Ken Bridges/Contributing writer
The University of Texas has been in operation for nearly 140 years. Since that time, tens of thousands of UT graduates have enjoyed careers in all fields that have shaped both the state and the world alike. In its early years, it struggled as it had difficulty finding students, funding, or respect. It took the efforts of its first president, George T. Winston, to change the direction of UT.
George Tayloe Winston was born in North Carolina in 1852. Exceptionally bright, he entered the University of North Carolina at age 13 in 1866. The college, however, was struggling after the end of the Civil War and shut down. Instead, Winston accepted an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, attending from 1868 to 1870. Though he excelled academically, severe seasickness ended his naval career, and he left the academy. He earned a degree in literature from Cornell University in New York in 1874 and then returned to North Carolina.
The University of North Carolina had reopened by 1875, and Winston took a position as professor of Latin and German. Respected by his fellow professors, he was named secretary of the faculty. In 1891, Winston was promoted to president of the university. He understood the potential that a university could have for an impoverished state looking to rebuild its economy. He went across the state to convince residents of the university’s importance, which helped improve its reputation and enrollment. Within a few years, its income would double and enrollment would triple. By 1895, Winston had been elected president of the Association of Southern Colleges and Secondary Schools in recognition of his work.
Texas was facing similar struggles at the time. In the early days of the University of Texas, there was not a president in charge of the college. The administrative system was very loose, with professors often taking multiple administrative roles. The university was governed by a board of professors who jointly set policy and oversaw the day-to-day operations, and one professor would head this committee.
This committee then reported to the Board of Trustees, which was appointed by the governor.
This was very common among many colleges and universities at the time. But with the university growing in number of students enrolled and in importance to Texas, the professors decided that a president was needed to manage the college and to be the face of the university to the world.
Prof. George Waggener, a professor of history and English who had worked at the university since it opened in 1883, was chosen to be the interim president in 1895 while a permanent president was found. By 1896, the search had lasted a year, and trustees were no closer to finding a candidate.
In June 1896, Winston was invited to give the graduation address at the university. By this time, he had earned a great deal of respect among academics in regard to higher education. He gave a rousing address on the future of universities. The trustees were especially impressed. They had found their president. The trustees quickly offered the job to Winston, and he accepted.
Starting in the fall semester of 1896, Winston began his service as the first president of the University of Texas. While the university was growing, it had its struggles. It faced fierce competition from church-sponsored colleges across the state, most notably Baylor University, and many legislators were still skeptical about financing a state university. As a result, Winston had very little money to work with.
The university had two million acres of land at its disposal, including mineral rights from a grant dating to the Republic of Texas in the 1830s, but the land was in West Texas. Until it was discovered that a fortune in oil was under that land in the 1920s, the land did little for the university’s finances.