Axe ’Em, Jacks!
The past and future of SFA's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
Story by Christine Broussard '10 & '20
Editors' note: Thousands of Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture alumni have and continue to contribute significantly to their respective fields. We regret that we can’t list them all.
To tell the story of SFA is to tell the story of the East Texas pine forest.
It's hard to imagine where the university would be without it. For more than 100 years, the sprawling piney woods have provided a sanctuary to students and inspired, among many other things, the university's Lumberjack mascot, The Pine Log newspaper and the first official school song, "The Pine Tree Hymn."
And about 80 years ago, the mere presence of the majestic pine curtain on SFA's doorstep dealt the university a significant win: the establishment of the state's first department of forestry.
Over decades, the forestry program would grow into a school and then a college and was the first program of its kind in the state to be accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
Through a multimillion-dollar promise from The University of Texas System, SFA is gearing up to build a state-of-the-art forestry and agriculture building that will expand on its long-running tradition of providing the best natural resources education in the state — some even say in the nation. And as Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture alumni, employees and students look expectantly to the college's future, many are also looking back on the long road that led it here.
Texas' first forestry program
Before the Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture added geospatial and environmental science programs, before it built a multifocus agricultural center and soil testing lab, it found its humble beginnings in forestry.
Established in 1946, SFA's forestry program was borne in part out of a post-World War II need for lumber, both for housing and the pulp and paper industry.
"The forestry program began in response to the great demand for forest products after World War II. The need for trained professional foresters to sustainably manage the nation's forests to meet that demand is why SFA's program and others were established," said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of the Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, who's held that position since 2017 and has been at SFA since 1993.
"Housing demand was very high after military personnel came back from the war, and many veterans did their service in the timber industry during the war to overcome manpower shortages. They enjoyed the work and wanted to become professional foresters after their discharge from military service."
This demand came on the heels of a practice in the northern U.S. forestry industry called "cut-out-and-get-out" logging that left huge swaths of land cut over and abandoned early in the 1900s, forestry historian James E. Fickle wrote in the 2004 book "Arthur Temple College of Forestry: The Story of Forestry at SFA."
"Thoughtful observers realized that things could not continue indefinitely in this way," Fickle added. As lumber companies began to look to the South's resources, "European-trained foresters arrived in the United States to establish professional forestry education" based around the concepts of preservation and forest management.
"Among the Texas lumbermen and companies who implemented progressive forestry policies on their lands were J. Lewis Thompson of Thompson Lumber Company, Ernest L. Kurth of the Angelina County Lumber Company, and T.L.L. Temple's Southern Pine Lumber Company," Fickle wrote. "Thus, the conditions and needs were ripe for the introduction of professional forestry education in East Texas, and Stephen F. Austin State [Teachers] College, 'the college in the pines,' was the place where it finally happened in 1946."
Also in "The Story of Forestry at SFA," the late Dr. Archie P. McDonald, former SFA history professor, noted that it was SFA's second president, Dr. Paul Boynton, who "decided to capitalize on the principal and most obvious resource provided by the region … acres and acres, indeed miles and miles, of pine trees."
Boynton, who served as SFA president from 1942-58, quickly found that establishing the state's first forestry program wouldn't be a walk in the park. Financially strained by wartime demands, the state legislature said it would authorize only one department of forestry in the state, and SFA was competing against a Goliath: then-Texas A&M College was fighting fiercely to have the program established in College Station.
But SFA held an ace up its sleeve: "the trees in eastern Texas," McDonald wrote. "Texas' national forests, the Sabine, Angelina, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett, all were located in East Texas, much closer to SFA than to A&M."
Once again, the pine curtain provided, and the bid for the state's first forestry program was awarded to SFA.
Taking root, growing up
SFA's natural resources programs would explode throughout the next eight decades. Subsequently, that meant needing more space and additional resources.
