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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA&M's Ghost Graveyard M 3M 3M 3M ----"._"'---- --.,.--- - - - -- -_.- - - - -- - . . - . - ~SPECIAL SUBJECTS THE ,BATTALION '.:-~~r' By KEN DORSEY Reporter Don Simons, assistant director of KAMU -TV, has a hob1?y: 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 7 8 cemete- ries in the area, "\Vhen \ve started, I figured \ve rnight find a little more than 30 ce- nleteries in the comm unities around," he said. "I 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. Outside 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- I 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 them in a solid fence that resist - cattlt and the intrusion of others. ' "In ~dl' ccllleteries, particularly the rural OIles, YOU have the individuals \vÌ1o feel it is a good thing to steal or te~r-up a 111arker...or simply to de- h " S. "d stray t. e cemetery, 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 .. ve;.lrs. ' ; . t Il the Big Event two years as-a, -t e~as .\& \1 students equipped \vlth ~-:k.t.~~. :11owers and other tools got to- ',_i-:t:,c:- - r~d cleaned seven cemete- :\c:;- T ,,~S[ \ ear. about 500 A&~f stu- , L~:: ~~5 ~le i peri gather inforn1ation ,1-\1:11 h:.~ uHnbstones and listed five ,;d~ntjTP1-~'.'Ì ;n Brazos County he _,,__--1_'-.,1..-,. L I' '- àltl. "\\"e took 200 of those students in to tile ß r:'an City Cemetery, and 'se listed rnore than 6,000 graves there'" Simons said. "It's interesting lnaking out the indexes of the ceme- tenes. "You often see patterns of deaths ,hat ;:(curred in families and in a -:dr1l~L:ìJr tirne period. You might UN IVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M Uni,rersity .~ ,;;*-----.,~:..2~;~ College Station. Tp.X:::lS Local man finds, . .~. " "",_r'- '----."'<'" mapscemeterie: i n Brazos Cou n ~ . . NOVEMBER 26, " , " go 10 years"without seeing a de'ath iri ' 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 the lack of doctors and the lack of being able to go to the doctor." ,- Once the cemeteries are discov- ered, they are protected only through community effort or acnv- ity, Otherwise, subsequent'lan40wn- ers or owners can èome 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 ext;mpt as an inducement for pe°r.le, to actually . use it. But you can sull 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 earn pus where Duncan Diriing Hall now stands. In 1939, before the construction of Duncan, the ceme- tery was moved to the sou~~west cor- ner of campus close to ~here the Treehouse Apartments are located. Nine bodies are buried there, in- cluding a former presideI'lt òf A&M, he said. rvlost 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- rallv 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- Inent for all deaths to be 'reported to the state Health Bureau Department of Vital Statistics. The bureau m~in- rains 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 .' - - - ' - - - - - , ' ' ' ',the local courthouse and, then re- f . , ported the death to the state depart:' ,! .,,'ment., Simons said in most cases this '.'p'roeedure is followed, but at times - '.. funeral homes get the wrong infor- ' , marion or just simply forget to file it. , "We found a little cemetery at the juncti~n of' 2223 Ro~d' and Old Spanish Road," þe said. "It has five decipheråble~ gràve site~. Off. to the side there are seven other-' graves that 'only' have stones... we'll never know who is buried in the~e loea- , ' , . ' tions.", ' ' . .. f'-: A ~a~eness of the problem genea; logi,sis', f~c~ or ",!hat a ~ers~~ ~ryin.g to :trace .hls roots may encounter IS' precisely why'Simons is so deeplyin~ vo~yed in his hobby.:,' ':"~ (.~ " .: . "~,, , 'Pictures of all. the cemeteries with ~ .' .~~-- -- ..----------- - -, :', I '.... '~'- . . '. . --'- ,;),'~eii'~locati~:11-~. are' pOste.d on th~ " ~al~ of.. the ~Bóryan Publiè - Library , '" ,~kll~g)pe?ple .1f~hey know. of any, ~t~er . cemet~nes I~ Brazos. County . ~hat ar~ not lIsted, SImons saId.:' i " tJ Simons plans to have a,permanent . collection of the, cemeteries, their . listings and. their l.ocations' mapped , out for Brazos County. . , . He will supply the, Sterling C. Evans Library ~nd the Bryan Public Library with his i~fQ~ation upon . c~mpl~p°I!" of thè pròjeåt, he said. :.' . , ',,' :,:' ~-;,,:,~ '-t-. -\l. ,~. ~i~ ' ,.., or'~'.l "" '"' '- Of " " ,"W ~ :,- hopettQ' be finished within th~ nêxt a.two y~ârs and offer some- , thIng for the next generations who w~dnt t~.),t!}~e' their roots," Simons sal. ;." .f - ... ' -I ::¡' -. CIJ 3 OJ .-+ CD .., -. OJ - 3 OJ '< 0'" CD -c .., 0 r-+ CD 0 .-+ (t) C- O'" '< (") 0 -c '< .., -. ~ ::T r+ - OJ ~ ,--.. --i -. r+ - Ct> ~ -..J ,... \.- . en . CJ 0 0- CD . -...-. - . - SP-ECI.AL .sUBiECTS ':.' ',r.gIE BATTALION'" " , '¡"'";pf,,, ' - , ';':>i',~;~f' MARCH 28, :1985 ' . ~;,~<"f::i;." . Ten rest in A&M's . . ghosf,graveyar " By LESLIE MALONE 1~~~~~n~9gf.- A&M College from , Repo.rter' Also in thè archives '~as a repõrt : . A Texas A&M. employee ceme- from the last 9fficialvisit made to . tery? As unusual as. it sounds,' that's thecemeteryJ in 19541 D.B. Cofer, what the cemetery now located on the college archivist 'at the time, was the corner of Marion Pugh Road the visitor. His report, included the and Luther Street is. ,following: ,,:. " .'. " "Hidden on the front by bushes "Located on the southwe~t 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 t:emetery 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 ~o the present location fr?m ~aU." ,: - "," '. . . 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.' present location which is also new cemetery. ~ ~ ..' - ' U~iversity-owned. , . During the search; a proposal was . . Of the headstones marked and re- made by a friend of the Fos,ter fam- corded as A&M employees, are J. ily, Hal Moseley,' ,to ~ove the re- Riggs, a janitor at the Experimental mains of Foster. A.letter to George. Stauon. Building; All~son Smoot, Smith,., chairman of the objectives head mIlkman at the daIry barn dur- commIttee,. ~oseley complaIned of irig 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 largest 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&lVI UI1.i,/crsity College Station, Texas .,. , -, ' ~ . . . . cemetery commIttee) and 'alumni working together, a suitable. plot' could be provided for and cared' for" : ~..;.et 1 " .. "t'::" :...., The search 'for the reláii~~~ ~ ; proved . ùn~!lccessf ul ~nd t~e prCJP<i~ ~: ; . . " .- l' -:,rfl'," sal was to go before the obj~gqy",çs:-:', committee in August of 1955:~þer~~ \ was no further information ótf~ltie' ~ subject in the arch~ves. N eithéf;~Si~ ~on~ ,or any _of. the UniversitYl9ff1~ ' aals InJ~e ar<:hlves know why qQtb~ ,-ft.-.,'.' irig became of it. . ... ... ~.: "'rr~ : The c~metery now has 09Iy,:~p~é' markers left, some of which arë-'fàll- ing apart. It is, however, påit~-'of A&M's history and will probably,-ie- main in this location permanently.. . ,~.. ~ z 0 t""+ C':) CD . . ~ :::r -. en 3 OJ t""+ (1) ~ -. OJ - 3 Q) '< 0- Ct) -C ~ 0 r-+ CD C) r+ CD C- O" '< C":) 0 "0 '< ~ -. ao. :::r ,..... - Q) ~ ,-..... --i -. ,..... - CD ~ -...J c: . en . () 0 c. CD . ""'--"" UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M U ni versi ty College Station, Texas . . " .,,' rave ar 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 sHence 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- ,'~t i cluding that of a former =-,x1::"y~:f A&M college president, :~i" Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. ~ h d :~¡lf: Foster, w 0 was e- .