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We would like to acknowledge the following people for thier contributions to the Traditions Handbook. This hand book is a compulation of tradition, legend, fact, and furture. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the many individuals and departments who made this publication a reality.
Dr. Dennis McCabe Sam Davis Kristy Derrington J. Louis Evans Mary Anne Foreman Dr. Chris Guthrie Dean Rusty Jergins Dr. C. Richard King Glenda Stone Donna Strohmeyer Tarleton Alumni Association Universtiy News Service University Publications Department |
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(John Tarleton)
Biography of John Tarleton
Information from an article titled “John Tarleton” written by Dr. C. Richard King for the October 1951 issue of “The Southwestern Historical Quarterly”.
John Tarleton had little formal education and found little happiness in life but a bequest in his will created two institutions of higher learning and made it possible for thousands of young people to receive an education.
There is no documentation of his birth,
but it is believed John Tarleton was born in November 1808. Orphaned at an early age, John went to live
with an aunt in
Tarleton tried to join the army, but John,
who was naturally small for his age, was advised by recruiters to grow up
before he applied again. When his aunt
heard of the boy’s attempt to join the armed forces, she offered him money for
flailing wheat stored in the barn. With
the $15 Tarleton earned from this job, he left
Making his way to
These certificates accounted for millions
of acres of land in
Among his acquisitions, was 10,000 acres
of land in
During his stay in
When she discovered her husband had
considerable land holding in addition to his mercantile store, Mary Louisa
suggested a more equitable division of property. Tarleton is reported to have refused. The marriage didn’t last long after that, and
shortly after their first anniversary, Mrs. Tarleton left for
Despite the divorce, John and Mary Louisa remained friends, and they corresponded intermittently. Tarleton kept the letters in a truck. She frequently questioned who would inherit Tarleton’s property and expressed concern that he would die in a “small uncomfortable room with no good bed to lye on.”
Tarleton returned to his lands in Erath
and Palo Pinto counties in 1880, walking from
The Indians had left his land, but they had been replaced by squatters. Tarleton paid the people for improvements they had made and had the area surveyed. Unable to sell the plots, he fenced off the ten thousand acres and began ranching. Cattle with the “TRTN” brand on the left side were shipped four hundred at a time. The price of cattle dropped, and Tarleton lost larges sums of money before he hired a lawyer and began disposing of his holdings.
Small in stature, Tarleton was considered miserly and eccentric by many, but he was strictly honest. He paid his way in full and was fair to hired hands and associates. When his clothing became worn, he repaired them himself. Tarleton walked almost everywhere he went and would often buy 10 cents worth of cheese and some crackers and lean against a building to eat. Although he owned a horse, he decided it was too expensive and did not keep it.
Resentful of the hardships during his youth and his missed opportunities for an education, Tarleton sent many of his neighbor children to school.
Tarleton hired J. Collin George to
represent him in a legal dispute among ranchers. George not only won the case, he earned the
confidence and respect of his client.
After that, the firm of George and Martin handled all of Tarleton’s legal affairs.
This association between rancher and lawyer was to play an important
role in the establishment of the
In his will, Tarleton said he had about
$85,000 which he would like to donate to a school. He first considered leaving the money for a
school in Palo Pinto and then Weatherford, but George proposed
Stephenville. Tarleton had had an
unfortunate encounter with a tax collector in Stephenville and was not pleased
with the idea of leaving his money there.
George persuaded him, however, and the bequest was left to the
struggling
Tarleton contracted typhoid fever in the
fall of 1895 and died on
(Original Building)
Marshall McIlhany 1899
William Herschell Bruce 1899-1900
Edgar Elliot Bramlette 1900-1906
Frank M. Martin 1906-1908
J.D. Sandefer 1908-1909
Elzy Dee Jennings 1909-1911
George J. Nunn 1911-1912
James Duncan Hughlett 1912-1913
James Franklin Cox 1913-1919
James Thomas Davis (dean) 1919-1945
E.J. Howell 1945-1966
William Oren Trogdon 1966-1982
Barry Baird Thompson 1982-1991
Dennis Patrick McCabe 1991-present
By Robert Wood
Student, John Tarleton Agricultural College, 1927-28
Before I cam to Tarleton I had only a vague idea of what school spirit really means. I had no definite conception of just how much a school could mean to me. But I had been here only a short while until I became a small part of the school, and the school a large part of me. Now Tarleton holds a spot in my heart that no other school will ever be able to reach. Every true Tarletonite is imbued with this spirit, which is simply and beautifully expressed in our Tarleton Creed.
