In 1948, as part of a special edition on SFA at its twenty-fifth anniversary, Lucille Fain interviewed two of the original faculty members of the college, Dorothy Arnold (Sanders) and Lois Foster (Blount). Miss Arnold taught English in the sub-college at first and Latin for the college students; after 10 years, she gave up the Latin classes but continued to teach English for many years. Miss Foster, who also taught occasional sections in the sub-college as everyone including Birdwell did, had completed more graduate work than Miss Arnold and consequently taught more college courses from the beginning. Miss Foster taught Western Civilization, English History, and Modern European History from 1815 to the Present. She became the curator of the Rare Book Room in the Library, now the ETRC, and was responsible for saving many of the documents from the early years, including the Stone Fort yearbooks. Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Fain, we have the following faculty memories from the early years. (JLJ)

The Daily Sentinel, October 12, 1948

Early days at college were full of trials as well as red earth

By Lucille Fain

Holding classes in 'cubby holes,' incessant rain, a closely knit social life, and the dramatic background of red earth--these things are among the memories held by Mrs. P. A. Sanders from her first year as a member of the faculty of the Stephen F. Austin College.

Mrs. Sanders' first years were also the college's first year term, term of 1923-24, and when the young lady came to Nacogdoches to teach, she was Miss Dorothy Arnold. However, Mr. Sanders was one of her early acquaintances and the following September they were married.

. . . . "[In the Shack] one of my first duties was to help J. H. Wisely and J. V. Dean with registration."

Students that first year were, Mrs. Sanders recalls, mostly of sub-college or high school level. There were a few freshman and some sophomores. Classes were held before the regular high school classes and in small unused areas.

"I taught Latin and English and because my Latin Classes were small, I always drew the 'cubby holes'," Mrs. Sanders said smiling. . . . Her most vivid memories are of the town and faculty life. She came to Nacogdoches from San Marcos and the contrast of red dirt against the white earth and rock she was used to still impresses her.

"That first Sunday after the college opened, the town people took the faculty and students for a drive," the teacher recalls. "We drove to Appleby and back and by the time we got back to town, the tan and white silk dress I had on was virtually ruined. My hair was actually stiff with red dirt."

It rained almost constantly that first fall but between rains, the red dust would cover everything. There was no paving in Nacogdoches at the time and the streets were comparable to the present day country roads.

"We always dreaded Mound street right at the high school campus because on the right hand side there was a ditch that we invariably slid into." Mrs. Sanders continued, "And then we nearly always bogged down in that low place by the hospital."

T-model Fords were the cars most generally in use and Mrs. Sanders says that she remembers everyone had his favorite tree on campus under which he parked his car for the day. The student body was moved into the present main building at the college in May, but for several years that was the only building.

"We were almost pioneers when we started out anywhere," Mrs. Sanders reminisced. . . . Faculty and students in those early years were "one big family," and socials were frequent and much enjoyed. However, the students did not have the wide variety of social activities which is offered modern day students. Mainly the socials were singings....

A. J. "Whitey" Tompson, Nacogdoches present commission chairman [in 1948], operated a sandwich shop across the street from the campus in a residence to provide the students with their only "hang-out" in the early days. There was also a cold drink stand on the campus much like one operated in recent years, and a popular between classes pass-time was checkers played with coke bottle tops. W. F. Garner, a present member of the faculty [in History], was one of the chief exponents of checkers thus played, Mrs. Sanders said.

Although the college was in its first year, it had athletics under the direction of R. H. Shelton right away and boasted a football and baseball team.

"We had no playing field on the campus and we had to trudge through almost ankle deep sand up to old Clark Field on the top of Irion Hill for our games. But I remember going faithfully to football games all fall and baseball in spring. However, basketball began very soon to be the dominant sport at the college," Mrs. Sanders said.

Among her students the first year, Mrs. Sanders remembers Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Sanders and Miss Euna Mae Williamson, present Nacogdoches residents.

Although she doesn't look it, Mrs. Sanders has taught the children of some of her early students. Laughingly, she says she hopes she doesn't last to greet the grandchildren.

The Daily Sentinel, October 12, 1948

Mrs. Lois Blount Recalls 'First Year'

by Lucille Fain

Teachers, students and courses have not changed too much in twenty-five years believes Mrs. Lois Blount. . . one of the original "professors" who got the school off to an auspicious beginning in the fall of 1923.

"The European history I taught that first year is the same as I am teaching now, with just another twenty-five years of war and border changes added," Mrs. Blount said. "In those first two years I taught, most of our students were aiming at teachers' certificates, and today most of our student still plan to be teachers."

Mrs. Blount, who had taught at Baylor College for Women in Belton, East Texas State in Commerce, and West Texas State in Canyon before coming to Nacogdoches, taught at SFA the first two years it operated. She married Mr. Guy Blount in 1925, and returned to teaching in 1937 following his death.

"Students in the early years of the college had just about as full a social life as the young men and women do now," Mrs. Blount remembered. "Athletics got under way that first fall and social organizations were formed also. . . .Early social organizations were called "literary societies" and one of the two girls organizations was named the "Anne Birdwell Club" in honor of the "little daughter of President and Mrs. Birdwell. . ."