\\!~~~: sCribed as a self-made man ~1Y and served on the Texas State ~fr Legislature for 17 years, was r 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 i 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 UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas . II ress . In eac tombstones. ' According to the Cushing Li- brary Archives, among those buried in the nine òther graves are: C.O. Watkins, a long-time ~ employee of the College' who' died in 1940; '-Ruth Watkins, a: 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 infaç.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 shÒuld repose in 'the ,soil he loved." "i ',;", . In 1955, a cemetery commit~ee was formed to. investigate' the possibility of moving the graves again, .to an uI1pam.ed ceri1~tei'y in College Station. Although the committee reportedly tried to. contact survivors of Foster artd others buried in the cemetery for permis$ion to move the remains, they were ûnsuccessful, 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 wrote. "Maybe with the ' help of Professor Lelançl's ceme- tery committee and alumni . -_.- working together,- a suitable plot . could be provided and cared fàr." , 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 soInething unique about one of the 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 Ev~nt, and.. about 500 A&M students help~d ;~A them clean up cemeteries in Bryan -College Station. Although the east side of the A&M cemetery is filled with litter, the rest of the cemetery and, gravestones are generally wel~-:'~'..' kept. Simons said the A&M Phys'- 'r: ical Plant started maintaining tl1e':; cemetery at his request in 1987~,. . 'Since then, Simons and,.hIs wife ,have collected 21,:'iÖO. names ~f people buried in Bi~~,~ " zos Valley and entered them iritp a.computer database. Although the listings have not been ptib- 'lished; there~re copi~s ill: :b.oth,! the Bryan and College Station publiclibrariesA' ,th'e Sterling C. Evans library and the Brazos Ge- '.' nealogic,al Society offices. ' . Simons said the Genealog~c.a~ . Society has mapped ~5 cemete'r-. ies in the Brazos Valley since 198-2, but they are constantly looking for more. Simons sa,fd" that anyone with informaticfIi.r 'concerning the 10cation:;,i.Qf , cemeteries in the Brazo s Valley, should contact the Brazos Ge-' ,', nealogical Society or visit th~m on the internet at www2~c,y- net.net/ -bga-/. .' . . The Cushing Archives showt4~' '. ~ , A&M cemetery went virtually un-: : noticed by the University ùntil 1993, when the Texas A&M Bòard of Regents, passed a bill to build' ~ cemetery near Easterwood AirPort., ; This bill would allow A&M to build a perpetual care cemetery fo'r for- mer students. ' -. 0 "". -. (") CD . . -I ::r -. en 3 Q) ,-+ CD .., -. Q) - 3 D.) '< 0- CD -c .., 0 ,-+ CÐ (') ..... CD C. 0" '< (') 0 -c '< .., -. (TO. ::r t"+ - Q) ~ ~ -I -. .-+ - (1) ~ ~ C . en . () 0 c. eD . ........, ",' . . ' _. L(q;s'"'/ 7£1 V\~ 3 OJ LIST OF PERSOl-jS BURIED IN THE COLLEGE PLOT EAST OF THE TRACKS J. Riggs C. o. Watkins S. Riggs Ruth Watkins c. H. Al vo rd (Infant of) Three unknown ' ( ~t,:G}J '. (Y\A ~G ~.; . ~ve~rom wncan H~l areJto present location in ~~rYJ 1939. L. L. Foster, Former President David F. Benson Rainey Benson Allison Smoot J-r1-fJ ;rd d~cL '. . 0 + ~--~~ wlf.e It r- d- 'f~ f¡ '} ~. ~ ~ z 0 ,.... -- (') CD . . -1 :::T -- en 3 Q) .-.. CD ~ -. Q) - 3 Q) '< 0- Ct) -c ..., 0 .-.. CD (') ,.... CD C. 0- '< (') 0 "C '< ..., -. (IQ ';:j .-.. - Q) ~ ,-.... -i -. ,.... - CD ~ ~ C . en . () 0 c. eD . ......... .... .., .. j)œ( 2 n . Faculty E:r:chan3G College station, Texas J~ 5, 1.955 z 0 ,..... -. (') CD . . -J I L'r. Hal Moseley .3800 Sldllman S treat Da1.1as, Texas ';;!' -' CJ) 3 Q) ...... CD ~ De ar 1!r. lfusa ley I -. Q) - If ~ œ mory is c orrect, you were J as yo.¡ or:œ æntioœd to œ when you were telling me abœt President Foster D.nd h is death in J)ÜlaS, a g cod r ria nd or the F œte r r amiJð' am an irrl:.i1:'..ate associate of the son, Henry. YOIl œnt.ioœd, too, the faniJ.y woo large, having seven chlldnm. Ori gina.1J¥, these boåie s we 1"0 b.1ried in the Old S"neep pasture, on t..1Je site of Duncan Han to:lay. Possi~.t too, yon 1'NrJ rocaJ.1 the identity of soœ of these nmœs, vhœe búdies a.-e interred heres . 3 Q) '< 0- Ct) "'C ~ 0 ,..... (1) ('1 ,..... CD a. 0- '< (') 0 '"C '< ~ - Just nŒl I thOtl...cl1tpœsi~ you cOuld locate for me sere 0 f the so chi1dre n of Preside nt . Foster. In a c aœuni cation from Pr of. T. Vi. Ie lard , Chairman of the ()¡me to 17 0 armL t tee I a reCJ:l1est is made of ror Archives Office for the addresses of relatives or those buried in the College Plot East of the S-P 'l'rac ks, \1 h a :re Pre S ide nt Iß.f aye t te Iumpkin Foster is wried . -. ao. ';;!' ,..... - Q) ~ ,........ J. PJ.~-:s S. Riggs Da:v:td F. EeœOn Arq information that you. can pass to me about the chi1clro n or gr a.."'rlchildre n. of Pre sident Foster I am the 1r whe 19- 111:outs, uill 00 appreciated. PJdœy Ib ns on Allis <m Smoot;. ~ -. ....... - (1) ~ -..J C . (J) . œst w-lshes ani ld..ndcst reGards to you 1."l ever:¡ wq. a 0 c. CD . -...-.. Si.~ere ~ ycurs, . D. D. Cofer Colle ce Arc11i D~2C : ill 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 Lívlngston To: Roy L Snlith 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 A-- W From: Roy L S rnith To: ksliving@txcyber.conl Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:00 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 snlith 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 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 Tern 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 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 Livinøston From: To: Sent: Su bject: "Roy I. Smith" <smithro@alpha1.net> "Ken & Susan Livingston" <ksliving@txcyber.com> Thursday, August 28, 2003 11 :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 v-~-- Original Message -- From: Ken & Susan Livingston To: Roy ì. S nlith 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. .... ,. Original Message --- From: Roy L Srnlth To: Ken & Susan Liv\ngston 10/2/2003 Page 2 of 3 From: Rov L Smith .# To: Ken & Susan 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: Ken & Susan Livingston To: Roy I, Srnith Sent: Wednesday, August 27 t 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. --- Original Message -- From: Roy I. Snlìth To: ksHving@txcyber,com Sent: Wednesday t August 27, 2003 10:00 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 srnïth 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 10/2/2003 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 Tem J. H. Allen--Senior Warden S. M. Darden--Junior Warden Pro Tem 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, 1 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 Livinvston From: To: Sent: Su bject: "Roy I. Smith" <smithro@alpha1.net> < ks living@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 Of Neal To: ray snllth 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 Tern J. H. Allen--Senior Warden S. M. Darden--Junior Warden Pro Tern H. B. Stoddard--Marshal Pro Tern Dan Zimmerman--Steward Pro Tem 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 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 University College Station, Texas Waco University's Most Famous Product by Thomas E. Turner 51 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-Jived 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 fe II 0\\' with broad forehead and chin . whiskers. Without the whiskers he would have resem- bled \\/yatt Earp. (l\1jnus Earp.s propensity for vio- lence. of course. ì Foster was a restless man whet was never in on~ oiacr Ycr\' lon£. [joro in F-orsvthe Count\'. Geor£ia. H' I ..... . .