Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas. Chartered in November 1849, Austin College remains the oldest institution of higher education in Texas to be operating under its original charter and name as recognized by the State Historical Survey Committee. About 1,300 students are enrolled at the college.
History
The college was founded on October 13, 1849, in Huntsville, Texas, by the Hampden–Sydney
and Princeton-educated missionary Daniel Baker. Signed by Texas Governor George Wood, the charter of Austin College was modeled after those of Harvard,
Yale University, and Princeton.
Baker named the school for the Texas historical figure Stephen F. Austin; the original land was donated by the Austin family. Two other important figures in Texas history, Sam Houston and Anson Jones,[ Austin College , Austin College History.] served on the board of trustees.
Austin College's founding president was Irish-born Presbyterian minister Samuel McKinney, who served as the school's president a second time from 1862 to 1871.
On January 21 of 1913, Old Main was set ablaze and burnt to the ground in a matter of hours. During the fire, the senior class called the student body together and they committed, in writing, to stand by the college after the fire. The faculty committed to continue college work the next day. The event galvanized the community.
In 1994, Oscar Page joined the community as its 14th president. Under his tenure, 1994–2009, Page increased the school's endowment by nearly 80%, due in large part to his dedicated fundraising efforts. Of particular note was the "Campaign for the New Era", a capital campaign that raised $120 million and was the largest fundraiser in Austin College's history.
Marjorie Hass joined the campus in 2009 as both its first female and Jewish faith president. Under her leadership, the college saw the construction of the IDEA Center and two new housing complexes. The IDEA Center is a 103,000 square ft. facility which includes multi-disciplinary and multi-purpose classrooms, laboratories, lecture halls and the largest telescope in the region found in Adams Observatory. It is a LEED Gold certified facility.
Rankings and reputation
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Austin College 83rd (tied) out of 211 National Liberal Arts Colleges in its 2024-2025 edition.
Academics
Austin College offers over 55 majors and pre-professional programs for study, and students can also create a specialized major to match their academic interests. The college has a music program,
and supports the Austin College A Cappella Choir and the Sherman Symphony Orchestra
made up of students and local musicians, and assorted smaller musical ensembles.
Students are required to live on campus for the first three years of their education. 70% of its graduates have at least one international study experience during college, and about 82% of students are involved in research.[ Austin College , Austin College Faculty.]
Campus
File:Campus Exteriors - Fall 2024 KK-16 (1).jpg|Sherman Hall
File:Collins Alumni Center - Austin College.jpg|Collins Alumni Center
File:Wynne Chapel - Austin College.jpg|Wynne Chapel
File:Forster Art Studio Complex - Austin College.jpg|Forster Art Studio Complex
File:Wright Campus Center - Austin College.jpg|Wright Campus Center
File:Clyce Residence Hall - Austin College.jpg|Clyce Residence Hall
File:Idea Center and Jonsson Fountain.png|Idea Center and Jonsson Fountain
File:Abell Library - Austin College.jpg|Abell Library
File:North Flats - Austin College.jpg|The North Flats
File:Dean Residence Hall.jpg|Dean Residence Hall
File:Lyndall Finley Wortham Center.jpg|Lyndall Finley Wortham Center
Athletics
Austin College joined the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) on July 1, 2006, replacing Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Austin College was previously a member of the American Southwest Conference (ASC), Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and Texas Conference. In 2017, the Austin College football team joined the Southern Athletic Association in football, while remaining a member of the SCAC across all other sports.
Baseball
In 2007, the first year of participating in the SCAC, the Austin College baseball team won the conference tournament, beating Millsaps College 9–7 in the finals. The Roos finished the season with a win–loss record of 22–25. The tournament win was the first ever conference championship for the Roos and the first time the program had ever been in the Regional tournament.
was the head coach for the Roos from 2005 until 2010. He won two coach of the year awards, the first in 2006 while the Roos were still in the ASC and the second, coming in 2007 after the Roos had joined the SCAC. Coach Iwasaki was replaced by James Rise for the 2011 season who coached for four seasons. Under Rise, the Roos went 11–24 in 2011, 8–29 in 2012, 12–29 in 2013, and 6–33 in 2014.
Notable alumni
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Ramon Frederick Adams, author of books about the history of cattle and gunmen
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Ryan Allen, opera singer
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Marshall Applewhite, leader of the Heaven's Gate religious cult
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Gene Babb, football player
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Thomas Henry Ball, Texas politician
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Smith Ballew, actor and singer
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Billy Bookout, football player
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Hannibal Boone, 16th Attorney General of Texas
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Byron Boston, football player
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John Bucy III, Texas House Representative (2019–present)
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Ben Bumgarner, Texas House Representative (2023–present)
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Joe Coomer, football player
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Deborah Crombie, author
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Philip Diehl, director of the United States Mint.
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Nancy Duff, theologian
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Larry Fedora, football coach
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Maurice Harper, football player
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David Lee "Tex" Hill, fighter pilot
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John Hitt, academic administrator
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Ron Kirk, former mayor of Dallas and former United States Trade Representative
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Candace Kita, actress
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Haskell Monroe, educator and university administrator
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Ray Morehart, baseball player
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John Moseley, educator and college president
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Carroll Pickett, Presbyterian minister, author and advocate for abolishing the death penalty
[Stowers, Carlton, and Carroll Pickett, Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain, , St. Martin's Press, 2002, Google Books]
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Homer Rainey, college president
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Charlie Robertson, baseball player
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Walter Rogers, U.S. Representative
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Reggie Smith, Texas House Representative (2018–2025)
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Dan Stoenescu, Romanian diplomat
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Leonidas Jefferson Storey, 13th Lt. Governor of Texas (1881–1883)
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Vern Sutton, operatic tenor
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Tom Thompson, football player
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Larry Tidwell, basketball coach
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Brandon McInnis, actor
Notable faculty
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Light Townsend Cummins, State Historian of Texas
-
George Diggs, biologist
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Joseph Havel, artist, current director of the Glassell School of Art
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Jerry B. Lincecum, Texas folklore author
-
Shelton Williams, political scientist
External links