I believe in Tarleton, not that there are not other schools with admirable features worthy of a student’s allegiance; but for me Tarleton is the best school on earth. I believe in her fundamental principles. I love her professors. I believe in her students, in their desire for the best and their abilities to realize it in their lives.
I believe it is my duty to support Tarleton in everything; not to be bling to her faults, but to see myself to their eradication; not to expect of my school any higher conduct than of myself as an individual, but to make my conduct conform to the highest ideals.
I believe in Tarleton’s mission, a mission in every good movement.
I believe the hand of
| Tarleton Songs |
Oh! Our hearts with joy are thrilling
When the Tarleton Colors wave,
And our spirits rise with rapture
When the Tarleton sons are brave;
Fight for Victory, Fight for Honor,
And success will crown the fight;
ALL HAIL the proud defenders of the
Purple and the White!
(Dean J. Thomas Davis proudly marches on the front line with Tarleton cadets)
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
Break right through that line
Ever forward, ever onward
We’ll get there or die
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton,
Fight for Victory
Fight, Texans*, Fight, Fight, Fight!
And win this game.
*originally worded Tarleton
(Second Verse, no longer sung)
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
Strive for ideals high
Guard your standards, your traditions
Raise them to the sky
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
Biggest and the best
Oh Tarleton, How I love you
None have guessed.
The lyrics to “On Ye Tarleton” were written in 1920 by H.A. Schmidt, a voice professor at Tarleton.
The True Flame
(Centennial Song)
Like a beacon in the darkness
Shines our alma mater bright.
As one hundred bonfires burning
Guide us homeward through the night.
For one hundred years
Through the joys and tears
Tarleton Spirit has remained.
Since the founding generation
Brought honor to the name,
Brought honor to the name!
In our ever-growing embers
Shines Tarleton’s bright pure call
To a culture of distinction
In her varied hallowed halls.
Friend of field and range,
Through ten decades of change
Burns a ever glowing flame.
And the present generation
Offers honor to the name
Offers honor to the name!
When our future generations
Stand upon this lush plateau
They’ll know Tarleton is beside them
As their paths they choose to go
A century of choice
With a steadfast voice
Tarleton Spirit flames anew
Join all Tarleton generations
Standing at the fires so true,
Standing at the fires so true!
Music: J. Hooper
Lyrics: S. Dodson/J. Hooper
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(Top: First graduating class of 1903 / Rollover: Old classroom)
Tarleton’s Educational Evolution
1811 John Tarleton born
1865 John Tarleton walks to
1895 John Tarleton dies
1896 Classes first met
1899 Official founding date
1906
1917
(name
changed to
1935 Founding of the Tarleton Ex-Students Association
1949 John Tarleton Agricultural College becomes known as Tarleton State College
to reflect liberal arts offerings
1953 The academy division at Tarleton was discontinued
1959 Tarleton became a four-year, degree granting institution
1970 Coordinating board approved masters level courses
1973 Tarleton State College became
back to top
(JTAC Mens Basketball Team with Coach Wisdom in 1922)
The Spirit of Tarleton
The Spirit of Tarleton was first written by J. Louis Evans ’41, and presented as commencement remarks at the graduation exercise of his daughter, Emily Jane, in 1984. The piece was last updated in 1991 by Evans at the request of the Alumni Association.
Yes, I am the spirit of Tarleton. I was born in 1899 from the soul of an itinerant farmer.
I suffered the pangs of early childhood with James Cox, Pearl Chamberlain, Charles Froh, George Ollie Ferguson, and Charlie Hale.
I was with Governor Ferguson
in 1917 when he made Tarleton a part of the
I nursed the sick with Louise Barekman, and I laid a cornerstone with J. Thomas Davis.
I sowed the field with Monroe Wells, and I wrapped the Maypole with Laura Fellman.
I was in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” with J. Dixon White when he shot a 57 on a par 72 course.
I won 86 consecutive basketball games with Coach Wisdom, Elmer Finley, Oran Spears, Willie Tate, and Jude Smith, and I brought home 19 state and conference track championships with Coach Frazier, Hugh Wolfe, Ralph Moser, Jack Pettit, and Pence Dacus.