- Novemhc~ 1851. he cam~ If' Limestone C.ount\. 1 exas. \\'hen he \\i'as 18. He settjed at Horn Hili anc.' oecamt' a hard-\\'orking feUn\).' at man\ ioh~,. ~ . . A local DaS{o:-. Ezekiai J. Biliin£!ton. ice v()un~: . .. - Fos[~r ((1 the Lord. He was a guiding spirit In starunb Groesheci:'s Baotist churcr.. anà \\'orked his \\'a" ¡nre . . the presjdenc~' of the Baptist Generai Convention (': 1 exa~. bccomint: 3 lorgume patron of Ba\'i(). l¡nj\'~rs!~.. After his brief stay at Waco University, Foster first returned to Groesbeck to jump into another careeT- 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 pub I 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 Foste¡ ~ would succeed Ross as President of T cxa~ A&f\1 Unlversi{\'-and that both would die in that office When Governor James S, Hogg. tne orpnan \\'nC' t1~cam~ 2 1 exas Dolitica! í!iant in size and nolitlcs, ~O! . - .- :' l-exas Railroad (ornmission created to control arf(\. £an: railroad tycoons. he named L.L, Foster 1(' i: .. ", . Hog~ \\'as the first native 1 e~an 1\1 hold the rove~. ..... ~ ~ no" s ~ha¡r' and "'a~ a formei ne\\'soaoerman hrmsel: I-it could aODreclate an iron-~'iI}cd c^-ouhjisn~~. Seven years later. in 18R'1. anotn~r (1j[ challenr~ , ~ . aros~' fo~ r"oster. J-iis friend. Íorm~Þ úoverno¡ St;1 Ross. had åicd unexnectcdl~' \\'hiie scfvin£ as oresi. C1::. n.' /",; ! h: S t rt! !!. ~ iJ n ~~ n C' v.' ., ~ x a:::: 1'"\ &. r,,1 r n 'v e rs H " 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, approaching 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 A.ggies--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 "keep 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 øf 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 T ems A&M' s best presidents. . ... . . . . '.'. ". '",...: ". . .., ..' .. .. - 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 ~t" ,.\" , ,'. . . , The denomination will' be surprised and gri~ved to learn that Co1. D. L. Fostèr, Pres!dent of theAg~i- cultural and Mechanical College, sùddeilly and unex:~, pectedly died at the St. George, Hotel,' Dallas'_,l~s" Monday morning at 4: 30. He had suffered for~". ~ month of pneumonia, but had recovered simcientlŸ"t< ~visit Mineral Wells. - Ten days ago he started-.,~lt]j his wife to return t~ College Station, stOPPhig9r~I, .night at Dallas. ".reeling indisposed next, mo~ni~g; - he 'remàined '.in Dallas} and Mra.' Foster returne,<l,;to, ' '-", I'.r,:-;', ,1 College Station. Col.' Foster gradually grew ,W9!~,~'_' His family 'was notified and his son, -J.'L.Fo~t~r, , came to nurse him. ,He seemed t.obe improving ,t\~d 1- , -' ,"." ,~v .11 'sat up ,Sunday afternoon,{a~d recèived IiOu~ish~.e,p}~ freely. The nurse was distpissed,and that night t~~, fathér and s~~went to slelep: in the 'same 'råám:'-:'À,.t ." ~ ~, , 2 o'clock l\ionday,morning Col. Foster 'awoke his '~~11' complained of hunger 'and' drank a mÙk punch~ ~~,¥-- pressing a sènse of relief after drinking it.Bothfe~l asleep again, when 'at 4 o'clock the son was arou~ed: by the heavy bre,athing of his father. He rushedQ~t to call a doctor, but finding none he lef~ wor-d ':~ri.d, hurried back to his father's side, only to find hiID..",ui;1- conscious, -and he died in his son's arms at 4:30~'>~JS remains were 'carried to an undertaker's, emba~~.è,~~' prepared for burial, and at 11 o'clock exp~ess~d,.:t;o College Station, where' they will be burled., ~he~ô~y\ was escorted to the station by the Masonic fraterIli~ý; ánd placed aboard the Houston and Texas cèri~t~~ trahi. '. . . , , L~mpkin LaFayette Foster was born at Cum~~~~~' Ga., Nov. 30, 1852.. He came to Limestone CO1:l;~!r" Texas, in 1870. After farming and well digging a ~ea,r or two he earneJi enough money to enter Waco .V~~~. versity, where he remained two years~ "Le~~:~~g school' he established thé Limestone NewEra';'~.!Rt Groesbeck, the first 'pape~ever' established in Lim;ê~~' .stone C~unty. 'This led him into politics, an~ hei_r~Þ- resented his county in the 17th, 18th and 19th ~é~s- 'laturès, being Speaker of .the Hous~ this last 'tei:m. In 1885 he became editor of the Dallas 'He,rald; wp.icl.1" position he held until appointed CÓmmissione~o~ -¡~- surance, Statistics and History by Gov. S. L. ~~~~. , He continued in this office until the cr,eation of._~he . Railroad Commission, of which he became a mem~er""- by appointment of Gov. J. S. Hogg. He afterwards bècame "general manager of the VelascoTe~min~l Railway He cond,ucted Gov. Sayers' -campaign '1n , 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,.-oi . his 'death. . '. , UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas , ". ',...,'--' Col. Foster was married to Miss Laura pe~ldJ~~'~~~~ ,at Groesbeck, in 1875. He leaves -five sons, J:o~;~,g~J - L., -,Walter D., Jacob> ~'! Mack and Henry!., a~~{;t~~~ -daughters, Edna and May Alma. Co1. Foste~~~.~,<¡ ~~,,~ bapti~ed' into the Baptist C~urch in early m~?-~\9.$!~~ . In 1885 he was elected -PresIdent of.the. BaptlE?~,'g.~J1-:/ eral As~ociation at Ennis, and agai;' at WaX8e§;~~Jlj '":,,l,'n,' 1890 ,'he..wa~ 'elected pres, id,ent of t, he paPti~~,':.':',.,~,'""~,..,,,.,,;,-,~,'.,~";',~,',,,:~,~""~I:,,",~,; ~'~eral . Convention. - In 1892 he was, elected .~re~~.?~fi~" .: ~f -the Bapti~t, Sunday School and. CoIPorta~e.:,¿Qœ.~ " y~~ti()nat. Dalla~He was President of the ,~.~~~~~ ", of Directors in 1894, and a member of the B<:>ard J~£.~J 0189'0 to 1895. ,This was the iàst o~cial positf~~~)1 .' ever held i.n the. Baptist denomination.' He was ~,",~I:pl.'~ ~, , . - , ~ -______m-----.- .. - . ' '--, -"~-;~:;~f.:J~'~ ~'~t üntlrÌng~nèrgy, 'excellent adhlinfstratlve' ,abhí~t~~ '\, , ,..:-",':r "'<'1-':,x /-aètlve l~dustrY' and a genius for C¡9~e_aþplicatlon.c,,-;~~~,~;i~' 'was a 'member of mhny benevolent orde~~,' Ma:~,~1!~,~ . " , -.. - , " ; -, ,","""."~,1' Knight TempláraJ?À ¥ysti<l Shriner. He was an~}~f~~:>: corruptible politic.ian, whose management, co1ipl~,~~jr~: '" ""', ,- ""¡f~:;JI..¡YìJ. .~ith a lárg~ popularity regist:red his na~e in e~~~:!~~ "office he sought. and made hIm a vaIuaßle ally ,:~~~~{~~ :;l~iider..in ',every campaign. We extend his, berë~J~l'$~:'~ 'fa,mi1Ý,- slnèere,'condolence. .~:-o:~idlð-'1çro-J "','.'....~:Y;.~;,jf~" ;1'~ - 'JV"'; . -.."" ' - UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas COL, t. L fO~I[R DiA~.! , ' ,:t,) " ", ":~'21{1';:::',~ DRY,AN AND COLLEGE "SHOCKED 'i~~j;~ V.eND EXPRESSION. ,~'/:";j,r~~ ;: ,',' , ,.'\' . ,,~',::;~1)~>~ ',-. - . , "'l;~~:'¡;t\ ,;\"'-:': ,.