{iS 5or*, 'Drroms frndTisiorlso The flistorv of Navnrro CoIIege Bv Dr.Tommy Stringer tuff{" Copyright1996 by NavarroCollege lsBN0-98244-090-7 Printedby DavisBrothers Publishing Co., Inc. Waco,TX ?reface Dreamsand Visionsprovides a brief accountof the SO-yearhistory of NavarroCollege. lt is basicallyarranged chronologically by the administrationsof the institution'sfour presidents.A wide varietyof sourcesprovided information and insightinto the peopleand eventsthat have contributedto the uniquehistory of Navarro.Numerous interviews, both formaland informal, *,,gavepersonal insights into the school'sdevelopment and uncoveredepisodes that were not "writtendown" anywhere. Publications such as The Growl,El Navarro, and the Corsicana Daily Sun added more information.Numerous in-house publications, brochures, and photographswere also helpfulin tellingNavarro's story. Of course,not everyevent in the College'sfifty year historyis includedin this work. But a concertedeffort has been madeto includethose episodesthat have provento be of specialsignificance in shapingthe institution.Navarro's story is a story of people,and many havebeen recognizedby nameon thesepages. Others who gave of their time, talents,and resourceswere not named.The intentionwas not to slightanyone, but time and space limitationsdid come into play. Dreamsand Visions is intendedto give the readeran understandingand appreciation of the experiencesand peoplethat madeNavarro College a "firstclass junior college," as envisionedby its founders.lt is impossibleto countthe numberof lives that NavanoCollege has touchedor to measurethe influenceit has exertedin ils fitty year history,but this work is a feebleattempt to describesome of those accounts.The experienceof researchingand compilingthis volumehas giventhe writera greaterappreciation for NavarroCollege and the many peoplewho have contributedto its success. Dr. TommyStringer HistoryInstructor NavarroCollege rtcknowledgments A projectof this naturecan be completedonly with the assistanceand cooperation of many people.lt beganwhen Dr. KennethWalker asked me to producea historyof *.frlavarroCollege as the institutionprepared to celebrateits 40th anniversary.The intormation that was gatheredat that time publicizedthe beginningsof the Collegeand the contributions of many peoplewho were involvedin its foundingand development. Over the next decade,suggestions were made to expandthe previouseffoft into a full book-lengthhistory of Navarroas part of the 50th anniversarycelebration. Many people have contributedsignificantly to this final product.Former students,faculty members, administrators,members of the Boardof Trustees,and communityleaders granted interuiews, both formal and informal,to share their recollectionsof the College'sdevelopment at its variousstages. Many sharedphotographs, documents, and personalmemorabilia that added humaninterest aspects of the life of the institution.The Registrar'sOffice and the Business Officemade available statistical data relatedto the growthand developmentof the College. McAfeeDaniel not only providedinformation based on his long associationwith the College but he also editedthe manuscript.Linda Timmerman provided editorial comments, and, along with Lisa Washburn,was instrumentalin the lay-outprocess involved in "puttingthe book together."Jeremy Pereira supplied photographs from his "collection,"and Dr. Lary Reed and Dr. Gerald Burson providedmuch suppottfor the project.Funding for publicationand distributionof the book camefrom the NavarroCollege Foundation, No doubt, there are others whom I am inadveftentlyomitting who made various contributionsto this endeavor.Although you are unnamed,you are appreciated. DreamsandWsions The ]{istory of Navilrro College A.A. Atlison,Corsicana's postmaster and chairmanof the EducationalCommittee of theCorsicana Chamber of Commerce,was among the firstin NavarroCounty to recognizethe important role which the iunior college could play in theducationalprocess. Chapter I TheDream NavarroCounty, which is locatedfifty determinationwould $erve the settlers well as miles southeastof Dallas in north central they carved out a new life for themselves: Texas, has a colot{ulhistory, dating back to building homes, raising crops, starting the beginningsoJ Texasstatehood. Stories of businesses, erecting churches, and cowboysand Indians,Texas Rangers,cotton, establishing schools as they brought railroads,oil, and chiliare all included in the civilizationto the rugged Texas frontier. rich heritageof the region. The first Texas Legislatureestablished The first Anglo residents,who came NavarroCounty in July, 1846, and named it for Texas patriotJose i Antonio Navarro. A five-membercommittee laid out a townsiteto serve as the seat of government for the newly createdcounty, and