I saw war clouds gathering
over
I died on the beach at
I fell from the skies over
I was in the blood of Elmo Donaho spilled on Heartbreak Ridge.
I built a financial empire with Gus Wortham, and I ran Houston Natural Gas with Robert Ray Herring,
I held the scapel with Randolph Clark, Norman Shumway, Vance Terrell, and Bud Frazier, and I shared the classroom with Mae Jones, Dick Smith, Dollie Glover, Doyle Graves, Doc Blanchard, and Joe Autry.
I won an Oscar with George Kennedy, and I was on “Eyewitness News” with Marvin Zindler.
I went to the National Baseball Finals with Cecil Ballow, Roy Menge, and Mickey Lee, and I was in the Kennedy Parade and on the UT Tower with Jerry Flemmons.
I claimed a national tennis championship with Buddy Stasney and Wayne Kiser, and I won the Aztec Bowl with John Dunn, Pat Ballow, Ronald Mays, and Walter Moegelin.
I held Todd and Brian McMahon in my arms while they cried for their father, and I roamed the gridiron with Marvin Brown, Lloyd Corder, and Ricky Bush.
I won the national rodeo championships with Johnny Edmondson, Randy Majors, Terry Walls, Connie Wilkinson, Vicki Higgins, Martha Thompkins, and Sally Preston.
(Governor Price Daniel signed the Tarleton Four-Year Bill in 1959. Standing third from left is E.J. Howell, Tarleton State College President, and second from the right is Dr. D.M. Harrington, Texas A&M Chancellor.)
I was with Governor Price Daniel, Joseph Chandler, Rufus Higgs, Harvey Belcher, and Jack Teddlie when Tarleton became a four year college, and I marched with the Texan Starts.
I walked the Halls of Congress with Sam Russell and Charlie Stenholm, and I sat on the bench with Ernest Belcher, J. Curtiss Brown, Don Jones, and James Morgan.
I toured the
I presided over the Senate with Ben Barnes, and I sat on the Railroad Commission with Jim Langdon.
I made the laws of
I was on the Coordinating Board with Jack Arthur.
I broke the color barrier with Jumper Davis, and I was with Nancy Golden when she became the first woman student body president, Guin Sherman Lemke when she was elected president of the Alumni Association, and Deann Moore when she was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.
I wore the crown of Miss
Rodeo
I won All America honors with John Riggs, Randy Winkler, Harlen Wunsch, Moise Pomenay, Tally Neal, Dianna May, Wanda Byrd, Cindy Greer, and James Hawkins, and I set basketball records with Judy Gleaton, Dwayne Johnson, and Ross Taylor.
I am the Sunflower Bowl championship ring on the fingers of Galon Bowser, Mike Myers, Perry Bukowski, and Craig Hancock, and I high jumped into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame with James Hawkins.
(Jan Lowery, one of the winningest coaches in all divisions of women's basketball in the U.S., celebrates with her championship Women's Basketball Team.)
I ran the distance with Javier Tamez to become a four-time conference champion, sprinted with Chuck High, and went to the national finals with Lane McNamara as Tarleton’s first decathalon performer.
I was with the Computer
Information Systems and Management Departement when
it was selected the top four-year educational program in the
I ranked with Jan Lowery as one of the winningest coaches in all divisions of women’s basketball in the U.S., and I won 12 conference championships and advanced to the national finals three times with Wanda Byrd, Vickie Neff, Dianna May, and Jennifer Washington.
( Tarleton graduate Millie Hughes-Fulford was a payload specialist aboars the Earth-orbiting Columbia Space shuttle.)
With the affiliate chapter of the American Chemical Society, I was designated one of the “Outstanding” chapters nationwide, and the only one from Texas.
I swirled among hundreds of athletes from throughout the U.S.and Canada as Tarleton hosted the national track and field finals of the NAIA.
I pitched no-hitters and went to the Philadelphia Phillies with David Agado, and I was with Jeffrey McFadden when he became Tarleton’s first All-America basketball player and joined the professional ranks.
I blocked and ran to a football record with Eric Lugo, Mike Loveless, Eddie Washinton Brian Lewis, Robert Simpson, Jr., and Bobby Sutton when the Texans posted the first 10-0 season in Tarleton’s history.