~-;'~- 'è','...~:",~i~~ ,INO \{If ,IN :nßnVEltUl~SUUl-Uf~1 . ' '.' .!'¡""~ "", " :,',..~I~f, J1 Å. Malt af Noble CJtar~ttrand, ~.:.," " ': ~.,Abnity" Ít~ S~r~~~d, ,fib;' S~åte~l .,', , , ",' . '\ ,"" :. in~'Maoy J'ósitioòs. ,~of ' , .'(,!,~,,': Itoåør 1&0 d ,t..usi.'\:' ,. , , ,:' ',' ,. ,,' . " '" " :!',"~.>" ". '.: '/,' .' '" ,< , '. '~om T~esd~.~s Daily'E~gl~~ :))"" ,The peopl-e of BryaQ anll,;'ç.~;¡ "~eg~' wer~ smocked and' iriev.eùì~;-i :).ond, expres.sion yesterday ~~¿.!~;;' ~.iIlg by" the , new~' . of, (he'~~~~~ii ~~r. "Col.:' 'L; ]]j:fFöstef~\p:r~si~~~;t-,~~:f,i ':~,~ Agricultit;tal ;'~nd.'M~c~ån~~~.:.; . i;: l~g' é, àt.'~allas. .,,\ ,,:r." ,":\ ~"<, "(',y " ' , ,', """'0 :':' /rhe fiTst\ inteIligençe~a~.\: ¡ "':", "'<"",,,',' , ,.,..r,,:--,' "c'¡/':¡~" t,', :ve'yëd,','tØ,~~bi,8. c,ity ';}n '~',;~~~~ ~~, 'h;'ès~~gê'!to "Mr. ',cifff A.Â!d~~(~~~~ì~~; 'r' ;a'p"iðly:'!pas8ed from lip ~o lip;:ií~!l~' . , ""'~ ,~""" ing~poo1nluÌlwilling 8;nd.aim,o~~ '~j "éredul~ù8 ears.;'" B~~" ;~~s,,~J,~,J)..r :\i.~, ';'J'~f:":'.""j:" ", ~," :',;,.'.;~}:;~,';;/i':\;//~;:':':"~.'Y;' ", ,~ ' .. ' C 1 ',Wosterba ,~ fen. -ad too tr~e~ ,,9.,' ~',,: '",";' .'~\¥,:Jktj:\¡' ìì .. ,..' .I'he~llh for"sqme,tlm~ :~~~f,p: .}ll,11 ",',. '" """"~'" ..". .~",~~~;~-1î<. ~;1. u'~t~Q,'1'1inl~'far:W e~J~i:~--1;~IW~ ,'Y =¡, "', < ,'" - '.','~,'~¡-;~:,','. , ";""" .. ' .. 'd' lflé bIS ~con-, 0 freeuperatlng, an w ~1,. ',' " ~,,\~4~!,~f;":", ,; ;. !;' '," "", : rióus~'b 'd i tion was known to ,b~.8'~_""'H<':'í:Y so~'e, his d~ath ,va~ n0;t àÌ1ti4~p.~t.. UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas ... ' 'C:'(,$r "',I ed at this tIme and came as a _~,~1:~ ~en'a'n'd severe shocktø the fa\~~~t, and,friends., I':'" ;,.'¡~:\;.;'i~: 'I " "'J . ' 'Vi1e 'rem ains w.ere~Ðll veye~ ~},~9 CiJUege lJY the aftern,()Ou train,i~,i 'te'-rd;;"a' \" 'afòcom' Pàriied buone Of:ljls ,J , v' ;J, '!i',r'\",;"¡'fi.," , ""ai,," ",' """::,"', ,"'..~f,'~i Fon's"~who" WHS' i h, Dal1as'f.~" J th ~::~~l1n Gen'~ ,';II,,"-B.,'StoddaJd, aRâ"l\:lr~':~}"'~ 'Co"'.'" "',,- ",' '.. j.',"'-.."""[i.' . '¡R..<Cåvi tf wen toto Çal~e.'J'.t ",~~ ,:~~ '",.,:~ ',.., ;,~.."....'.,', .-".'..." "'¡;'-:'h""'t...:JtI,.,,~~ ,," ", ~ . " uo .,~ al1d~,.cárne ,<.low n, ,wltil ,it; e,_~..: '~"S;J T h~,~"w ~ r e J oi n ed h~r~ 'by,' a. d~ìJ~~~ .',"!'; "~.' ,', .'" .'. Me's~['!"-' t.i?n.~()f,~l t.~ ze9 s; -,:,In.cl Udl~- : ,.:,,¡\~[,ttt~~,~ C' ,.A ':,Y\dams . L. ' L.",Jde,ltÐnls,",~fl?,r~~ . n. , ,--". " ' ¡.. '-?~)~'i;';}r'/fi1 j ~"L'..'Fo~nt31n,.\V; S..~,€t\~~11~' ~'~~ 'M, '-:iD' ~'r"de'~,~~J'.i\V.'Dôrëm~',<{;A :) .,1J """'-'-'-""', "'1' ',ß ùÓh'~n~~# ~~w,-, P,,:::~dJ'nÐ.èlly\;~"nä ~:":r":.,'",',',,,.""', .',','¡"': "'.'.:\)~~~~LA othet»Æ", ,', "" ",'¡', ,,' " ~. '", ",~"',,,'~,""'<,':-'-ì:, ""', ¡:':' Tþ'~d'U i~ eiãl.' ~'ill, bécònd8Acf~~i~¡,,:r'; Braizoi "tU nion ,'Lodge N9._'1'!Ð.!\.}~~\~~ .1-', ' ,,', """',<~:\\.';.J.;"; a,"n,."d" '.'A- ""M'tofBry'an." ',:' rfbe á1ery,lcð, " ., ,"'v ,¡,""...~~4,< :~ill'b'~'ilield i~ the ",' ås~'embty~¡::;ThJ1ãlr '~.'- "-:.. ""'1'" '; ,,' .\.,';;,~ ."." :~t " (9~ U~ge , , t.b ~f¡" . IJ:ft~rn~!:,:,;;~ %~j ~o'èlock : ,':~nd' the l~,te~meot," ,1!;~.;, ":,,:,,,-' ,-"',' - ",' "', ":'~,~>;', ;ìåk;è':pl~~' ',in~~e.d~:~~ly:,',~~be'~~Jiìf~J ;'0:0': i~'e.~c(ílle:'ge ,:g'rori~19~8;',::~9,e,]~ft';: ""~'~~; 'LU:' t'" e'-¡:'o' f' r'~~ect, b'eing'~~,paid t;(, ~;~ II) ~, ,'.,' .t",., ". ,è eÒ~~~ ¡¡d ..~ r~s i den:£ -~ y' t bf~~?U , t'~ ~~'d~'~omcerê.öf,tbe~qll~g~e"~h~,~~,, ' .~, -.ø:; 'f' ca:::d" e'ts' .arMl'assèmblèä ;frie'li'd . l1~'~~~;~ . " ',¡"~"~"",,,'.""'R":~'~--.J ,,"," -' ,~-' ~"."",.,<"",,~.1'~~~' :¡':, ,Thè"'~em'a~,of the4i8ting\1~~lí~ '~'~~t:'è'~~p::iresiderit\Will' hie :,:t1íèi~¡fir's~',~'; .!!."", " ;,: '-". "':"'~:";-.~~,'~ "~~ "b""¡:',.:rJ..:"'-." ."d ',,' ~'he colléåeJg' roUD." s,~ ',ø","'t1~le .,on JiI" "", ,O,i"",,;~~;~'t~ J[ìb,~,beeó,pUr~os~d :t?~Bt~~~i~~ ~óll~g~ ce'n:~~tery ;f();r~ ,so~~ t~~ln~::~~Jlf. y',~s.t~:r~d~Y;,,:.froI~1' Bad, ?~c~:sS\.~.~;~:l~~~~ !g'r~ ~:-",~r ~. i ~i d .:~!.:~~~,:2~P re,I?~~~ Since~he is dè~d a~d ça:D:.~no l~.R,g~rj gÌ1id~ 'the LdeBti~iè8Óf ;th~tg~"ì 'institÙtion ,wit.~ a'mast~rha~,~:.í:}j . ,- -. """":-,1(.",,.'°,<_"1': is indeed filting .th,a.t ~hlS re~.~~.~:, ,~h.Q.ùld r~pose i~ ,th.e ;soil he ]g&~~.f ~'w"hiîe"thememoryof hisnobJ~~!!~: '.' ,'" 0 ",~,(i;'j""M;'l:K,1 ":ll:": S" -e' "'fu'~"l'" iife ' will 0 be a ' grEÙtter,}ir!~: , ' . ' , ", " :.i'~"', ,I,) :'~'pi,ratioD¡ to,,~be thou~a~q~'O,f!f~~'~~ men '~wliÒ ,::will:':b~reaf~~f'~'~~~~^ e,; , / 'h' 11" ,:; '.'~" }~ ~ollege a~..,," ,..:., ":~~ ,,~->';'i~~~ ~.¡.;. ': ""Col. 'Foster., waSB , patl ~Ø:~~i;4~~~ G\orgia, 'abòut fift.Y.fourH~~~ old', , and' bad spent', the g'r:~i:~:" er ,part Qf" hi~ Jife In' Te~.:; a~. 'H:e,¡ças ed ucate~ at Bay lo~, univ~er8ity and was formerly'inthe: _newspaper :~bûsine8~"" ~^aving ,~~~I :c8sst"ùily' cönduè'ted 'the': Limèat~~ ' '. ,-.' ' , \" .., :', <'d , New Er'afora'~IÍumber'of :"y-e~t~.',:, >He";, sèrv~d: ::::ijl~\the\ 'S~'~nt~e~{~:~': ,..: ."'- "",*".;,<, ,.';,,' "",':.'\L'~ ~g 1l t ~~:h ~ b ,~; ~ ~~~~!~, ~ e~n tb ~'!~§'~.~", ~~Ù!~$..:'>~å',n(r ~~àS"\; ~~â~~E 'hoiì~e.' in the" 'làtter .:'" ß_~,\ w~)J~.P/; ','..,' """""""'^~l('J\,¡".lr("'1"",'..,."r :pòi n t~d tc ò furriís~i ~~~r<\ ? r . :ro#i èW~ tÜre, by,' '~O\"1,':'~~B,':,'sei"'\~e~ (fO,l~J. j'ear5,':an~:.' ';~å8.'>:::T'~,'~&P,~~,~~~~d::.'l;~1~:: .'Gov~"Hógg.:~ ,L&te~.;:~bê~ ~~Re Cop?,~: .' ' ' , '. ;1 . ... ,'l " ",' .<", """', "'.'1 rmis'šion law,~å~"~l:~Dactèd'I~~~'¥;:~\~'~,; ;",'..,.., ;, <"'.~":;;'<^"';'<~"~":';¡'~'~'.'~;':'~'::"'.';;""';~~;::},,""f..~-::1~;~1!',~ ;:~ppgi~.~~".~ :ì~~~1~?,~~,::.:C?;~J~~5~~:Qi~;V:J :~þy" ~o~,~,:':;~ðg:~~ :,>,\~s ",?~~:~'l~:~JR~~r~ 'q f :,å'gri,~ 1~!11l re,";i ~~ rå ~c,e~ ';"~ ~ä,,~l~;;H:8~1 :an~' hiš-toÎ'y. "~e.:w~.8'~~for'¡;Yfou..r':<Y-~~:r~,~ ""'.>"J :"\. "";',~,,,r,; ,'-',' "l'í,t,I",.':' an e-x:.omciO'inc'mber ~óf ;')he '~~b,Q:åfd,~! ()fdi~~tors"'!of.'t~'..A,',ft~d : M'.':!~9}~'ì 1 -", ,:',~~,,:,<,;>':":"'.;"':',". ,.', "'::,'..."",;p~'.; .~~e.,":r', ',..~\,\'~','t,..~< ,:', , , ',¡,~ ,~,;>~D;.,l -' ,,~Oa':lJ!u~':ß,,'.~~, ~;by,_~ùn~~,~rp~~,~' ~ö t~ :o(ïi1t:e.;~ i !è,~i? f~; :b~, ' ": ~š'~,~! f~f,1 ~'d 'þ ~~~~~'~¡ ~ ~~.~~(,::t ~ ~~~o II e&'~',~: .~' :':;~~ ~ '~a.ßa:~::~,' h faY n ~ w:' d>n ti es' ,¡wi ~ ~lYj 'ktiowÏi ¡;:,ti§~,'å'ri:'åblernaâ 'arid 'e~i9yi~; ,,-, ,.".Jt..."",, ""'I,"'""", ,0, """""I'~~"" '¡:tb~: ~tié¿rri';~'bid .í;'~cribïld~nçêi"j: ()f)~ ,,"'-",.::"¡ô':,,~ ':""'~""-"::"-: ,;':,,",,");'>r~"'1': ¡~p~ þ~jêf: ,:<',~~tS\~sp~_~~ue_n~ CQ,}1~ê:'~~,~i 'th~~Â'~~~eDieIl~",ol ,vhe"l.nst~tu~~~}'r\ :h'~{8}B.h'ó\\~'IÍ<-tbe:;\ViSdÐm:'" of 'ilíis';:ée2 .¡..., . - ",' IS' , ;', " ,'~, , ,I ' " , .' ;,', f' ':'" ~..-. ,\; ,.t~ti~'~..\,:j~ ';Wâ8~,.':,riHin/' o(:haigìh I ~è~]~,lj~;h'~~':~~'~n t~,~.' :gr'eat '>ê~~~, ~"""""'f."'~'."".".,,...,.~ ".' . ""¡""" :ti~e"~Lili tv .an d: indomitable tefiel~" ,~,"""'L':"i:"""""i';' '.. ',) '"'i';l,, '::gy~ ,,",:'A.~ ,íth:e )!!ri~~sor,'\ofth~:t:~:~,~\ :,~F6~¡t~~ ~~.~s':,9~"~,~-~~~" a~d ,dir~~.~~~ ::,the ,~':'cont}D,U-~a~!",q~ulld~ng ~.~ g(:,~~,lj:Et ' """'""""y'""ì," ,<.' , '\1"r,..~';¡""","'¡,;¡¡ I \Ä.and:11I.¡~91lege -¡tn': a rl~ar;\n~':i'(ná;t' , " ' ' . <, ;", " , , '",' , il8ib~hly ~,râtifying tò ,the,. f~i:en1s r<>f the '.cò~lege thrOU'gQou~. the state. \,~, " " ,'" : ' ,1' ',. ' ., ':;:', ,'Tfbe 'i~u4!n~ràl ':;'O~ ' "Fu~~day :::aft~~~: ,I ", ' "1,, .. " '{ ",;' ";", t_", '(}'80n'~;&S 'l~rgel.y.:-&ttendëd. :'Ä. f~)~ ,:,!