For God and Texas: Southwestern and the Methodist Mission for Higher Education

This exhibit, curated by Special Collections Intern and University of Texas iSchool student Emily Higgs, explores the attempts of the Methodist Church to establish colleges in Texas during the 19th century. These attempts began with the chartering of Rutersville College in 1840 and continued rapidly, resulting in the opening of 21 Methodist schools in Texas by the end of the century. However, the presence of Methodist higher education in Texas was tenuous at best until Francis Asbury Mood recognized the need for one central Texas university and founded Southwestern University. This story is told through 19 objects from Southwestern University Special Collections and Archives.

Credit

Emily Higgs