SFA's Department of Forestry first officed in the Austin Building from the 1940s until moving to remodeled facilities on Raguet Street. When SFA's third president, Dr. Ralph W. Steen, budgeted $1 million for the construction of a new building, the department finally moved into its new home in the summer of 1970 — where it's remained for the past 55 years.
Despite initial trouble achieving accreditation through the Society of American Foresters due to its newness as a program and SFA's orientation primarily as a teacher preparation college, the forestry program became accredited in 1966 under the direction of department chair Dr. Larry Walker.
Walker's tenure from 1963-77 as chair and eventually dean witnessed several major successes in addition to accreditation: it was upgraded to a school in 1965; enrollment increased dramatically, in turn growing the faculty; and it began to offer advanced degrees.
"The forestry program gained increasing national prominence under the leadership of Dean Larry Walker," Williams said. "In my opinion, Dr. Walker laid the foundation for where the college and forestry program are today. Then as now, we have a national reputation for producing technically sound, professional foresters that can immediately add value and have the foundations for becoming effective leaders."
The school became a college in 1992; and in 2005, the Department of Agriculture was transferred from the James I. Perkins College of Education to the Temple College of Forestry, and agriculture was subsequently added to the college's name. Though offered in the curriculum for decades, agriculture became a natural fit within the college.
"All programs in the college address conservation and management issues facing natural resources, such as land, air and water," Williams said. "While there are unique issues addressed by agriculture, environmental science, forestry and geospatial science, there are significant overlaps, too.
"Good examples are soil conservation and enhancement or impacts of land use change. We have a 160-acre silvopasture demonstration area at the Todd Agricultural Research Center that is a good example of cooperation between forestry and agriculture."
More achievements than can be recounted here occurred in the college over nearly a century, like the establishment of exchange programs with China and the Netherlands as well as the key role many in the college played in mapping the debris trail of the Columbia Space Shuttle's crash over East Texas in 2003. But all of them helped strengthen the college's place as a leader in cultivating industry-ready professionals.
It's a truth Arthur Temple himself, grandson of the Texas lumber magnate T.L.L. Temple and longtime chairman of Temple-Inland, acknowledged during the Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's 50th anniversary: "We have found [SFA forestry graduates] to be the best qualified … for the work we do," Temple told the crowd. "They have a good work ethic, and they've come through a school that, without question, is the best in the country — and I have seen most of them."
Planning for centuries
The Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's story is one of growth — growth achieved through the hard work of staying attuned to shifting industry demands and innovations.
"In forestry, we plan for decades. In education, we plan for centuries," said Dr. I-Kuai Hung, the SFA Robert E. Minton Distinguished Professor. "More and more, the assessment of higher education has been based on market value. It is important to remember the common good for society. Educating our young generation with integrity and decency is more urgent than ever before."
And what comes next is, well — more growth and change.
"The next decade or two will continue to be dominated by ever-changing technology (e.g., artificial intelligence)," Williams said. "All of our programs, especially forestry and agriculture, will have to embrace and keep up with this technological change while at the same time making sure our graduates are technically sound in the fundamentals of their profession. As the present and past indicate, the college's faculty and staff are up to the task."
Physical growth will match expected academic developments as a new modern building funded in large part through the UT System is expected to be completed in 2027. And like a growth ring on a tree, the story of SFA forestry comes full circle as the building's timberframe structure will pay homage to the East Texas lumber industry and the very forests that helped give life to "the college in the pines."
Past and present faculty members graciously shared memories of their time with the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, as well as their hopes for its bright future.
Dr. Hans Williams
Dean of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
There are so many [fond memories]. Being selected as dean of the college has to be up there. I never dreamed that I would have this chance at SFA. For more than 32 years, I have worked with outstanding faculty, staff and students in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture … and [they] make it a pleasure to come to work every day. I hope every day that in some small way I have served them well and enabled them to meet their professional aspirations.
