Share Your Thoughts

Share your memories with us, as we celebrate 75 years of TSC and 10 years of UTB. What is your most remarkable memory of Texas Southmost College or The University of Texas at Brownsville? What was college life like “in the good old days?” Did you participate in any of the traditions of TSC and UTB, if so share your memories of those traditions with us?  We know that you have great and wonderful stories about TSC and UTB, share them with us?

Campus Memories  (circa 1969-1977)
Submitted by Mary Sullivan

I remember so many things about TSC.  My memories are many because Rodney and I lived on campus from 1970-1987.  We first moved out of necessity to the campus because we couldn’t find an apartment or house to rent.  The house we rented in August 1969 was suddenly “sold”. and we had only a month to find something else.  The winter tourists had arrived and there wasn’t anything available that we could afford.  (Rodney made $8,000 that year for teaching at TSC.)  So, we moved into the “barracks”, an apartment building, on campus.  

The barracks were located on the land where the Education Building (old Pan American building) now stands.  We moved in to a small apartment (Apartment L) and later moved across the hall to a 3-bedroom, 1 ½ bath apartment (Apartment A).  Rodney became the manager (after Polly Sue and Jim Moore moved away), and his pay was “free rent”.  Renters of these upstairs/downstairs apartments were faculty and staff.  Some that I recall were Norma Beth Drake, J.J. Martinez and his family, and Sam and Myrna Jenkins among others.  Next to the barracks were two houses.  Gonzalo and Coty Garza lived next door with Lisa and Joel.  Next to them was Bud and Martha Crain, Maintenance Supervisor at TSC.  It was in the barracks that we celebrated our son’s first two birthdays here as well as the homecoming of our daughter Carrie, born in August 1971.  One campus memory was when we got a call from Bud Crain (Maintenance Director) called Rodney to come quickly--Jim (our son) and Joel (Garza) were sitting precariously on the edge of the second floor of Tandy.  They were having such fun, just dangling their little legs over the edge of the second floor of Tandy.  They were only three.  We have many funny “barracks” tales, but we’ll spare you those right now.  In 1972 or 1973, we moved again to another “home” on campus.  

Wow, this time we actually had a house with a garage (really detached)!!  So 51 Gorgas Drive became our home.  Our home was one of the white stucco homes on “Officer’s Row”. Actually, our home is the only one of these houses now remaining on the UTB campus.  Some folks still refer to it as the Sullivan House.  Our rent was between $75-85, utilities included.  We had great neighbors, and we were one big family!  We had Bud and Martha Crain, Gonzalo and Coty Garza, Sam Grubbs, Valdez family (Library), Tony Zavaletta family, Ed and Marci Aguilar, and later the Arnulfo Oliviera family.   Rodney planted a small garden inside our white picket fence.  Then later he expanded it so that he had a large plot on the corner where he planted corn, etc.  Desi Rios used to stop by and tell Rodney that he had several acres Rodney could plow up if he wanted. 

We have many memories of our children playing on the sidewalks riding their Big Wheels.  The “little” kids (Joel, Maggie, Jim, Carrie) would stop and run in our house when “Gilligan’s Island” came on TV.  They played baseball, enjoyed hours on our swings, and for a big treat, they would ride their Big Wheels around Gorgas Hall where the Biology classes were once taught.  We even would go swimming in the college pool by the Jacob Brown and later at the small pool over at Ft. Brown.  Rodney went to Rancho Del Cielo every month with Mrs. Warburton.  He was her “assistant” then.  Jim and Carrie would sit on the front steps of our Gorgas home waiting for their Dad to drive in from Mexico in the old “weapons carriers”.     

One of our funny stories happened one day when our son Jim was playing with the “big kids” at the Oliviera’s home.  Jim apparently picked up an old straight-edge razor blade he found in the grass and ran it across his finger to see if it was sharp.  The Olivieras tried to stop the bleeding but had to send Jim home all bandaged up and bleeding.  There are many other memories in this home--memories of good times and good friends.  Those were enjoyable relaxing days.  We would walk home for lunch and back to class.  Barbeques and other get-togethers were held at the beginning of each year in the area around the President’s home.

Some memories are sad—like the death of a biology faculty member, family friend and neighbor, Gonzalo Garza.  The evening that Gonzalo died is one that we’ll never forget.   However, it is comforting though to remember the support and care that surrounded the Garza family that night and for many years to come.  We were family.  Mixed with this sadness are memories of delightful faculty Christmas parties, birthdays, and special family times. 

Splash Day
Submitted by Virginia Wood

Splash Day generally took place sometime in April.  Everyone, faculty and students all went to South Padre Island for the day.  Students and faculty got to the Island as best they could-private cars and trucks. It started around 10:30 or 11:00 and continued until the late afternoon. Swimming, volleyball, baseball, tag football were among some of the sports we played as well as laying on the sand and soaking in the sun’s rays. We would rent or occupy the pavilion as our main gathering place while hot dogs, chips, chile and cokes were served to all. When I was Director of Student Activities, I had to make all the arrangements and cook and carry down all the food but not by myself. The kitchen people were most helpful. We would boil the hot dogs in the kitchen of the student center that morning and the maintenance crew would help load up the food and meet me at the Island.

On many occasions I would also bring my children. They were just babies but we loved the beach and had such fun playing in the water and building sand castles. Lucy Willis also had children around the same age as mine and the four boys  (two mine and tow hers) would run and play together while Lucy and I would constantly rub lotion on them to prevent sunburns.

After we had eaten, usually around 2:30 or 3:00 a band would begin to play and students and some faculty would dance to the music.  We mostly listened to the “music” and tried to talk above it. Some things have changed not much! Most of the faculty would gather outside and find a shady spot to visit. Some faculty had condos or houses on the Island and they would make them available for all faculty to use. Usually after lunch, faculty would make their way to the available condo and continue the party. The condo offered additional beverages that were not allowed in front of the students. Oddly enough, we never had any problems with students or faculty causing trouble or drinking to much alcohol. Everyone was quite tired at the end of the day and had more of their share of sun and fun. Some people would end up spending the night at the Island, most however, made their way back to their homes at various times of the night.

Fond Memories of TSC
Submitted by Anita H. Garcia

Perhaps I am one of the few persons that attended classes as TSC in the old army barracks back in 1948-49.

I have fond memories of TSC.  We had excellent teachers like Mrs. Lindaberry and Mrs. Edman.  These teachers had the responsibility of teaching not only the young high school graduates, but also many veterans of World War II attending TSC.  All the teachers were great. Mr. Crawford organized the summer orchestra and took us, students, to perform all over the Rio Grande Valley for Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and any other groups who would have us!  All he asked in return was that they feed us college students.  We loved rehearsing and performing under his direction.  I wonder how many of these musicians are still alive and around here?  By the way, our theme song was “I Left My Heart in Avalon,” Dr Crawford’s favorite song.

Henry Garcia used to arrive on campus every morning in his 1926 Model T that was filled with girls to whom he gave a ride to class, picking them up along the way.  Somewhere, there’s a picture of Rosie and Barbara Ward, the Celaya girls, and others riding in the “LA Burrita;” that’s the name of the Model T, christened after a popular song of that era.

Then, there was the cafeteria in another one of the barracks, where students met after classes to exchange ideas, hold group discussions, and eat or dance to nickelodeon music, for there would always be someone who could spare a coin.

There were no regular air-conditioned classrooms then, but there was such a pleasant environment, where everybody cared about education and helped each other.  There was a true spirit of friendship at TSC.  I certainly hope that spirit still lives today.

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