This summer’s Roo writing will be all about Galveston, with previews on Saturdays and a Roo Tale around Labor Day. But before we head south to the Gulf of Mexico, we’ll take a short diversion today to the east. To New York. There was a time two years ago when Dianne’s & my daughter simply
The story of Austin College is survival. The Texas landscape is littered with failed private institutions of higher education. It’s a miracle that AC is not one of them. AC is one of only two colleges (Baylor the other) who trace their origin during the antebellum period in Texas and survived continuously through Civil War
The Austin College campus dates back to 1876, when President Luckett chose Sherman, TX as the school’s new home. Sherman, however, is not the Texas birthplace of AC. The school was founded in Huntsville, TX in 1849. But really, even Huntsville is not the location where Austin College was born. Maybe Austin, TX? When the
The Parrishes are headed to Hamilton! Dianne and I have been watching you all rant and rave about it for years. Unlike many of you, we’ve not yet seen the performance. But we’ll join you soon enough. We’ll be catching the show in Austin on Sunday; thank you to Linda & Paul Parrish for this
I was 11 years old in 1981, and around that time got an invitation to the coolest birthday party. David Groff’s birthday would be held at Kyle Field, and we were all gonna play football. What do I remember about that day? The memories are increasingly vague. The field was wet, Rob Prall scored a
All AC grads have their Roo alumni “think tank” groups that get together periodically. I certainly have my own. One of them includes a fella named Pat Abernathey. Today, Pat lives in Boulder, CO where he works and raises a family. He’s also a Colorado High School coach in the sport of rugby. Back in
“Roo Ties Everywhere: Austin College and the Legend of Bonnie and Clyde.” Chapter 1: Ma Ferguson & George Butte Texas Governor Jim “Pa” Ferguson was furious. Ferguson had demanded the removal of seven University of Texas professors he found objectionable. Longhorn president Robert Vinson refused, citing academic freedom. Vinson was an Austin College Kangaroo, class
How is a Roo Tale born? It depends. Sometimes, it’s because of all y’all. One of you may write or share something relevant. Maybe you message me about it, or maybe I just happen to read about it. Then, others will add their own related story or experience. Next thing you know, whole groups of
The 1923 football season was about to kickoff at SMU, and the Mustangs had a brand new stadium on campus: the Ownby Oval. The new field was inaugurated during the first game of the year against Austin College. SMU was a member of the Southwest Conference, with lofty goals. But the Mustangs were struggling against
A north Texas college experience was a novelty for me, a south Texas guy. I came around pretty quickly though. The school I was attending at history, which I liked a lot. That history including athletics; back in the day, little Austin College had suited up against state powers such as Texas, Texas A&M, and