I really feel our biggest success, as well as our most significant contribution to the profession and the nation/region, is producing well-prepared graduates that become leaders in their chosen professions. We have alumni from all programs — agriculture, environmental science, forestry and geospatial science — who are leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. They are making a difference everyday contributing to the sustainable management of our natural resources.
My hope for the future I believe is in alignment with The University of Texas System's goal that Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture programs be the best in the world. I am excited for the future of the college and SFA. I think having joined the UT System will match our lofty ambitions with their significant resources and support.
Dr. Brian Oswald
Joe C. Denman Distinguished Professor of Fire Ecology, Silviculture and Agroforestry
We often say we don't take ourselves seriously but do take seriously what we do. As a result, we have a family feel that is my fondest memory of my entire time here. Not just the faculty, but the staff and students. Also, we used to have student versus faculty/staff basketball games once a year. Faculty and staff usually won as the students underestimated us.
Since most of our faculty members obtained degrees from land-grant or other R1 institutions, we were trained in performing teaching/research/service. This has allowed us to both train field-ready undergraduates and have a strong graduate and research program. We are the major source of foresters in the Texas A&M University Forest Service and provide strong graduates for positions with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and federal agencies.
[I hope] that the new building provides a home for the next generations of faculty and students to continue to excel in natural resources.
Dr. I-Kuai Hung
Robert E. Minton Distinguished Professor
I came to SFA as an international student when I was about to turn 40 years old. The culture shock could not have been more significant. However, in no time I found that I and my family were accepted into the community. The collegiality between the college's faculty, staff and students can never be overstated. We are like a big family where everyone cares for each other. It is this culture that keeps me here more than 25 years later.
In my opinion, the most significant contribution by the college to the region and [related] industries is to prepare our students to be ready for the profession so that they can hit the ground running and get going in the real-world workspace once they graduate. Students gain knowledge not only in classrooms but also in labs and in the field. The hands-on approach allows students to learn something by doing something.
Dr. Sheryll Jerez
Director of the Division of Environmental Science
In my third year teaching the environmental measurements class, I introduced group projects that required students to use tools and instruments for collecting environmental data. One of the groups created a wastewater treatment simulation system out of Mega Blocks and it worked! This happened more than a decade ago, but I distinctly remember the excitement of my students and my own admiration for what they had accomplished out of Mega Blocks.
Forestry faculty, staff and students are engaged in long-term research that benefits the region. For example, the East Texas Pine Plantation Research Project, which was initiated by the college in 1982, has been providing valuable scientific data to improve the management of East Texas forestlands and the Western Gulf Coast region. The college is also involved in outreach activities, such as the BioBlitz, Breakfast on the Farm, SFA Purple Premium Cattle Sale and Lumberjack Legacy.
I hope for an outstanding future for our college with sustained growth across all degree programs. We need to train more students … to replace the aging workforce. In the next two decades, I think that the practices in forestry and agriculture will rapidly evolve to incorporate more advanced technologies, like drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous robots. At the same time, industries also need to adapt to changing climate, the disruption it brings, and also deal with anticipated increases in global consumption of agricultural products.
Dr. R. Scott Beasley
Former dean of the School of Forestry, 1992-2008
The Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has excelled in all three components of its mission — teaching, outreach and research. At the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the forestry program at SFA, Arthur Temple remarked, "We have found the SFA forestry graduates to be the best qualified students for the work we do. They have a good work ethic, and they've come through a school that, without question, is the best in the country." That reputation has been maintained throughout the decades by an excellent faculty who enjoy supportive leadership. Research and outreach not only add to the body of knowledge in all the related disciplines, but they also enhance education by allowing students to be involved in many different kinds of scientific projects.
I have no doubt that our college will continue to grow even stronger as time goes on. Understanding the growth, management, utilization, protection, value (aesthetic and economic) and appreciation of the planet's renewable resources are noble and worthy goals. Teaching our young men and women about these things is essential.