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Can’t keep up with college monikers anymore

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kid go to Houston, “ which one? Then there is Austin College, which is in Sherman and Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. Students say they attend “Georgetown,” which is in Washington, D.C., but some people think the student means Southwestern University, which is in Georgetown, Texas.

One name we can never get right is Texas Woman’s University in Denton. The school was opened in 1903 as the Girls Industrial College, then changed two years later to College of Industrial Arts or CIA. In 1934, it became the Texas State College for Women, or TSCW, and the students were known as “Tessies” (their official nickname is Pioneers). In ’57, the name was changed to its present Texas Woman’s University, singular possessive, and no one ever gets it right. Even the state highway signs on the interstate and in town read “Texas Womans University,” without the apostrophe.

Private schools are equally confusing. We have Baylor and Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons. Cars with an “ACC” decal on windows could have meant either Austin Community College or Abilene Christian College. Fortunately, the latter changed “College” to “University,” no doubt in an attempt to show up Dartmouth. I say let us forget about all the UT-at, A&M-at. Come on, folks, UT at who? A&M at where?

Good and fine schools such as East Texas State, Texas A&I and Texas Western should stick to their original names and continue to turn out graduates proud to hang that diploma on their bar stools, just like their fellow Longhorns and Aggies.

Our new governor, Rick Perry—the first Aggie governor in the history of Texas, God help us all—says his top priority is higher education. As he dwells with the universities’ budgets and tenured professors who think Stalin got a bad press, can he return us to our original names? It would not cost a cent, except for the sign painters.

As for changing the name of Southwest Texas, my father said he always wanted to be a cheerleader at that school, so he could lead a cheer: “Rah, rah, rah. Southwest Texas State Teachers College Bobcats!” By the time he could finish with the cheer, the game would be over.

80 CANDLES AND MANY FRIENDS—Tooanoowes gathered recently to celebrate the 80th birthday of Jane Norris Treadway. Pictured are: standing left to right, Dorcas Stewart Dowlin, Marguriette Cato Dismuke, Kay Treadway Norman, Mae Merrick Pickens, Ethel Treadway Gleaves, Helen Hatchett Simpson, Mary Black Morgan, and Kathleen Jennings Foster. Seated are Jane (left) and Rachel Treadway Lafferty.

Debora Schubert Lytle creates canvas legacy of Dr. Jim Byrd

On what would have been his 76th birthday, the late Jim Byrd was honored by several of his colleagues and friends.

A portrait of the late A&M-Commerce literature and languages professor was unveiled during a program held in his memory on Valentine’s Day.

The portrait by alumna Debora Schubert Lytle (gesturing, left) will hang in the Hall of Languages where Byrd spent a career that spanned more than 30 years. The likeness shows Byrd, honored in 1995 with the title of Professor Emeritus, carrying his mail, which many who knew him remember him often doing.

In painting Byrd’s portrait, Debora said she was given a photograph of him to use. The portrait, meticulous in detail, has a smiling Byrd carrying a copy of The Gilmer Mirror, The Commerce Journal, an East Texas State University letter, and a book.

The newspapers he carries are significant. Byrd’s friend, Sarah Greene, also a longtime member of The Texas Folklore Society, is publisher of The Gilmer Mirror, and Byrd wrote columns for The Commerce Journal up until his death.

Alumnus crafts super hero

Gorden Thomas (BS ‘59, MS ‘73), former director of Creative Services at the University, has for more than a year worked full time on this statue of World War II hero Audie Murphy at the American Cotton Museum in Greenville, Texas. The statue, which is almost complete, will be unveiled in September. It was commissioned for the City of Greenville. Gordon also sculpted the statue of University founder William L. Mayo, now installed on the grounds of the Heritage House.