~0rt~f ~~e,,:,: (~]j1er~1' là giyeó*, '-~;n':: r",..7":'-';"-' . ....n..""",...-:""",-.....::;-¿", -"',:. ari&òf¡herh1agè /", ,...:,101'. ':"'..::<' "~--"""Þ"'" ,_.~,....,.,.."-'"- "'""-"""" ro' . ¡ò '<-.,..~ UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas -' III'" (continued) ARCHIVES Biography Foster, L. L. " Bryan Dailx Eagle 2/12/67 oster , .' . . ,; . ';..' :.', ,'. ."f..--:.{', By TOMMY De ~ANK I' . ... Hurt - sa ý:S~- he belie vestha t 'official. II e was ~amed Speak - was the only president b, ¿;{~ Eagle Staff .Wrlter ,'i-any member of the college er of th~ Tex~§ House of Rep.. on tbe campus. ',:' ',j¡,~. ~ The fourth preSI?ent of Te~1 ~acu~ty or staff could. be bur-resentatlve.s in 1,884 after only ,. ," . ",\: ':, as A&M UnIVersIty rests In; led In ~hecemeterY' if he re- ~ne' term In the Legislature." ,The other graves In th~ .,c,ql- ~he shadow of a sprawling oak! quest~d~ 'but the option, if still G' ,L ".' " 'S, 111 ~ege cemetery are those'pf.'J,O-: In a. desterted cemetery we,st :permISSIble, hasn't been used:a oy. t ~~~nce C u v~n . Ross seph A.. Riggs, aherds~~"'iri I of the colleg~ he helped nudge In 25 years.. . : fPoin e . 1m . omnllsslon~r the AnImal' Husbandry,' ~ ~.~, , toward prOmInence at the turn, The la~t person burled there ~ 1tlnsura~cea~d, later, Agrl- partment g~red to deathbt~ â of the century. was the Infant son of Mr. ,and" u ure o~ssioner. ~hen bull, and hIS wife Sarah. ;thé Lafayette Lumpkin Foster~ Mrs. C. G. White. The. child, 'Ross left the. governorship' to infa~t 'child of .Charles'":~Í1d educator, Speaker of the Texa~ whose' father worked In ti1e~ecome pre~ldent of ~&M, LottIe ~lvord buried in 1908; House member of three state student activities office, diedF o~. Jam~ ~gg reappomt~d Allison Smoot, who died "hi . commissions newspaper Pub- in January, 1942. , 't os te,hr anf' t Ter, namRedil hIm¡1909; Capt.C. o. Watkins, ,'he'âa , Th f" t t b b .ed 0 e Irs exas a road f th 11 ,. . . --. lisher, 0 r d a i n e d minister: e Irs oe' url was Commission , ' 0 e co ege s Jél~ltorlal force. friend of governors-remains probably Foster, although , . .J,. . for over 30 'years, and' hig a forgotten man in death. ,there are no records to ,indi- He took charge of -~exas daughter Ruth, both' of whom : . When he died in,. l~Ol", th~ cate when the burial ground A&M on . July 1,: 1898, \, and died. ~thin .24 ~ours, of . the I governor attended serVIces and: was developed. serv~ untIl Dec. 2, 19q1, when o!her ,In ~940, RaIney 'a~d ~~-; I state - offices in Austin were Foster, who came to Texas I he dIed from pen~onla at the V1d Benson, and the White 'In..' ! closed in 'tribute to. a revered¡ from Georgia. when, ,he was St. George Hotel In Dallas. ~e I tanto . . '...~' . .:~':,~?] and dedicated publIc servant.! 18, was presIdent of Texas '. Today, Fost~r's only visitors! ~&M from 1898..1901, but. dur-' àre college maintenance' men, ì Ing that short span he brought who dutifully inspect the tinyt about several_a_~Y~~:,~s_~.n_-~~~-1 burial plqt weekly.1:1college's 'physical plant and J His grave--and those of nine curriculum. , otl~r persons connected with He ,established the' branch the colleg~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 old State. ~ighway 6. . New facilities during FQs- It . IS the offIcIal college ter's presidency included a new burYl:r:g ground: The plot once power pl~nt; the first sewage o~c~pIed the sIte of' Duncan disposal plant; Foster Hall, a ?mIng Hall but .was- ,moved t large and fairly luxurious! Its pr~sent locatIon when con . dorm, and the, old agriculture I structIqn ?n Dunca.n and th building, the first large build- acomp9nYIng do~mItory' com'"! ing at the college solely devot.. pl~x ~as begun In 1938., ~ ed to scientific agriculture. i UntIl two years ago, th . cemetery was in shabby shape. Before .comIng to ~&M Fos- Tombstones had toppled, the ter compIled. an envIable' re?. : ground had caved in and the' ord as a legIslator and publIc - , entire plot was overgrown ------- --- -- ..----- wi th weeds. : 'C 0 II e g e Archivist Ernest' ¡ Langford alerted physical plant ! officials, who filled in the cave-ins, made necessary re- I pairs and planted some crepe : myrtle to help spruce up the ,otherwise drab plot. 0 The ce~etery is now check- ; ed each Thursday, according ¡ to B. C. Hurt, assistant super.., I intendent of landscape main- ¡ I tenance for the college. ~ UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas , . RESOLUTIO~S OF. RESPECT. P~S~:d'2~'-:thC ~acult)' ó"n the De:llh ~ of . Col. L. L. Foster. " '. .c,~.. '!.r.'.I/<}.,\_}~t.c¡r. Jtrc..,~iI4,"ut of '.'~ ~~rk lllw ra I a 1 HJ \1 ':..:1 r;,t..t1,ÏJ;ai~ÇSTtk;fì ~Uf~~--.fl~ r }'~:~'~fšD~'.-, r~ ~i \.' ¡'to !"g-"',l)e t '1) '~.:!" r¡ t ..f h~. tIre t.(Hfl':l'-~Jf. c!t.\ath .t4) Ù, llÌ~rH'l' . - '.,-J t)Xi~tt'llet).. t-l.1t-r-lrÒ1'p he it~,' ' -l'~ t I ~ u 1 \' e d " ' r hat' t 11 t ~ . l;'o Ill.» ~~) ,- ." H n d " . - -' ., '" ".,' state-, 1í\l~\:-t"~'- ~U:rei.l\d an irrpl)£1ra}~lt~, - - -~_...:.~----_.- .-----.. -,-- -,- lo~~, .ina~u}l¡(.~Ii-:i~----rï't~ It,~llt -t.l1p full " - .' ...' , ' l~U'\~_t'r (_~!hL~- -carrf¡.1~t. 1\1.lturt_) .t(). -t h,-, ---- '. , d ; ~ \ - (, I u p n if: 11 t () f . t" () 11 ~ go e \ \ . ú r l ~. -+t-hTt- . ,- -. . - .. '. '\" I~' :tlì ardt>ut ad\"ueate of illdll~tI'ihL- e(lll(,~l t î<.)I1" \ Dis'tiu;:l1i~hecUll eotll1l'il~ Of stat'.:.' . , h~ brollg-ht H. ya,ried ,lntl r1p(' f'xpvri- e n eAt 0 11 i ~ 11 t-' \ V P u :' i t' i.() J r a ~ e u ] 1. ' ~ f' . " prf~si.¿lent~ Hnd ,~li'S \vurl~ iJl ì)rf)JJ1nf ~li'~:- the' l11atf!rjal dc\-elopnH:llt òJ the en.I- I t) 1! e . \V i II 1 i \. fj . a s a 1 tUJ Íl U 111 e 11 t. t u 11 i :-\ , , l11eI110r,. . ~ . I~isill~ lluaid('d fro}]1 tht' I1Utnbl('r , . ,val k ~ 0 f. 1 i f e t <.) tile . ~ t1 (' e c ~'~ Ï\"' f) ~. 1> t) ~.d : , ,.-.- .tl(}no; l)~i~~}-f, (.(rtÌ-rmis~in~ - . . ,'~ ' . . " .. ¿lg-rieuI turp"railruad (,OI1}lui~="iuller iLl H I n Î 1 a1 I ~. roll f - g (\ l' r f' ~ i d . ~ 11 t, "1 H! i n - ~pirl.d tIlt, ~..C)llng- 1J'1QJ1' of .our. e(dltìg'(- 'and :-,tat,. \\.tt!1 hi.~lH~'r'!'.flil11S, and ('II-' . . . I Cull r a ~ to' d t t J t' ~ 11 tug- r l' It t t1 r a <.: !l i (, \' l'- '-. ",. J n t, n t ~ . ..' , '. ',' }'aithfulnf\~s to dl1t\8 'v:~~ not nul\" . ..- ---'" . ~ It is I) U r~~!-' in ,1 i r l', ü11t--,-"!~ro 111 ] 0 11 g- . - l)ra.cli(~.)" he('(l1nn Recond . nature. \\~ise and cautious ill cqu(1(~il, he ,vas al \\'a vs it itab l(~. a.ùd k i ud, find 'Ye . . . (' h...ri~11 h i~ 11lelJ1ur\" :If' thut:oi.:l trttÙ . ' - . ,. , .' . .. - '...' and trll~t#.d frj"'Ild.' , \ \,. . . d t "'1 d ~.. ~ y 11) !) a t It i z (~ "" j t h t I H' h."rf::L\"1'd fatl1il~', upon \\"110J11 he l(l"- ishe-d th.. loy'(. HnlllslJalld and fatll(tr~ -'-'--- -- ,;!.!l!..l.tlJf..n t-rn '\\- t rr'r---11'l;"-,crc:t l t i \' f)~ . a 11 (r f r ¡ f .. t )( t"-\ 0 \" '. I r 11 i ~ 11 11 t i 111 t~ 1 ~ 8 r f" J 11 ~ ) \" a 1 f J' t) n 1 It j s ~ pI) C' r (~ ., f 11.~ í~ f (II n () s s ~ . -"~r J t ~~'-I..'.~o J u ti r)n~c'~-s tJ:1 tl'~ tJr:-~l\rl'!'{Ú r UpOIl 4.",lr l}}jJ}l.lt_fJ~. and n- I1ag't;.~(.t a ~ i d.:. i 11 J 11 .' 