Every university today distributes viewbooks, brochures and advertisements to publicize its many advantages to prospective students. But marketing the university isn’t a new concept at TCU. Since its inception, TCU promoted itself through printed materials, such as the “Pictorial Presentation of Texas Christian University with Biographical Sketches of its    Faculty,” circa 1903, which can be found in TCU’s Special Collections archive. Here we offer an excerpt. The entire brochure can be viewed by clicking here.

ANSWERS TO SOME IMPORTANT INQUIRIES CONCERNING TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

WHERE LOCATED: At North Waco, a beautiful suburb of Waco, Texas, and connected with the city by a street car line, enabling persons to go and come every fifteen minutes.

SCOPE OF THE WORK
The following Colleges and Schools are in successful operation:
I. Add-Ran College of Arts and Sciences
II. College of the Bible
II. College of Business
IV. College of Music
V. School of Oratory
VI. School of Art
VII. Preparatory School

THE EQUIPMENT OF THE SCHOOL: There are at present three laboratories, chemical, philosophical and psychological; a well-equipped Business College; an excellently furnished Art Room; a very efficient Library, and all the recitation rooms are supplied with maps, charts, globes and, in short, with all the appliances for thorough work.

RELIGIOUS ADVANTAGES: The University Christian Church holds its meetings in the College Chapel. An efficient Sunday school is kept up throughout the year, the professors of the school, together with others living in the vicinity, furnish a very efficient teaching force. Two Christian Endeavor societies are maintained. There is preaching every Lord’s Day at 11 o’clock in the morning and at 8 o’clock at night. A mid-week prayer meeting is maintained and other religious services are provided from time to time. The work done in the Bible College of the University and the daily chapel exercises supplement the religious work. In addition to this, the Central Christian Church, which is in easy reach of our students, provides services twice every Lord’s Day. There are also a large number of other churches in the city, and the students belonging to other communions are permitted to attend the church of their choice under such escort as parents may desire.

ATHLETIC EXERCISE: A beautiful campus of fifteen acres, as level as a floor, furnishes ample opportunity for outdoor sports and games. The authorities of the University have not seen fit to entirely prohibit inter-collegiate athletics, but students are restricted to a limited number of games each term. Only those who maintain a good standing in their classes are permitted to play in these inter-collegiate games, and one of the professors of the College invariably accompanies the teams when they play games away from home. In this way the objectionable features of inter-collegiate games are avoided.

LITERARY SOCIETIES: There are three literary societies in the Collegiate Department, the Shirley, the Walton and the Add-Ran, and one in the Preparatory School called the Jarvis. These societies furnish very profitable drill in composition, declamation, debate and parliamentary usage. They provide a very profitable feature of the University’s work.

THE RELATION OF THE SEXES: The young men and young women mingle freely in classroom work, thus insuring a vigor in the classes that cannot be had in any other way. Outside of the classroom their relations are restricted within entirely proper bounds. The girls are under the immediate care of a very efficient Lady Principal, who has had long experience in the management of girls. The Girls’ Home is entirely detached from any other building, and is consequently retired and quiet. Gentlemen callers are not admitted, except at stated times and special occasions. The social intercourse is free from arbitrary and unreasonable restraints, yet at the same time, it is so carefully guarded that no reasonable person can take offense.

PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS: Musical recitals are given frequently, not only for the benefit of the music pupils, but for the pleasure and entertainment of the student body. Lectures on social, moral and religious questions are often delivered, and each literary society gives an open session once each year. In addition to this, there are three annual contests: the Sam Rutledge contest for the medal offered to the best orator in the Biblical Department; the Granville Jones contests—one for the medal offered for the best oration on the subject of Prohibition, and the local contest to determine the representative to the state
oratorical contest.

EXPENSES: The expenses, considering the advantages offered, are marvelously low. It may be confidently asserted that no school in the country offers more for the money expended. Board, including room heated and lighted, costs $12.50 per month. Tuition in the literary department ranges from $4.00 to $5.00 per month, according to the advancement of the student. Tuition in the special department is $5.00 a month.

TIME TO ENTER: The best time to enter is at the beginning of the fall semester, but students are admitted at any time and the best arrangements that are possible are made for their accommodations.

The next session opens September 7, 1903.

Comment on this story by emailing tcumagazine@tcu.edu.

On the Web:
A copy of this brochure, which includes 22 faculty profiles and 20 campus photos, is available at magazine.tcu.edu.