I won the Piper Award with Aaron Grant, Don Zelman, and Tim Flynn, and I was named Texas Artist of the Year with Covelle Jones.
I sat on the Board of Regents 23 years with Clyde Wells, and I explored outer space with Millie Hughes-Fulford.
I was with E.J. Howell and Bill Trogdon when Tarleton burst from her shell and lifted her wings to the sky.
I spread across the heart of Stephenville as TSU’s physical facilities mushroomed, and I rumbled across Texas with the Alumni Association chapters.
I was the Mace at the inauguration of Barry B. Thompson, and I graduated with Emily Jane.
Yes, I have the spirit of Tarleton, and by the grace of God I’ll always have.
(Tarleton's widely known successful rodeo program brings nationwide attention to the university, and attracts students from many states.)
| Traditions and Legends |
It may be right or it may be wrong;
it may be good or it may be bad;
but right or wrong, good or bad,
it has always been done this way.
We like it done this way and
we plan to continue to do it this way.
L.V. Risinger
The original student handbook, known as the “purple book,” came into being in 1917. For 25 years, the handbook reminded
students that they must walk to town on
First published in 1916, the Grassburr is the official yearbook for Tarleton. Paul Williams served as the first editor.
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(The Grassburr staff in 1934.)
Originally called the Tarletonite,
the J-TAC is Tarleton’s
official newspaper. The first issue was
published in 1919. J-TAC stands for
Formed when Tarleton was a junior college, the Ten
Tarleton Peppers (TTP) and Ten Tarleton Sisters (TTS) are the two oldest
organizations on campus. These spirit
organizations for men and women were formed in 1921 and 1923 respectively.
New members of these secret organizations
are selected by current members. When
first organized the two groups met late at night and prepared signs for
upcoming athletic events. The basic
signs at this time were made of canvas and were stretched between trees on the
campus. The clubs met in the attic of
the old recreation hall which is now the Administration Annex.
The identities of the senior members were
disclosed in group photos when the yearbooks were distributed. Senior members stood facing the camera while
others faced away from the camera with various and sundry items placed over
their heads. The groups are sponsored by
faculty and staff members.
(Top: Ten Tarleton Sisters / Rollover: Ten Tarleton Peppers)
The TTS and TTP were precursors of the modern Purple Poo. The
still-secret organization makes Poo signs each Monday
night, which appear on campus every Tuesday morning. The signs occasionally comment on campus
political life and student life, but most promote school spirit. These signs are nailed to trees on
campus. Members appear in public dressed
in costumes and identity is closely guarded.
Upon joining the Texas A&M
University System in 1917, the Tarleton athletic teams became known as the
“Junior Aggies.”
In 1924, Coach W.J. Wisdom became disenchanted
with the name and held a contest to select a new mascot. The winner would receive $5 and Wisdom would
be the sole judge. One day, Wisdom was
walking across campus and contemplating the fact that Tarleton was primarily an
agricultural school when the name “Plowboys” popped into his head. He immediately adopted the new mascot and
kept the $5. The symbol of the Plowboys
was a muscular young man in overalls pushing a hand plow.
In 1950, the mascot withstood a challenge
when four additional names were suggested for a student vote. Plowboys won by a 2-1 margin. With the University’s changing image,
however, another election was held in 1961 and students approved the name
“Texans.” The horse and rider became the
new athletic mascot of the University
In 1984, a group of interested students
established a spirit organization on campus and re-adopted the name “Plowboys.” The Plowboys attend athletic
events and other campus activities and are familiar to students because of
their white shirts, hats, and purple chaps.
At the height of the
On
Legend has it that John Tarleton had a pet
duck named Oscar P who went everywhere with him. The two were so close that Oscar P is said to
be buried with Tarleton.
At various student activities, the Purple Poo rally Tarleton Students by raising the spirit of Oscar
P. This is done by kneeling and pounding
the ground while calling out “Hey, Oscar P.”
Although this has become one of the favorite traditions, there is no
evidence to verify the story.
Uniforms for men and women were required at one
time. The women wore blue chambray and
ROTC olive drab for men.
Founder's Day Celebration
The Founder’s Day Celebration, which
originated in 1902, was a tribute to John Tarleton. The celebration was held each November to
coincide with Tarleton’s birthday. There was a program in the auditorium of the
original building followed by a processional to cover Tarleton’s
grave with flowers. At the time Tarelton was buried where
As the faculty and students stood around
the grave, they sang to the tune of “
Founder’s Song
On this, the day of days
When all our land gives praise,
We now advance,
And stand around his grave
To honor him who gave
His wealth our youth to save
From
ignorance.
