Texas Trivia (Austin, Rio Grande City, Robinson: universities, money, basketball)

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

Do you know why they chose that name..? It's just TOO weird, LOL!!

Matter of fact, I do...sorta, kinda! LOL And you are correct, it has nothing at all to do with a connection to the Midwestern region of the United States.

Anyway, ever since the original change to Midwestern University, it has been a source of wonder as to where the hell that name came from (in fact, over the years there have been several campaigns to change it, although it is now so entrenched it is doubtful it will ever be done). It just made no sense to most folks around here as Wichita Falls was neither in the mid-western part of Texas, nor thought of as being in the Midwestern United States.

So, anyway, while news-editor for the campus rag, I once interviewed a professor who had written a book on the history of the school, and this was naturally a question I asked the guy. He said even with all the reseach he had done on it (since this was something so many were curious about), the answer was still not entirely clear.

However, as best he could glean from some old records and interviews with the handful of long-retired officials still surviving, it had a lot to do with that the city was situated at a "mid-west" point in the "old Southwest" (i.e. today, the Census Bureau "West South Central" states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas).

That was the generally prevailing opinion and theory, but another more complicated (and bizarre, IMHO LOL)) one was also mentioned. It went along the lines of that if the United States were divided into three parts, then you would have the East, the Central, and the West...with the Central laying west of the Mississippi River and east of the Mountain States (including NM and AZ). Therefore it could be said that, on a north/south axis, the college was in the "mid-western" part of the central region. Oh man...

Still clear as mud, huh? LOL

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I have also never understood where they came up with the term "The Midwest" as a region within the United States. It doesn't fit.

That one is actually a little simpler! LOL At one time (generally prior to the War Between the States), the three regions of the country were the East (now usually called the Northeast), the South (the slave-holding states), and the West (west of Pennyslvania and east of the western territories). Anyway, over time, as the Rocky Mountain and interior SW states became states, they became known as "the West" (naturally), while "Midwest" gained currency as the term for the ante-bellum former West (which, of course, along with the East, were referred to collectively as "the North" as concerns the WBTS).

[Cathy4017]

Still clear as mud, huh? LOL

Yes!! My head is swiming---for both of the above, LOL!!

[jtur88]

Remember that the definition of "West" has kept changing throughout American history, Kentucky was once considered "The West". From 1787 to 1803, all the territory west of Pennsylvania and north of the Ohio River was officially known as "Northwest Territories".

Mark Twain, in the late 1800s, described the way Missourians spoke as "Southwestern".

What is now called the Midwest was once, simply, the West. But as new territories developed further west, the term "Midwest" seems appropriate.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Remember that the definition of "West" has kept changing throughout American history, Kentucky was once considered "The West". From 1787 to 1803, all the territory west of Pennsylvania and north of the Ohio River was officially known as "Northwest Territories".

Mark Twain, in the late 1800s, described the way Missourians spoke as "Southwestern".

What is now called the Midwest was once, simply, the West. But as new territories developed further west, the term "Midwest" seems appropriate.

That is pretty much it in a nutshell!

BTW -- who has the next question? LOL

[joqua]

I am inclined to think that the "midwestern" was in reference to its location within the state. Perhaps made clearer if they had named it Midwestern Texas College. Example: I attended UT-El Paso back when it was named Texas Western College.

Originally Posted by TexasReb

BTW -- who has the next question? LOL

I think you won the honors with the Hardin College answer. BTW - there is also a Hardin-Simmons college, so maybe a good question for follow up would be; Who was Hardin? I haven't a clue.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by joqua

I

I think you won the honors with the Hardin College answer. BTW - there is also a Hardin-Simmons college, so maybe a good question for follow up would be; Who was Hardin? I haven't a clue.

Mary and John G. Hardin, who were the principal benefactors. Hardin was added to the name of Simmons College, also, to recognize their gift. Hardin-Simmons was originally Abilene Baptist, and rich dudes names were added as they ponied up.

Not to be confused with Charles Hardin, who became governor of Missouri, and was instrumental in the founding of Hardin College in Mexico, Missouri, in the 1870s.

Hardin County, Texas, was formed in 1858, and named for the Hardin family in nearby Liberty County, presumably early or influential settlers in the area.

There are six Hardin Counties in the USA, named after four different people. Three of them (IL KY OH) for a revolutionary war hero, Col. John Hardin.

[jtur88]

I won't wait for confirmation on that, but will proceed to the next question:

Speaking of colleges named for people, there is a Texas college named for a benefactor in Iowa, who had a name spelled almost (not quite) exactly the same as a very famous Texan, after whom another Texas school is named. One of this college's claims to fame was it's amazingly famous basketball coach.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by jtur88

I won't wait for confirmation on that, but will proceed to the next question:

Speaking of colleges named for people, there is a Texas college named for a benefactor in Iowa, who had a name spelled almost (not quite) exactly the same as a very famous Texan, after whom another Texas school is named. One of this college's claims to fame was it's amazingly famous basketball coach.

Would this be Samuel Huston College...now called Huston-Tillson, or something like that...?

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Would this be Samuel Huston College...now called Huston-Tillson, or something like that...?

That's it. Huston-Tillotson College, in Austin. Jackie Robinson was their basketball coach in 1944.