirnons said. "It's interesting
nLtking out the indexes of the ceme-
tenes.
"You often see patterns of deaths
. hat; ¡(curred in families and in a
. :~n~('L:iJr rÎille period. You might
" ,
.¡
go 1O years' without se~ing a de'ath in'
a family, then suddenly' there will be
two or three because of an influenza,
yellow fever or something that has
gone through the community.
"From a historical standpoint, it
helps you understand th~ lack of
doctors and the lack <?f being able to
go to the doctor." . ,-
Once the cemeteries are discov-
ered, they are protected only
through community effort or activ-
ity, Otherwise, subsequenflanq.own-
ers or owners can come in,' utilize the
land and actually destroy the site, he
said.
If you enter a cemetery by metes
and bounds, as far as Texas is con-
cerned, you cannot convey title to
the land occupied by a cemetery'- Si-
mons said. The part' of .your land
that is a cemetery IS tax exempt as an
inducement for peop'le. to actually .
use it. But you can stIll use the min-
eral rights under it, he added.
"\Ve try to get everyone who has a
cemetery on property who hasn't en-
tered the metes and bounds before
now to do so," Simons said. "This
way people in the future ~ill know it
"
was a cemetery.
At one time, A&M had a cemetery
on campus where' Duncan Dining
Hall now stands. In 1939, before the
construction of Duncan, the ceme-
tery was moved to the sou~þwest cor-
ner of campus close to ~here the
Treehouse Apartments are located.
Nine bodies are buried there, in-
cluding a former president òf A&M,
he said. .
~Iost of the community sites Si-
mons has relocated date from the
1860s and on. Bryan did not become
a community until 1870, so you
really have to look hard for graves
dating before 1860, Simons said.
Simons used the six funeral
homes in th~ area to help him find
the burial sites.' :~ .
"The older funeral homes natu-
raIl v knew of more cemeteries," he
¡
said, HI \vould mark them off, then
go out and physically"find them." . .
Since 1903, it has been a require-
¡Dent for all deaths to be'reported to
the state Health Bureau Department
of Vital Statistics. The bureau m~in-
tains these lists in Austin as a perma-
nent collection, If a death has been
properly reported to the justice of
the peace, then it has been handled
through a funeral home.
The funeral home should have
filled out a form, had it recorded at
,. .. - . ,', - .-
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'. the local courthouse and, then re-
f .
ported the death to the statè depart:' ,!
,..'ment.. Simons said in most cases this
.,'procedure is followed, but at times -
'.. funeral homes get the wrong in for- ,
mation or just simply forget to file it.
, "We found a little cemetery at the
juncti~n of' 2223 Ro~d 'and Old
Spanish Road,"}Ie said. "It has five
decipheráble~ gràve site~. °f~. to the
side there are seven other" graves
that 'only' have stones...we'll never
know who is buried in the~e loca-
. , \
. " ..
nons. . .
t.': A wa~eness of the problem genea;
10 gi,s (s' face ~r what a persòn ~ryin~
to 'traèe 'his roòts may 'encounter is'
precisely why'Simon's is so deeply in~
vo~vedinhišhobby.:,' ':"~ ::~.~ " ,~ ,.~.,
, . Pictures of all. the cemeteries with
'1:" ,. '
. :,'. -¡-~~:: ,-=:.- .._~--:-,~.. _. --., .-'
.;>.'~eir. )<;>cati~:~ . are- pOste,d on tÍi~
" ~al~ of. the ~B..ryan Publiè" Library .
..~klI~g.;people If-they know, of any
. ~th:erceniet~ries i~ Brazos. County'
, ~hat ar~ not lIsted, SImons saId. .'
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tJ Simons plans to have a'permanent
" collection of the. cemeteries, their
. listings and, their I.ocations mapped
. out Tor Brazos County. .
, . He will supply the. Sterling C.
Evans Library ~nd the Bryan Public
Library with' his i~(QIJI:lation upon
. c~m pl~p°I!. of th~ pròjetit, he said.
.: ... 1 . .',': I:,~., . ~:r- -i/~. ~~, if;.: .