1 J\ () r~" n r J~ i ,11 d I ~r a f r.. e t i f) fl . I' '" for Ii j f!l,I,.f\ C~)V.y-(~t.JjJ(1 resuluLioll:-\ ~fl;dl.1bf' traf1'~1J)itt,.\d to his falnil\" , . \v i t. t. t 1, Ie 11~~ t1 r.u.llCŒ~ t.11~¡f-=J..i~~ttt~'t-t-i"T"~;'" - - - ,0-. . - \\' ¡ 11 a 1 JÍ d . ~ \ r if} J 11 ~ a J \\":1 Y ~ I UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas IN MEMORIAM By DR. T. C. BI1CTLE, PROFRS80R OF'LANGUAGES TIlE Inoral legacJ' ,,~hieh a nIan leaves be- ndvo(;acy (jf principle~. jn hind hÜn \\~heTh he dies is the measure of \vhieh h>~ had .been tralne~l, ".hat he ".as "forth to the world. Such a Rll,d \VhlCh broaden and fit lort-IDle is neyer in the form of hoarded stocks, t.henlS~lYCB to every era. and bonds, and treasures "rhich nlust be ~ivided out pos~ of ad vanp.c, hrcug1d ),11'. }'oster i ntn I'H bl i e after his d(,ll1Ï~ by process of la,," or ".]11. There ~lotH"'e, and at the age of 30 he v;a:::~ cleeted to the Beems to be, as implied in the fRJllOUS utterance f;tate J--,cgi~lature ironl LÎIne:;toue Count). Hp of a. contemporary .millionaire, solllething incon- ~ervec1 that. anc1a.djoining countjcs at .A.ustin clul'-. sistent i:,) a. ll1an's having to leav~ the ,vorld ,yhilst rn&.the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth his ,realtll is yet in va\11ts or ba:ns.' Th(:', fact is, se~slons. Those ,vere stirring days for 'rexaç:, such ,realth is only a 'representative of vlhat tIle Capital from ,abroad 'va$ venturing" Jlither; r-ail-- man holding it could have done and ought to ha.ve roads ,v"ere pusning their interests, 8ometime;~ to done in his enrvironment. Soule enterprise of the disadvantage, or rather at the expense, of moral or social yalue advanced by him to a point State affairs; speculation 'ViaE; rife, and oüt~idc ironl ,vhich it becomes self-supporting find pcrmn- schenlers \\~ere lobbying the legislative halls. It nent, some tree of ethical significance planted or needed fìrlnness in the ~teersnlan and united hOll- ,vatered, whose roots strike deep in the ~oil of hu- est action in his hPlpers to avoid ruin. .A.m_ou.g '~)a.nity's wants, and froIlI ,vhich distant gene~- the conservatjve men of that day Colonel 1~c5ter tions may gather no-urjshing fruit,-such fin in.- \\ras pronlinently busy. Governor Ross, with his vestment of ,,'"ealth is noble, manly. accu~ae'y t)f juc1gn1ent., saw this and called C01one] Back of the campus on a little rise, no,," set Foster at onee to the Cvlll,lJ.1ÎssiollershÍrJ of hi~tory, a pa"rt 38 thE: College .cem et ery, we deposited tll e ~t:a tis!i c~, a 11f~ agri ct11t~re. Durin g tlw ;3? min. other "eek the remalll5 of a man ".hose 'r'e~lth lstratloHS of I\ossand I-l0g,g~. remnrkùhly dlfferent consist€d Dot in ,vhat he accumulated but in "\'rhat in many features, CpJonelIf\).::ter kept thi~ posi- he has done for his fellow men. rrhe Co'llege is tion and served his State '~ith honor. It wag again bereayed in the loss of its president. \vhilst acting as Comnlissioner of Statistics and Co1. L. L. Foster, late President of the A. and Agriculture that Colonel F-oster was brought ex 2\1. ColleO"€ ,rag born jn 1851, at Cumming, Ga. officio into touch ,,'"ith the ~~gricultural and l\Ic- The ".rit~r' kno"rs olJlv enough 9.f hj~s early life tochanical College. Nor C8.1!l "we deeD1 it ]~ð than perceive tllat he ".as lãrgely dependent on his own providential that during tbi~ time he ,va~ in 'close exertions~ a condition "rhich is never unfayoTah]e touch with the rn,an; Govel.nor Ross, 'YllO: ,vas to "hen backed by 'in~ustri?U~ precede hinl by e~ght years in the presidency of: habits and Dloral Int€grlty. the College. , - The ~o-cal1ed X ew South has In the interinll 1fJ-et,veen his service a~ Co:mmis- been bu ilt . of material -to?gh-t sioner of ..:\.gricul tl1LTe and his call to the ¡\. and ~1. ene~ in such i'uIToundmgs. College, ColonellFoster acted a;¡.. Railroa~ Co~- When a youth of 18 years tnissioner and as railroad lllanager. "e have Foster canle to Texas, a soil -never heard of a Fi:][lgle instance in ,v11 ¡ell personal ,,~hich has proven ,vonderfully col1lsideratiÛl1s led hinl to deviate froHl rectitud~ healthful for the transplant- and honest adn)Ïniir,tration. Neither \vas he the jng of the vigorous s11,oo1.s left lnan to allo,," aÍ1Y TneaSnrt-.'\'~' pass through his 'by the Civil ,Var. 'fork, hands or receive his indorgement \\rjtlJout per80nal steady ,,'"ark, in and for the ('ritjci~n1. lIe eyirTently felt the fulJ responsibility developn1ent of that soil, ha~ of anT office H:3signeù hÏJn~ and no ~nperior' nor 31v\~ays characterized the TIlan ~uborclil1ate could do the 'work \"hjch he \YfiS COJn- for 'VhûlTI \\.e 111ourn to-day. îni:-::sioned to do. ~aho!', whi,ch ~~e t~~ug~~ wail C pOll t h(' un t i m-cl y demise of P re8ident Ross, YIeldIng h]~l a lIvIng, ,rag t'in]nnel Fof:ter "~rn~ not H candidate to sHc~eed reaDy ]nakJng the charac~.er JdI1l. 'fh is Hpeaks. in itælf fur the Jllan. rfhe \ve kne\v. In innte .cotton field, place called him; l~.e did not apply for the plø.ce; handling the tro\vel, taking and 'rlicn~ over agminst n nHlltitndc of enndidates, the college course for ,vhich theho:1rd of direej ors announced t heirseleetion, he prepared hbl1self and in the friends of the etollege seconded it nnnninlously. ,,~hich he maintaÜled hi.n:.self Fe\, of those people lrho are eV€ll no"," propos- by .hi~ OW]) exerti?HS, he. \\.as ing theUj8e]yeS or their candidates :for t~1e {)ffi~e the smue earnest, ?ndustrlous¡ of pf'esident of thfë~ College kno\\'" what hn1ber It honèst v,'orker. 'Vlth the year requires. It does ][lot follo\v th'at because H n1an 1876 Colonel .Foster'.~ public has n1ade a t1'usty- legislator or an exccllent 801- career began. }'or four year~ dier, or an efficient sl1perintend<;llt of public he edited (1. l)l~nlocr8tjp papëI' t"chools, or an jntelligent c){tSSroOIll instructor,. he pnh1i:-,hccl at Groesbeck, the ".ould lnakc the best col1ege president. {}overnbr ljifìlC~~oJle X L'\1. }~l'Ü. ]-lis firTH \ I:(.~:: ,1í(11)I)t till thv ,\. H~!,j .\1. prp:,iJ'~\ntiall'hair :50 v,'c]] because he had been g(J~:ernor, buj- hccHnse~ \\~hprc'. e1' YOl1 put hÏIn, he \\ a -: ] J. S. I~ OS.~. The :-J{1]Il¡A C<ll1 be ~aid of Co]oDê.l Fo~~rer. 'rhis, 1)0\\~- t'Vt~r~ by the \\~a.y. . .\ fter all, the Dlost iUlp()rbult ff~8turc in a col- lege prccic1enf's duty j~ the influcllce he exert~ npoll the youth in hi~ char~:c. Cülü11el }"osoier \Và~ the boY~;~ friend. lIe ""n:, e\'€ r 0]) the a lert to obtajn 'f01 theta f.1\"nr~;. all<.l Yc(l~ H,h~'ays ready to :~npervjse pcrson¿-l1J~ é1nd 111¿lintain their right~.. Ilis ndc1r~~:;;;~~ to t1H)}1l a:; a. body \,'ere \yjse.. tÜnel,. .. " full of ~ound ~lTl~t..- Hl111 larking in cant. J{c p1'o- lH);3t.)d 1-0 1 Í1Clll TIn inìpracticable 111easur('~ either ;ìS to rn()rnh~ or scholastic dntjps. lIe llèìtl been ;ì, ~c1 r-TI.