By Lance Clements/ Marketing Editor Assistant
On June 11, The Hamptons of Tyler Senior Living hosted an educational event regarding the history of The University of Texas at Tyler.
Dr. Colin Snider, associate professor and chair of the history department at UT Tyler, spoke at the event, sharing UT Tyler’s origins and growth from a military training camp during World War II to the East Texas Tuberculosis Hospital, the establishment of Tyler State College in 1971 as a senior college, and its evolution into present-day UT Tyler.
Snider believes it is important to preserve and share the history of UT Tyler so that people will gain a stronger connection to the institution, especially for those affiliated with the University.
“I think if you know the past of a place you’re in, you feel like you’re a part of it and you can better understand how you fit within that longer arc, that you are also future history,” said Snider. “There will be a time when you’re no longer at UT Tyler, but your contributions are part of that institution’s history.”
One Hamptons of Tyler resident who attended the event, Dr. Owen Robert Marsh, was one of the founding faculty members of UT Tyler. Marsh served as UT Tyler’s Dean of Admissions and Records as well as an education professor until he retired in 1999.
Marsh recalled his first impression of Tyler State College after moving to Tyler from Illinois in 1972.
“It was just a flat area,” said Marsh. “Trees and shrubbery and things like that. And I couldn’t imagine that we could put a university here with all the things that it was supposed to have. Yeah, but we did.”
Initially, classes were held in a former middle school building, with the first class of students in 1972 consisting of only around 170 students. Tyler State College’s first graduating class occurred in 1974, with enrollment growing rapidly to more than 570 students. Today, enrollment exceeds 11,000 students.
Sara Teichgraeber, the senior director of resident engagement at The Hamptons of Tyler Senior Living, is honored to have one of the university’s founding figures living in its community.
“Our residents bring a wealth of life experience, knowledge, and accomplishments,” said Teichgraeber. “Having someone who played a role in the founding of UT Tyler living in our community gives us a unique opportunity to celebrate that legacy and share it with fellow residents, staff, and visitors.”
Teichgraeber also said Hamptons’ residents especially enjoy programs that connect them to local history, current events, lifelong learning, and personal experiences. She also noted that these programs are popular among residents due to encouraging engagement, conversation, and learning.
For more information about The Hamptons of Tyler Senior Living, visit: https://www.civitasseniorliving.com/the-hamptons/
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