at Jose Navarro's request, called it Corsicanain honorof the islandof Corsica, the bifthplaceof his father. The town grew consistently although not MuMul+drawnl + drawn slreefstreet carcar, Beaton StreetStreet' - Corsicana. spectacularly during the next decade. Like in the 1840s,were typicalpioneers, having mostcommunities in Eastand CentralTexa$, uprootedthemselves to seek a betterlife and Corsicana enthusiastically suppofted willingto take the risksthat accompanysuch secessionand the Confederatecause during an endeavor. They were attractedto the the Civil War, sending450 of her sons to area by the rich black soil, whichwas ideal fight in GeneralLee's Rebel army. The for cotton production,and their spirit of arrival of the Houstonand Texas Central 4 Railroadin 1871 brightenedthe community's launcheda new boom for NavarroCounty. future considerablyby providinga dependable At its peak, the PowellField was yielding means of transportingpeople and goods into 315,000barrels of crudeper day, bringing and out of the city, economic prosperity and a population explosionto NavarroCounty. The future lookedextremely bright. lt was underthose dynamicconditions that the dreamof a "first classjunior college" for NavarroCounty was first discussed. The County'sresidents had long demonstratedan interestin improvingthe qualityof life throughexpanding educational opportunities.Dozens o{ one-roomschools had flourishedthroughout the County,offering fundamentalinstruction in the "ThreeR's." As transportationimproved, consolidation of many of those schoolsoccurred. By 1860 there were five good boardingschools in NavarroCounty, including one at Dresden, one at Chatfield,and the remainingthree at Corsicana.The CorsicanaFemale Institute providedinstruction for youngwomen in the social graces as well as in academic subjects. MajorHenry Bishop established a militaryschool in Corsicanaabout the time of the outbreakof the Civil War, while Mrs. J.W. Gillick operateda private academic Jose AntonioNavarro institution.Professor R.S. Roberlsoperated a femaleacademy in Corsicanawhich was The town's direction was altered notedfor its outstandingprograms in the fine dramaticallywhen in 1894workers drilling a arts, chemistry,physiology, and hygiene. water well only blocks from Corsicana'sThe Catholic Church also operated a businessdistrict struck oil. By the end of parochialschool in Corsicanain the late 19th the decade,there were 500 producingoil century. The Corsicana Public Sch.ool wells within the city limits of Corsicana,system opened in 1880, providinglocal yieldingmore than 800,000barrels of crude studentswith the opportunityto receivean per year, making Corsicanathe state'sfirst educationwithout tuition cost. commercialoil field. Corsicanabecame the The residentsof NavarroCounty also vanguardfor productiontechnology, marketing demonstrateda longstandinginterest in strategies,and diversifieduses for petroleum highereducation. The 1872 recordsof the products. Some of the industry'smost NavarroCounty Court mention a "collegeof dynamicand innovativeleaders got their first higher learning"at Dresdenin the western experiencein the Corsicanafield. part of the County. Dresden College The developmentof the SPindletoPoccupieda large,two-story building in that Field in 1901 shifted oil interest from community, In 1869, the Cumberland Corsicanato the Texas Gulf Coast,but a PresbyterianChurch established Tehuacana gusherdrilled on a ranch near Powell10 Universityjust acrossthe NavarroCorinty line miles east of Corsicanain January,1923; in LimestoneCounty to train youngmen for 5 was foundedin 1899by the CorsicanaMethodist Conference. The institution's name suggested its primary focus,namely to prepare students to transfer to SouthwesternUniversitY at Georgetown, the leadingMethodist college in the area at that time. By 1902 U.T.S.boasted a student bodY of 200, but enrollment was erratic over the next several years, and financialproblems were a constant source of Trinity University - Tehuamna concern for administrators. the Presbyterianministry and to providea In 1910trustees changed the school's wholesomeChristian environment for young name to Central Texas College. The peopleto pursuetheir studies. The school followingyear, a bulletinfrom the State btruggtedduring its tenureat Tehuacanauntil Board of Educationclassified Central Texas it moved to Waxahachiein 1902, and the Collegein a groupof institutions"doing work trustees changed its name to TrinitY. In 1942 the school moved once again, this time to San Antonio,and today it enjoysan outstanding reputation for academicexcellence. The Methodist Church acquiredthe original Tehuacana University propeftY and established WestminsterCollege, which operated at that site until the 1960s. - BloomingCentralTexasCollege,