~lj(nlt hoy h in1S(11.f ::l1d IH~ preferred treat- ing the ~tuc1ellt irOll} that :-:lal~~]poÜlt. If he erred in juc1grncnt it \va~ on the bo~"s' sic1e. Finally, and no doubt conditioning all that h.a~ be~ll saiii hi. his prnise, (~olonel Fo:;ter ,vas a ginccre (~hri~:tian, He "I:as a n.rnl believer in t he potency of the Rihle a"3 a. guide to manly life, è1nc1 seeln~ to haTc l'elied more upon it than any cle\llO111inational creed for hi::; Christian faith. ~Iayhe rest. in peace, and 111ay (40el, \vho directed hil11, see that his \rork is no! ]o~L UESOLT:TIOXS PA~SED BY THE :(f'.A.CUL'I'Y.. (io1. T.J. L. l:oster, PresÜl en ì', of the A. and M. College since June; 1898, having been called by the touch of de:lth 1.0 a higher existence; there- fore, be it r:esolvec1, that the College and the State hatve suffered an irreparable loss, inasmuch as he ga.ve' t he fulL po"Ter or his earnest nature to the develop- Jl1cnt of college ,york, and 'vas an arden:t advocate ()f the aDV¡1llCement of jndustrial education. Dif'tingul~hed in councils of State, he brought 8. varied and ripe experien.cc to his new position as College president, and hig ,vork in promoting thH~ ]naterial deyclol)1nen t. oJ the College will live as $!l, nlOnUJnenc tt) hi~ ll1CnlOl'Y. Rising unaided from ., 11 l' ~l'f ," . .t- (ne tl ure I) or '\'~ l K:i 0.1 ..1 r to (,ne Gncce.SSlve POSI IOns of J(1gi:~tJ.t.or: Cn~nnli;~itH1er of ..::\gr_icultlrre, RaiJ- v{ay Colnmissioner, and finally College president, tIe il1spi:rrd the young men or our College and :,~tate '\V1 th higlter ~imf', and encouraged them to gre~ìtei' fLchi(yements. l'aithfulnc~s to duty was J}ot only JlispUrp08C jn life-, but irOUl long p:ractice became second na- tu're. '\Tjrse and c¿\ utious in council, he was nl- ,vays affable and kind) and ,ve shall cherish his melnOf)' as that of a true and steaùfaat friend.. \'t è de€ply fympa.t.h~ize with the bereaved family, upon ",horn he lavî~hed the lpve 01 husband and father ~ and 1110Urn with his-:. relatives and friends WeT his untjmely re.~ovà1. fromi his sphere of useful- ness. These resolutions snaIl be f:pread upon our D1inutes, and a. page set aside jn meJTIory _of ]jnd1y affection., for him. A' eopy of the resolution shan 'be tran~(llitted to his .fa.mily, \,~jth an a~surance that his Illenl01'Y ~ha]] abide \vith us :.11\vays. If. II. H.AnnrNGTON, CH AS. PUR1~E~-\ R;, T. C. BIT'YLP., Cüu1Jnittee. I desire to express t~rough the columns of your paper thJ: sincere appreciation nlY mother, sister and brother:; feel towards all our friends tor the sympathies expressed and courtesies e:;tended us during our late bereavement. Sincerely,. EDNA. EARL FOSTER. >Ç' -'- .. "l\Ian js an. intellectual being, a~d any kind of Jabor, on the farll1 or elsewhere, that retards intellectual gro"",ih, and is an obstacle in the way of the development of 'his higher faculti;~'s, wilf ~ooner or Jater drive him away from it to some caning ",hieh' affords thi mind equal opportunity for developnlent with the body. "'There must be--there is-a wider range. o~ l11èntal effort open to man than that suggested by the confines of professional life, ~nc1 the key to it ,viII be found in industrial education. "There never was a time in the history of the ...t\.gri cuI tura 1 and Mechanical Col1ege ,vhen it could not havç been i~proved and lllade more serviceable to the. people, nor ,vil1 there. eve~ come such a time until growth and advan~ement shall cease to be the law of life." - . .. \ L. . L. .It'o~l'ER.:. L UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES ; Texas A&M University College Station, Texas ; .. -'~._--------,,~, By.. , ,"~,:"~(j,.'.;ta,~, ,~,".~\4,Q~r.4.,' , ,IY~,~,em, , Bo" ' ~, 'r, d,,' :'~'.' ~ ~"i:-~,(r.,r ,.:"~~,"; . t ",..,~..,(,M,~ '~'~"I~I.J ,"1"" ",~ ',,' ,:~"~'~',,' ~ ":, ,~'.,.' .:'t'~'~,""-','., r,~ ~:"~~ '.,:~".~,;~ C,t',',' ,";~J.,~';<,.~.:', ,- '," ".L.' '. / '~'\.,.".' ' ",,{: 'J<, I; 'II ~;("., ',':If: ',~"'t. " . ,.~1.-E" -~.~, J:~,"~" I . ' , " :" , , -,", """,,'~t )"~~~,....".,,, , ,(" ":..".....~,...".~......" ""," - ~O'\':";~S.""J,~~,~3;~~~k~,;t!, ,':'~,', "al..o,1...:~ ..ft i~' wn)f:~:.' '~;fØ¿,"~IT, ' , :L, "", 'a"".,.kn',';~Á+','~',.5,:"}"~~, .k' I ,I/Çf.- ,,'J;'.ó,., , , , ~Jr ..l " ":.,, ,.I-,;-",¡jIi_P4'" fAt ~ " B "~I":?/!v/f,}x"L""":' '9' 9 o"~"~;>"':-1J~"':!.':~'%;';"~Ü:~h~~?" d' ; , ' , U '.,,~<'~",~n; , '0" 0 ',:,..",~ ~l'az;e . ~l \ \, ~':~ -!. '~.~'~':"'.~, " " ; 9,',::" ~~'~~,~1:~;, ,', Foster Hall;'-' a' 'fk~ili¡r~'- land-' pl1ysicaJ ne~:~~"~'~t~~li~fiJi~~ng an'¡W~ti~n to 'whatever';,'duties 'he as- ¡ l11ark and or~~.o~ the oldest build-. growipg institution. "'He was a'fs~fd..,.." " 'v, ~:~o~;J~h~à~ ,,\~M Campus, will be Ïi~hn~:~~t ~~ s~t~~~~~~~d~fgth:~U;~= :~¥mifit:n;S~is~~~~~nin w~~c:~:~~: The hand-made brick building~ ,as Agricultural Ex.periment. Sta- 1901. lIe 'was buried in the old since its'éoi1~rú:ction iff 1899 at: \,~ion in the Blain geo~raphic are.as College Cc)netery, located in '\-vhat a cost of "-$2ft,OOO, "\-V'aS' named' ind<?£ ~exas and the'~-"flrst sumlner' then w~s a sheep pasture on the honor of one of'A&M's early presi:..sesslon was held, June. 18-~une ~8, south sIde of the can1pus, \vhere.., dents, L. -L.-¡Foster~'. *<:Thoug~' "he ,1900. f!o\vever, no othe,:, ' 811m-., :D~nc~n,' ~all .n<?~ stands. spent the early PB:~,,~f.'-~h~s~~r~~r m~~' ses~lol~S '\-vere helq!:u:p.tll,}9~9<. !,:' ~Wlì~~'" the~lte w:as ,clea~,~d. to : as a fal'111er and br!ck..ma$on, 'PJ:e~-. The l~,crea~e. of a~tendapce,,~u~-¡ ,~ake "Way fO,1 J?u!1.~~P' HaJ~j~:;PI~S- jdent Foster later 'galned recognI- Ing the. admlnIstratl<?~' of ,;F.resI-' ~dent Foster s ,re~alns ,w~re 1 e- tion as a newrspaper publisher and dent (La\vr~nce, SullIvan) R~ss," Interl~è~, ~n. colleg:~ ,p:"opefty'west ~ po1itjean. c" : " .,~,,-' ',' ,an ~a~'ly hlstOl:Y. recounts" em- of,t!Ie,':'rfl-~r~a9,\,-'.~~'Col1ege Foster, \\Tho came to Texas '-from ,phasl~ed a co~1dltIon more or less StatIon. ' ,~~:~~~, :"~:~,,"'. -~ ' his native Ge<;>rgia shortJy a,tt(!r~.clhrkonlcf db:fo.1te and aftdert-:- th~ ' Building "Col\èiemri.ed~. Civil 'Varestablished' the> ,Liníe,~t"':' ac 0 011111 ory accomo a Ions. . , J' . 'A-C! Foster Hall, conden1ned as a stone N ~w Era at Groesbe~k~r-~W:- Ga ve ,N e~e~, Rooms dorn1Ïtor n1any years ago more t~'J: s~~v,mg money earned 0 ~ð"'a Foster Hall: erected the year af- recently Yhas been used fo~ stor- ! ~;~J~~.'l ca)H) mason, he had 3;.~ft~;: e? ter Foster becalne. president, . and age. The. buildiI?-g has been grad- ; - 0 ege. ,'later nan1ed for hIm, was aImed ually fallIng apaJ:,t, and the board, I-Ie ~ras elected to. represent Mc-=at alleviating this situation. of directors recently authorized'. I:enna.n, FaJIs and Llmesto~e coun- The Foster adn1inistration also the college to take, bids for de-' tJes In the Texas LegIslature, saVt7 construction of an agriculture molishing it, after hearing, it: re- \vhere he served as sp'e~~er of the building, '~.hiç4 later becalne known port that repairs arid upkeepwere'c; House of Re~presenta.tIyes,.; - a!ld as Science.1HilI;.;~tld a se,vage dis- making it too costly...to maÍl~t:âin.,' ]~~r :,ras .al~p~n1ted stat~ ~o:mm~s- posal plarit;<~~h -in 1900, and &: ..0,11ly thr~e .B;qpdiilgs erected~Q~... EJOnel of Ins.u1 ance, 3tatIStJCS, hl.S- power plant III 1901. 'the ,A&McawPus.I:before Foster~ tory and ag]:1e~1Iture. He was rall- HPresident Foster," according Hall remain. T~They are' Pfeuffe~i road. COn111llSSl0ner -.. 'when . elected to the college history, "was a man Hal], erected in 1887, Austin' HaIl, presIdent of A&M College In 1898. of lofty personal character, ex- built in 1888, and. Ross Hall, which, President 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. ¡ -.AlIfI 3M ,-" - 0 . - . . 3M 3M --.-._-.