"., o;!'Y'ol .., .. "~ '.
'. " "W ~ :,' hope~tQ' be finished within
th~ nêxt a.two y~ârs and offer some. .
thIng for th'e next generations who
want to.. traçe their roots" Simons
-d ..!: ':. ' ,
sal. '~.,,') .
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S:PECIALSUBJECTS ,
'~'" ',THE BATTALION ,'" CEMETERY
,<'[,~~(:é~,;, ' 'MARCH 28,'1985' v, .'~?i{'~),'~:',,;;
.' ",~.,,1'/;,..,' <,;. . "
Ten rest in A&M's
. .
9 host ,9 raveyor , ,
By LESLIE MALONE f8~~~~n: 98[. A&M College from
, Repo.rler' Also in thè archives '~as a repórt I
, A Texas A&M, employee ceme- from the las~ 9fficialvisit made to '
tery? As unusual as, it sounds,' that's the cemetery in 1954~. D.B. Cofer,
what the cemetery now located on the collegeatchivist 'at the time, was
the corner of Marion Pugh Road the visitor. His report, included tþe
and Luther Street is. ,following: ,,:, . " " .
" "Hidden on the front by bushes "Located on the southwest side of
arid trees, visible from a side dirt Missouri Pacific track a mile or so,
road and watched from the back by south of R.~. 'Station and one'-e,ighth ;
horses in a pasture, the temetery miles or so west of old Highway 6:
goes unnoticed by.passers~y. Graveyard; ~eglected; ten graves'
Don Simons, assIstant dIrector for marked now. WIth ten stones; no re-
Ad Educational Television' at cord shown 'of' the grave of Dr.
KAMU, makes a hobby of research- Pond, buried in the 'teens one sum-
ing"the. history of cemeteries in the mer in the First College Station cem-
area.' , . ,etery, in the Old Sheep Pasture, and
Simons said the cemetery was on the present site of Duncan mess
moved to the present location from ban. tt " .~ "," .
the site' that is now Duncan Dining. ' Of the records that f91l0wed, it is
Hall. According to the records in the evident that an attempt was made tq
Sterling C. Evans library archives, contact relatives, of Foster to get per-
the cemetery was moved in 1939 to mission to move his remains to the
the'~ pre~ent location which is also new c~metery. . . . .
U~l1verslty-owned. . . Dunng the search; a proposal was
, ' Of the headstones marked and re- made by a friend of the Foster fam-
corded as A&M employees,. are J. ily, . Hal Mo~eley,t ,to m9ve the re-
Riggs, a janitor at the ExperImental mains of Foster. A-letter to George.
StatIon. Building; All~son Smoot, Smith,_, chairman pf the objectives
head mIlkman at the daIry barn dur- commIttee,. rd°seley complaIned of
¡rig the Harrington administration Foster's treatment.: .
(1901-1905); and - C.O. Watkins, a "It is a crime the way President
long-time employee of Texas A&~I. Foster's remains have been treated,"
The larF;est h€adstone in the small he wrote- "Maybe with the help of
cemetery belongs to L.L. Foster, the- Professo~ Leland's committee (~he
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Texas A&l\iI UIl.iv'crsity
College Station, Texas
.... '
"" I '
cem~tery committee) and 'alunini .
working toget~er, a suitable ,p!ot'.
could be provIded for and cared
for." .' '!':Vt I
The search' for the rel~J~~~.'f~
proved .un~!1ccessful ~nd t~e pr()pq~~:;
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sal was to go before the obj~~qv~~s: .',
committee in August of 1955:~þ'er~~ \
was no further information otf~ùìe' ~
subject in the arch~ves.. Nei~héf~~Si~
mons or any, of the U nlversIty lQfft~ .
åals in_~~e ar<:hives know why qQtb~
, , , --# '.-'. " L
¡fig became of it. . . " .. ~.: h'r£~
: The c~metery now has o~ly}~1ijè'
markers left, soine of which areP'fall-
ing apart. It is, however, part "'of
A&M's history and will probably, r'e-
main in this location permanently.
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UNIVE RS ITY ARC HIVE S
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
, '
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