For Gracie Hornbuckle, one of the faces in the 1925 graduation photo, SFA was a step toward a long career as a public school teacher. Miss Hornbuckle is now dead, but in 1983, when I interviewed her, she remembered fondly her work at SFA. "Well, I've always had a warm spot in my heart for the college. I felt like I could learn as much there as I could any other place if I wanted to. And I could get just as much, and I haven't been sorry that I graduated there, 'cause if I wanted to go to another school later, well, I could...." She could and did. Miss Hornbuckle earned three degrees: a B.A. in history from SFA, an M.A. in Education from Peabody, and a B.S. in Library Science from Texas Woman's College.

As was the custom for many teachers in the early days, she taught school for three years before ever going to college. Her preparation at that time consisted of a high school education and some occasional days at a regional "institute" or teacher training sessions like the ones held in Nacogdoches before SFASTC opened.

Miss Horbuckle began her college work at North Texas, then transferred to SFA in the summer of 1924 because it was closer to her home. She graduated in SFA's first class in August, 1925, one of ten students.

The first thing that came to her mind after I asked what she remembered about the first year was the statement, "Well, we just had plenty of parking room around." We had a good laugh afterwards because of the opposite impression one gets today on the campus. In the winter , she lived in town. In the summer, however, she commuted since her parents lived near Nacogdoches. She sometimes drove her father's Model T Ford to the new campus, taking care to park so she wouldn't have to "back up." She remembered, at the first, "those old wooden blocks--wooden bricks [in the downtown]. And when it rained they'd swell up and everything." She lived close to the courthouse and walked up to the college. "We never did think anything about that ... so many other people walked, too. So I'd walk up there [to the campus] in the mornings and stay until ready to come home, and walk back home." Walking home, even in the evenings after baskelball games, did not bother her then, although she said she would not do it now, for sure.

Miss Hornbuckle graduated with a history major. She fondly remembered Dr. Birdwell, who taught a Saturday American history class which she attended. She also had a year of European history from Miss Lois Foster [Blount]. "I had a course from Mrs. Karle Wilson Baker ... in modern poetry. ... I enjoyed her works and her reading of her poems. ... Miss Broadfoot was my P. E. teacher; in fact, she had taught me at Denton." Miss Hornbuckle said several of the other students had transferred from North Texas, too, such as her classmade Vergie Blackwell. Another memorable character for MIss Hornbuckle was Dean of Women Ruth Mays. Miss Mays was always threatening to hang them "as high as Haman" if they did not learn their Spanish. "Who is Haman?" someone asked. "Get out the Bible and look it up," the questioner was told.

Miss Hornbuckle's work in the college library, located in the Austin Building, prepared her for her own career as a teacher. (Miss Hornbuckle was twenty-four when she entered SFA.) She worked in the library , first as a student assistant, and then in 1925, after graduation, as Assistant Librarian. "Anything that had to do with the library- ... I just loved." They only had one room at first, but then they expanded to used a room across the hall for a study room and for checking out books. She commented that she saw the Rusk Building being built and that she did work in the new Library one summer in later years.

She also recalled Miss Loulein Harris, SFA's first Librarian, who taught her several courses in library science. "I was just crazy about Miss Loulein [Harris]. She was very strict about our work. She wanted you to be accurate--she wanted everything done just right--and I guess I must have pleased her because she wrote me one of the nicest recommendations anybody could ask for." Miss Harris inspired her to get an advanced degree in Library Science.

Miss Hornbuckle reflected on her days at SFA as a positive experience which prepared her for a life of scholarship, teaching, and travel. She treasured being one of SFA's first graduates.