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Texas State > The Graduate College > About Us > History of the Graduate College

History of the Graduate College

The Beginning
Name Changes
Presidents
Authorization by the 1935 Board of Regents
1935 Graduate Council
Administrators and Name Changes
The First Graduate Programs
The First Graduates
Organization of Texas State

The Beginning:

In 1899 the Texas Legislature authorized the formation of Southwest Texas State Normal School in San Marcos, Texas. Construction was started on April 28, 1902 on the Main Building, what we now call Old Main, and it opened its doors in September of 1903. The purpose of the school was to have a place to prepare public school teachers by offering two years of high school and one year of college.

Texas State Name Changes:

The name of the school has changed a number of times since its formation.

Southwest Texas State Normal School from 1899 - 1918
Southwest Texas State Normal College from 1918 - 1923
Southwest Texas State Teachers College from 1923 - 1959
Southwest Texas State College from 1959 - 1969
Southwest Texas State University from 1969 - 2003
Texas State University-San Marcos from 2003 - present

Presidents:

Mr. T. G. Harris (1903-1911)
Dr. C. E. Evans (1911-1942)
Dr. J. G. Flowers (1942-1964)
Dr. James H. McCrocklin (1964-1969)
Dr. Leland E. Derrick, acting (1969)
Dr. Billy Mac Jones (1969-1973)
Mr. Jerome C. Cates, interim (1973-1974)
Dr. Lee H. Smith (1974-1981)
Mr. Robert L. Hardesty (1981-1988)
Dr. Michael L. Abbott, interim (1988-1989)
Dr. Jerome H. Supple (1989-2002)

Texas State President:

Dr. Denise M. Trauth (2002-present)

Authorization of the Graduate School by the 1935 Board of Regents:

On June 15, 1935, the Board of Regents authorized the formation of a Graduate School at Southwest Texas State Teachers College. The Board of Regents in 1935 were:

Henry S. Paulus, President
Thomas H. Ball, Vice-President
Mrs. J. K. Beretta
John E. Hill
J. E. Josey
J. G. Ulmer
R. A. Stuart
J. D. Jackson
V. A. Collins
H. A. Turner, Secretary.

Dr. C. E. Evans was the president of Southwest Texas State Teachers College at this time.

1935 Graduate Council:

The Graduate Council was created to administer the Graduate School policies, and the Registrar of the College, L. H. Kidd, handled the admission of the graduate students. The first Graduate Council was:

C. E. Evans, President of the College, Chairman
A. H. Nolle, Dean of the Faculty
E. O. Wiley, Director of Teacher Training
D. F. Votaw, Secretary, Professor of Education
C. S. Smith, Professor of Biology
Gates Thomas, Professor of English
M. L. Arnold, Professor of History.

Administrators of the Graduate College and Name Changes:

Chairman of the Graduate Council:

C. E. Evans (1935-36)
Alfred H. Nolle (1936-38)
E. O. Wiley (1938-44)
Eugene O. Tanner (1944-46)

During 1947 the Registrar of the College was also given the title of Dean of Graduate Studies. The dean was also given the responsibility of chairing the Graduate Council. In 1950, the positions of the Registrar and Dean of Graduate Studies were separated. Claude Elliott stayed as the Dean of Graduate Studies, while J. Lloyd Read became the Registrar.

Dean of Graduate Studies and Chairman of the Graduate Council:

Claude Elliott (1946-59)
Leland E. Derrick (1959-71)

The Dean of Graduate Studies became known as the Dean of the Graduate School in 1966.

Dean of the Graduate School and Chairman of the Graduate Council:

Jerry F. Dawson (1971-76)
Billy J. Franklin became Acting Dean, (1976-77)
John S. Hill (1977-81)

The Graduate School became known as Graduate Studies and Research in 1981.

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and Chair of the Graduate Council:

Susan W. Wittig (1981-82)
J. Michael Willoughby (1982-1992)

The name of the Graduate Studies and Research was changed back to the Graduate School in 1992.

Dean of the Graduate School and Chair of the Graduate Council:

J. Michael Willoughby (1982-1999)

On September 1, 1999, the Graduate School name was changed to the Graduate College.

Dean of the Graduate College and Chair of the Graduate Council:

J. Michael Willoughby (1982-present)

The First Graduate Programs:

    In the late 1930's the Southwest Texas State Teachers College Graduate School began by offering a Master of Arts degree and a major in Education. This major emphasized the areas of "administration, supervision, and more effective classroom teaching." The Master of Arts was approved because of the growing demand by people from the surrounding areas and the public school systems.
    In the 1936 summer session, the first courses were offered for the Master of Arts degree. In 1938-39 majors were offered in the following fields: Education, Social Science, Science and Mathematics, and in Language and Literature within the Master of Arts degree. Students could now major in areas other than Education.
    Originally, every master's student was required to complete a thesis. In the middle of the 1940's, the thesis requirement changed. Instead of writing a thesis, a student could complete six hours of research problems courses from the departments of Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Economics, Education, English, Government, History, and Spanish.

The First Graduates:

Margaret McClung Walker received the first MA degree conferred during the commencement ceremony held in May 1937. Rosa Commander received the second MA degree conferred during the August 1937 commencement ceremony.

Organization of Texas State:

    The college changed the organization of the different divisions into "Schools" in 1966. The School of Applied Arts, the School of Liberal and Fine Arts, the School of Education, and the School of Sciences were formed. The School of Applied Arts housed the departments of Agriculture, Business Administration, Home Economics, Industrial Arts, and Journalism. The School of Education was composed of the departments of Education and Psychology, Physical Education - Men, Physical Education - Women, and Speech Correction. The School of Liberal and Fine Arts contained departments in Art, English and Philosophy, English and Sociology, Geography, Government, History, Modern Languages, Music, and Speech. The School of Science was composed of the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. The Graduate School incorporated various majors from several of these departments.
   The university has been reorganized throughout the years, and in September 1999, the academic schools along with the College of General Studies and the Graduate School were redesignated as colleges instead of schools. The designated new names were: the College of Applied Arts, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Health Professions, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science, and the Graduate College. The College of General Studies was renamed to the University College.
   The Graduate College was originally a part of the Office of the Registrar until it was separated in 1950. The Registrar's office handled admissions procedures. The Graduate College currently administers all of the admission procedures for any post-graduate course of study such as a non-degree seeking student, certification student, and a masters degree-seeking student. The Dean of the Graduate College's duties also include certifying students who have met graduation requirements for a degree.