Although difficult, many students in 1925 commuted to SFA. Especially was this true from Lufkin and other parts of Nacogdoches County. The Lufkin group even formed a Commuter's Club in 1930, the purpose of which was "to promote a recognition and appreciation of the rights of other commuters through a knowledge of elastic etiquette." They also wanted "to avoid losses of books, passengers, wearing apparel, and high tempers among the commuters."

Mrs. Jean Langston Wells of Garrison remembers commuting back and forth for more than two years in the 1925-1927 period. She lacked one credit completing her high school diploma when she started at SFA in the sub-college. What attracted her was the fact that she could take the needed credit and do freshman work at the same time. Although she had relatives in Nacogdoches (she was related to the Perkins and the Barhams), she chose to commute. "There was a girl in Garrison who had won a car in some kind of contest, and we had the opportunity to live at home and still attend SFA. There were not many cars in use by the students at that time." Three girls helped to pay for the gas in exchange for transportation with the owner of the car. "Since there were no gas stations along the way, we had to check the tank carefully before we left in either direction. The roads were deep in sand and full of ruts. Flats were a problems, too, but we all learned how to cooperate and get a tire changed." Daily, the four girls commuted the some forty mile round trip, leaving in time to meet whoever's class was the earliest.

"We had to stay the whole day most of the time." There were no stores or cafes around the campus in those early years. While she could not remember what they did for lunch, she said they must have eaten sandwiches or had picnics in the trees on the campus. "I remember how much the trees meant to everyone. You know, East Texans have this thing about trees. We used to cause a stink whenever anyone would cut down one of the SFA pines. They made the campus so beautiful. They later cut down so many for the various buildings."

Mrs. Wells regretted, but admitted the fact, that she was not terribly interested in studies at that time in her life. While she later went on to Texas University to complete her bachelor's degree, "I came to college in those first years to find a husband." I assured her that that was a typical story even today, although not everyone both male or female was as honest as she!

Jean Langston Wells was born in Garrison and has lived much of her life there. She is the mother of Dr. Gordon Wells, Manager of the Texas Strategic Mapping Program in Austin. Dr. Wells is a former associate in the Center for East Texas Studies at SFA.