This Week in Texas Methodist History    May 11



Megaphone Reflects on First Fifty Years of Southwestern  University Graduates,     May 15, 1923

As the 1922-23 academic year ended, the Southwestern University newspaper, the Megaphone, looked back on fifty years of graduates.  Using university records, the newspaper reported that since its founding in 1873, the university had awarded 1240 degrees of whom 1151 were still living.  The 1240 included 798 men and 442 women.  The relatively small total and relatively high percent of graduates still alive, reflects the small graduating classes of the early days.    

If one of the aims had been to provide an educated clergy for Texas, then Southwestern could be counted a great success.  .  More than 10 per cent of the graduates, 138, had become clergymen.  Another 22 were missionaries.  One should remember that women were barred from ordination until 1956. 

The professions of the graduates were reported in chart form which is reproduced here.

Men:
   138 Preachers
   160 Teachers
     105 Lawyers
     21 Farmers
      49 Doctors
     5 Journalists
     15 Bankers
   7 Chemists
    1 Bishop
    5 Government Employees
    2 congressmen
    3 in Navy
   1 in Army
    1 Pianist

Women

180 Teachers
220 Homemakers
1 lawyer
2 Librarians
22 Missionaries ( men and women)
29 students
184 Miscellaneous (merchants, oil men, real estate, mining engineers, etc.)