To our students, that they know upon whose shoulders they stand;
To our faculty, that they may see the lives they have shaped;
To our alumni, that they may remember fondly and smile;
To our employees and donors, for their many valued contributions;
To our host communities, long-time partners in a noble enterprise;
To the people of Texas, that they may value their Great Legacy!
This book about Texas and its oldest university system is set in communities traversing the State from the Sabine River, to the Piney Woods, to the Hill Country, to the Rio Grande. It is a story of colleges established with a limited mission - to train white teachers - that, in the course of a century, produced a president, world renowned journalists, entertainers, poets, musicians, writers, and alumni representing the ethnic and cultural diversity of Texas. The story is told by some of the best writers in the State and chronicled by one of the most celebrated artistic photographers in the country.