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The Search for a New Campus

As word got out that the board was looking for a new campus, offers of land began to emerge.

The various sites investigated or proposed included:

  • Buffalo Gap

  • Roy T. Denman offered ten acres west of Cobb Park and Catclaw Creek, in a residential subdivision he was planning, plus $25,000 from the sale of the lots.  On March 13, 1927 the local board of trustees approved  a $1,000 option on this property for six months.

  • R.O. Kenley, a board member from Wichita Falls, offered to see if the city of Wichita Falls was interested.

  • A concrete offer from San Angelo was received.  There are two versions of the offer. According to The Optimist it was $250,000 and a 100-acre campus.  In Guy Scruggs’ thesis, "The History of Abilene Christian College", he stated that it was two sections of land (1,280 acres) and $50,000.

  • Dallas also expressed an interest in the college.

C.W. Bacon, president of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, pointed out a site northeast of Abilene to J.C. Reese, a board member.  The site was located about two and a half miles from downtown and was just east of Cedar Creek.  It was outside of the city limits at that time, which ran along the Abilene and Northern Railroad tracks west of Cedar Creek.  The land rose up as the land went east.  It would be high enough to avoid flooding.

At a special meeting on August 1, 1927, the board had a “considerable discussion of the plans.”  Afterward, they made a visit to the new proposed site and then went to a banquet arranged by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.

After the banquet, the board went back into session and “after full and free discussion, unanimously adopted the motion made by J.P. Powell, seconded by J.B. McGinty that the local board be empowered with full authority to make the best arrangement possible for a new campus in Abilene.”

On August 19, 1927 at a special meeting of the local board, they unanimously approved the selection of the property to the northeast of Abilene.

Front Page of the September 22, 1927 "The Optimist"

The first issue of The Optimist for the 1927-28 school year, Abilene Christian's 22nd year, proudly proclaimed the news of a site secured for the new campus.

Transcript of the Article

 

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Last Update: December 10, 2007
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