~ 0_,_- .-..- H' .' - ,- ._.. , :,SPECIAL SUBJECTS THE'yBATTAL ION ':"/,i;\);-: \ :,:~i'-(ø';' NOVEMBER 26, 1984 , """:'f'?:~tf{~t::' 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. . "~fy kids think I'm nuts," Simons said. ' Simons has identified 78 cemete- ries in the area. "\\rhen \ve started, I figured \ve rnight find a little more than 30 ce- nleteries 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. Outside 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- I 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 rhen1 in a solid fence that resist, cattlt and the intrusion of others. ' "In ~d}' CCll1eteries, particularly the rural (jIles, YOU have the individuals \vÌ1o feel it is a good thing to steal or te~r-up J. I11arker...or simply to de- stroy the cenletery," Simons said. "'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 .. vea rs. ' , ' In ¡he Big Event two years ago, t ex as ,\~,.: \1 students equipped \vlth ;Ü'.Z'~~. ;llov/ers and other tools got to- ,_t.'U:c:' nei clcJ.ned seven cemete- :ie~. ; .,~S[ ',ear. about 500 A&~f stu- ,¡;~:: ',5 he! peri gather inforn1ation ,n;:;1 h'~ u:rnbstones and listed five ,'~,q'1¡-'t.O1'~""Ì ;n Brazos County he '_.._.1,'-._1..., l I' '<UtI. "\\-t' took 200 of those students into tile ßryan City Cemetery, and we listed Inore than 6,000 graves there," Simons said. "It's interesting Inaking out the indexes of the ceme- '-- tenes. "You often see patterns of deaths ,h~1t ,')ccurred in families and in a ,..,r;,-:,j'11- r;"lle perl.od You ml'ght "~ ,', ,.,.t. ',i' , . UN IVERSITY ARCH IVES Texas A&M Uni\-rersity '. .':'~,~.~......"':~;¡'7;.';M- CO lIege Station. r-rP,X:::1R Local'man finds, , '~. ';.,c,~,. ".,.",.", mapscemeterie: i n Brazos Cou n ~ . . " , " go 10 years"without seeing 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 the lack of doctors and the lack of being able to go to the doctor." . ,- Once the cemeteries are discov- ered, they are protected only through community effort or activ- ity. Otherwise, subsequent'lan40wn- ers or owners can èome 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 ext;mpt as an inducement for people, 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 bÜncan, the ceme- tery was moved to the sou~þwest cor- ner of can1 pus close to ~here the Treehouse Apartments are located. Nine bodies are buried there, in- cluding a former presideI'lt òf A&M, he said. ' rvlost of the community sites Si- mons has relocated date from' the 18605 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 I said. HI \vould mark them off, then go out and physically.find them." , ' Since 1903, it has been a require- Inent for all deaths to be 'reported to the state Health Bureau Department of V ital 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 ...--,.'--,. - , " ',' , , ',the local courthouse and. then re- . ' I ported the death to the state depart:' ,! ,,'ment., Simons said in most cases this ",'procedure is followed, but at times - :,~uneral homes get the wrong infor- , 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," ne said. "It has five decipherable~ gràve site~. Off. to the side there are seven other'; graves that 'only' hàve stones... we'll never know who is buried in the~e loca- , , , tions. ", ' , , .. .,': Awareness of the problem genea; logi,sis' fà;ce ~r what a person ~ryin~ to 'trace 'hisroòts may 'encòünter is' prècisely why 'Simon's is so deeply in~ vo~yedinhišhobby.:,' '~",¡ ::'~: " ,~ ,,~,- , 'Picturesòf all, the cemeteries with -.: " .. . -- .._~- -,. ",:',1 '...,:; - ", -'--'- ." . ;"~eii ':: 19Cati~q.$ . are-' post~d on the , ~aJ!s of., ~e ~B.ryan Publiè' Library , ',..~klI~g~;pe,?ple . If~hey know, of any, ~t~er 'cemet~nes 1~ Brazos. County , ~hat ar~ not hsted, SImons saId.' i " jJ Simons plans to have a'permanent . collection of the ,cemeteries, their . listings and, their ~ocations' mapped , out for Brazos County. . , , He will supply the, Sterling C. Evans Library ~nd the Bryan Public Library with' his i~(QI:II:1ation upon . c~m pl~p°l!. of thè pròjeOt, he said. ',~ ..' > '-,': :',~~.~ '.~r-c -~l. ,~. il..: ' ',-- -.!'y': ... ,. ',:'; " " ,"W ~ :,' hopeÈ' tQ' ,be finished within th~ nêxt a.two yeárs and offer some- , thIng for the next generations who want to" traçe their roots" Simons .d ,- -t': -:. ' , sa!. . ~ ",') , -.. -I :::r -. en 3 OJ r-+ CD ..., -. C,) - 3 Q) '< C" CD -c ..., 0 r-+ CD 0 r+ CD C. C" '< (j 0 "C '< ..., -. ao. :::r ,-+ - Q) ~ ,.-... -i -. ,-+ - Ct) ~ '" ,.- '-- . en . () 0 0- Ct) . .......... , ' , . 'Sp'~CIALSUBJECTS '~',,".THE BATTALION'" ," , . <ii,'iirf ,'"", " .,::.¿;~Jt.:...:,' MARCH 28, '1985 . '.. ' :;:~f,:{.i , , ' , ~ , """", " , , -.. .. : ~:. ~,:: ' "w" . .' :.'::- /"," ,.: .',:;- , '<. ,:,,' . ',;:..- Ten rest in A&M's . . 9 host, ,9 raveyar By LESLŒ MALONE l~~~~~n~ 98f. A&M College from , Repo.rter 'Also in thè archives '~as a repórt ~ , A Texas A&M, employee ceme- from the last 9 ffic ial visit made to ' tery? As unusual as it sounds,' that's thecemeteryJ in 1954: D.B. Cofer, what the cemetery now located on the college ,archivist '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 òn 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 so~th of R.~~ 'Station and ~ne'-e_ighth : horses in a pasture, the temetery mdes or so west of old HIghway 6: goes unnoticed by.passers~y. Graveyard; ~eglected; ten graves' Don Simons, asSistant director for marked now'Wlth ten stones; no re- Ad Educational Television' at cord shown 'of' the grave of Dr. KAM,U, 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 ~o the present location fr?m han." . ,- - "," '. . the site that is now Duncan DinIng, Of the records that fÇ>llowed, 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 ce.metery. .' ~ ' ',,' . U~llverslty-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. iIy, . Hal Mo~eley,' ,to m~ve the re- Riggs, a janitor at the ExperImental maIns of Foster. A-letter to George. Stauon. Building; All~son Smoot, Smith,., chairman of the objectives head mIlkman at the daIry barn dur- commIttee,. Moseley complaIned of irig ,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 larKest Madstone 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&IVI UI1.i,/crsity College Station, Texas ',...' , .., \ ' cem~tery committee) and 'alumni" working toget~er, a suitable ,p!ot'. could be provided for and cared for." .: ~"~t I , ,.;tii.;,r~'-r~ The search for the relátives" . proved ,un~!1ccessful ~nd ~~e pr()P<i~~:; . z 0 r-+ CJ (1) . . --f ::r -. en '" .' '1,-:HU'.. sal was to go before the obj~pqÿ~s:, ,', committee in August of 1955:tÞ~~~-, \ was no further information ótfJhe'~ subject in the arch~ves.. N ei~hé~~Si~ ~on~ ,or any ,of. the UnlVerSltYl9ff1~ ' aals InJ~e ar<:hlves know why qQtb~ , , ~ "'-" " L ¡fig became of it. . ... .. ~.: "'rr~ : The c~metery now has oJ}Iý}p~è' markers left, some of which arè.'fàll- ing apart. It is, however, pån'-'òr A&M's history and will probably,re- main in this location permanently., ,.. .... 3 Q) r-+ (1) 80lIl( -. OJ - 3 Q) '< C" CD '"C .., 0 r-+ CD (,j r+ eo C- O" '< 0 0 -C '< 80lIl( -. O"t\ ::r ,.... - Q) ~ ......... -i -. ,.... - CD ~ ~ C . en . () 0 C- eo . ......... UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Texas A&M University College Station, Texas . , . '. " . .'"