He wished to leave behind
Some blessing for mankind
That faileth
not;
And thus he gave us here
This school, to us so dear,
Where those from far and near
May cast
their lot.
This monument he reared
Will make his name revered
In future time,
When from these walls shall go
Those whom the world shall know
In stations high or low,
By lives sublime.
Our benefactor thou,
We raise our voices now,
And thanks acclaim.
Long may our College stand,
A beacon in this land,
And crown with honor grand
John Tarleton’s name.
| Landmarks |
|
E. J. Howell Education Building Hydrology and Engineering Building Industrial Technology Building Vance Terrell M.D. Intramural Complex |
Possibly the most famous landmark on the Tarleton
campus is a World War I cannon located in front of the Education Building under
an oak tree. The cannon was brought to Tarleton from Fort Sam Houston in 1922 to be
used in the ROTC training. The cadets
exhibited their expertise on the field piece at Parent’s Day and other special
occasions.
It is reported that around 1928, during
the early days of the rivalry between Tarleton and
Blanchard and Ed Emmett, Tarleton maintenance
foreman, and a crew of men, pulled the cannon out of the river with a tractor
and hauled it back to the campus.
Several wheel spokes were broken during the ordeal, and Blanchard made
new spokes by hand since the college had no wood-turning equipment at that
time.
In the early 1930’s, the cannon was placed
at its present site. For many years,
there was a weekly ceremony, called “Retreat Parade”, for the ROTC in which the
cannon played an important part. In this
ceremony, the
Thanks to the classes of 1991 and 1992
the cannon has been restored to its original condition. The spokes have been replaced and the entire
cannon sandblasted and painted its original color.
Carillons boasting an intricate keyboard and design
were given to the
The old flagpole in front of the
(The famous Hunewell Bandstand)
Until its destruction in 1963, the Hunewell
Bandstand held a special place in the hearts of former students. The wooden bandstand provided a stage for the
bands of D.J. Hunewell for over 30 years. The bandstand was a gift from the classes of
1926, 1927, and 1928. The bandstand
stood where the current
Stephenville artist Leon McCoy designed
the statue of John Tarleton which is located at the south entrance of the
Administration building. The bronze was
a gift to the University upon the opening of the building in 1986, given by the
Classes of 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986.
Located on the
The traditional green light poles and the
lighting on campus have become as traditional as rock walls and have withstood just
as many architects who wanted them removed.
Originally installed in the late 1920s with glass globes, they now
feature plastic globes. Many of the
poles display bronze plates naming the classes that donated them.
The Pearl Mahan Rock was given by the
Class of 1931 in honor of Professor Mahan.
The granite rock, after residing for a time in back of
the brick wall the encircled the President’s home, was placed southeast of the
The
story goes that the class of ’31 had very little money to put toward a gift to
the institution—slightly more than enough to engrave the granite. In order to make the gift more meaningful,
some class members from the Marble Falls-Fredericksburg area hired a truck to
deliver the big granite rock to campus.
It is not known whether the various gates
to the original 40 acres of campus were ever locked at night, but they were
closed according to some reports. Gates
were popular gifts from the classes of the ‘30s.
The rock gates on
The gates on
A native stone wall was built around the
original 40-acre campus by the Patton Brothers of Stephenville in the
1930s. This wall has been altered over
the years to accommodate the university’s expansion; however, it remains an
important campus landmark and a trademark of Tarleton. The wall has withstood the desire of several
architects to have it removed.
A retaining wall built in 1926 exists just
across the street from the women’s dorm complex. In the wall are four hearts and the letters “J-TAC.” These letters stand for
Built in 1923 at a cost of $4,500.00, the
smokestack is located on the northeast corner of the campus. Legend has it that a student from NTAC flew
over the campus and threw a brick inside the stack. The smokestack is no longer in use, but
remains a Tarleton landmark. The
Smokestack was restored in 1998 with “Tarleton” painted down the side.
In the Fall of
1995 the Student Government Association named five streets on campus after
important alumnus who have contributed to Tarleton’s
heritage.
Military Drive, located in front of the
Doc