SFA's first great benefactor was Frank Spier Aikman. At a time when the young college had only one building, in fact on the day the Austin Building was accepted by the Board of Regents, Frank Aikman generously donated a second building to the campus - a gymnasium. This charitable act was to make the name of Aikman synonymous with the many of the most important early events of the college.

Aikman, a native of Brooklyn, New York, first came to Nacogdoches as a traveling salesman in 1913. During his trips to Nacogdoches, he lodged at the Banita Hotel. My great grandfather, J. R. McKinney, the proprietor of the hotel and later Mr. Aikman's bookkeeper, told Aikman about an investment opportunity with a Mr. Conrad Needham. Needham had purchased a hair tonic formula and needed a partner to help him manufacture and market it. Aikman seized the opportunity and bought a controlling interest in the formula. With their offices and plant located in what is now Wyatt's office supply, Aikman and Needham manufactured and sold hair tonic and shampoos. The Mahdeen Company became very successful; so successful, the Pine Log reported at the time of Aikman's death, that in a few years it "was being sold in most of the best barber shops and drug stores in the United States." Selling Mahdeen hair tonic and shampoos, Mr. Aikman became one of the wealthiest men in Nacogdoches.

Frank S. Aikman took an active interest in the growth and development of Nacogdoches. Writing to Victor Fain in 1985, Ruth Fouts Pochmann, one of the SFA students in 1924, described Aikman as a popular man "because of his affability and his dignified manner." Mrs. Pochmann said, "He was interested in the community, especially the young people . . . . He was a philanthropist also, one of the very few such generous residents in our small town." Aikman always wished for his donations and charity to remain anonymous. For instance, although less known, Aikman gave generously to the construction of Westminster Presbyterian Church, the building at the corner of North and Powers Streets, where he was an active member.

Originally, if SFA had gotten what it requested, it would have had two classroom-like buildings, but as we know, even this was cut to one. The Austin Buidling, while it had a various list of uses, was not a building for non-academic functions. The campus desperately needed a multi-purpose building. Alton W. Birdwell, President of the Teachers College, made immediate plans to build a gymnasium which would fill this gap. President Birdwell left the following account of how Aikman became involved with the gym's construction.

In our early days when we had only one building, Mr. Aikman, finding that we were trying to build a gymnasium, volunteered to furnish the money for that project. It was a princely gift [$13,000]. The result is the Aikman Gymnasium, without which it is difficult to see how the College program could have developed. It immediately became the center of the College life, furnishing not only equipment for athletic puposes, but an auditorium for all large gatherings that are held at the College. . . . He [Aikman] wanted no publicity connected with it....He shunned such publicity. It was really difficult to secure his permission to name the gymnasium after him, but it came to be a constant joy to him.

In another tribute at the time of Aikman's death, President Birdwell added:

In the death of Mr. Frank S. Aikman of this city, the College has lost one of its best friends. He expressed his interest and friendship for the school in personal influence and in money. The donation of $13,000 helped to build the Aikman Gymnasium. This was in the early years of the College, and it is hard to see how the College could have developed without this fine gift. The happy thing about it was that it took no group pressure or difficult solicitations to secure this help. Mr. Aikman saw the need and responded to it cheerfully. He seemed to understand that the finest investment one could make was in the young life of East Texas, and I am sure that he got more pleasure out of this generosity than any other one of his life.

Aikman Gymnasium was constructed in the summer and fall in 1924; it was formally dedicated on November 7. At the dedication ceremony, marked with speeches by Mr. Eugene Blount, Regent Margie E. Neal, and President Birdwell, Aikman proclaimed that the "genuine appreciation of the college had already repaid him for his gift." Aikman's modesty brought "prolonged applause" and "yells from the entire college," according to the Pine Log at the time.

According to the 1925 Stone Fort Yearbook every Saturday night at Aikman Gym was open house. According to "The Diary of Miss SFA," students came to the gym to "enjoy games, songs, and the Virginia Reel that are indulged in at Open House."

Aikman Gym, a large white wooden building, had many different functions. It served the college not only as an arena for basketball and athletics, but it also served as its auditorium. It could have a small stage erected over the basketball court, giving the building a seating capacity of 3500 people. All of the College's commencement exercises were held in the Gymnasium until 1953 when they were moved to the Shelton Gymnasium. Special programs, such those hosted for famous guests like Carl Sandburg and Robert Frost, were held there. It was SFA's first theater, too; plays were regularly performed there. All of the college dances were held there until the Women's Recreation Center took over part of this function after 1935. Until his health began to fail him in May of 1937, Frank S. Aikman had an almost perfect attendance record at these events.

A headline in the Pine Log in December of 1946 read "Aikman Gym Fire Hazard Studied; Fire Marshall In Conference With Coach Jefferies." The wooden building was heated by wood-burning stoves! The fire marshal finally outlawed smoking inside the building in 1947 and ordered that fire drills be conducted.

Aikman Gymnasium was the home of Lumberjack Basketball from 1925 to 1951. During these years coaches Bob Shelton (1925 - 1942), Stan McKewan (1943 - 1948), and Glen Rose (1948 - 1952) led the Axmen to an overall 331 - 201 record. These coaches held the Lone Star Conference Championship for eight years. Coach Shelton also had the distinction of taking his 1940 - 1941 squad to the National Association Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament. Basketball fans from all over East Texas flocked to Aikman Gym to cheer the 'Jacks to victory. Hazel Floyd, in an oral history interview, said the noise of the crowd's cheers, led by the yell leaders and the ax handle-toting Sawyers, rose to a fever pitch inside the all-wooden building.

Aikman died in 1939. The Aikman Gym remained as a monument to the warm and philanthropic spirit of its namesake until 1975 when it was torn down. As a reminder of Aikman's "princely gift," the Board of Regents named the street which runs from East College to Raguet Street, until then called "The Drive," Aikman Drive. The Board further honored Aikman in 1980 by erecting a small marker east of the University Police Department to commemorate the site of Aikman Gym which stood on the corner of East College and Raguet Streets.