Dr. Grady Early, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, taught math and computer science at Texas State University for 29 years, serving briefly as interim chair of the newly-formed Computer Science department. After retirement, Early began researching his family history and gained some familiarity with various research tools: ancestry, familysearch, newspapers, San Marcos Record archives, findagrave and many more. This made it easy for him to segue into the histories of non-family members, which is how he began to write a story about Southwest Texas Normal in San Marcos, also known as San Marcos Normal, which is now Texas State University. This series will highlight the first staff at Southwest Texas Normal.
According to the 1907 Pedagogue, Lula Lee Hines “teaches us our A-B-Cs; sets us an example of how to be good and look pleasant; champion of daily bath, and a staunch friend of soap dealers.”
Hines was born 1866, more likely 1870, in Birmingham, Jefferson Co., Ala.
Hines studied primary teaching in Columbia University, NY, and in the University of Chicago. Then spent her early career teaching English in the Weatherford and Dallas high schools — until 1903 when Tom Harris selected Hines as his teacher of primary methods.
Hines’ early career was not without its challenges. In 1884, some local discontent was expressed by Weatherford citizens at the failure of the board of trustees of the public free school to retain Hines as an assistant teacher. They must have prevailed; in 1895, she was still there. Or there again? In 1892, Hines, who was then teaching in Dallas, was on the exhibits committee at the state teachers association meeting in Houston, at which there were no exhibits.
Another challenge concerned parent/teacher relationships. In 1894, a dad decided that his little Effie had been unduly disciplined. Two newspaper accounts survive. One reports the arrest of the two teachers, charged with aggravated assault and battery, undue whipping, upon Effie. The other recounts one day of courtroom testimony. And then ... nothing. Perhaps the case melted away from an absence of damaging testimony.
Hines was active both academically and professionally. In 1895, she attended the National Teachers’ association at Denver, CO.
In 1905, County Judge Ed Kone notified Tom Harris of new legislation that required the county judge to organize and hold at least three County Teachers Institutes, white and colored alike, in their respective schools. The carrot involved full pay for attendance at each two-day institute, and, upon attendance at at least two county institutes and a summer normal every other year, would have their teaching certificates renewed for the same length of time as were the originals. The stick was much simpler; attend or teaching certificates would be canceled.
At that first SWTN institute, Hines spoke on How to Teach Reading in the Primary Grades.
Hines became known as the “founder of theatre at SWT.” Her reading department developed into the Department of Speech and Drama.
In 1921, Hines directed a performance of Lillie Shavers’ pageant “Flashes from Texas History.” In 1924, the music club of SWT State Normal College presented a musical comedy “Paul Revere” with Hines directing the dance numbers.
Hines also saw some administrative duty. At various times between 1926 to 1929, while Mary Brogdon was pursuing her doctorate in Columbia University, Hines took over Brogdon’s duties as dean of women. A 1927 newspaper clip identified Hines as dean of women of the “San Marcos academy,” which, surely, would be the San Marcos Baptist Academy rather than SWT, unless Hines was double-dipping.
For community service, Hines was active in the Y.W.C.A.; in 1914, she was on the advisory committee.
In 1934, the annual ex-students banquet was held in the SWT cafeteria. Mrs. W.N. Joiner paid tribute to Hines who was absent because of a serious illness. Hines was confined to her bed for quite some time. Although she recovered somewhat, she was never the same. On July 14, 1941, she died in San Marcos.
By 1935, Southwest Texas Normal, now Texas State University, was in its third name, of many — Southwest Texas State Teachers College. In 1935, SWTSTC had been in a building frenzy; needs were high, funds weren’t. A Physical Education and Health Building was needed and President Evans proposed to call it Hines Gymnasium. Finally, the building was ready. At the 1941 Board of Regents meeting in Houston, Evans formally recommended that the gym be named Hines Gymnasium in recognition of her role as an influential and constructive factor in building up the college. The Board approved. After a few remodels and re-purposing, the building is now Hines Academic Center.
Those early faculty were serious about guarding the morals of their pupils. H.E. Speck, who joined the faculty as dean of men in 1923, recalls a midnight phone call from Hines, acting dean of women during a summer absence of Miss Mary C. Brogdon. Horrified, Hines reported that a coed and a male student had gone to San Antonio together and had not come back. Deeply concerned, Dean Speck tried to obtain more information.
“Have they been going together?!” he asked.
“Oh. Yes,” replied the acting dean of women. “I understand they are married.”
More information about her grave can be found at Findagrave # 127222943. Check out the virtual cemetery of the complete first faculty at findagrave.com/virtu al-cemetery/1934255.
In 1974, Cora Campbell Muennink published “A Biographical Sketch of Miss Lula Lee Hines.” If you know of the location of a copy, please let Early know via at bbtempra [email protected].
