Former President takes journey through the past

KELLER — Dr. James H. Stewart Jr.’s  two-story brick house sits nearly secluded at the end of a dead end street. There’s a long concrete driveway leading across his acre of property that includes a duck pond diagonally to the right of the house.

The inside of the house still smells of fresh paint, and Stewart and his wife Colleen have yet to decorate the walls with personal portraits moved from their Hood County ranch to their new home in this bedroom community about 20 minutes east of Fort Worth.

Stewart cordially greets student reporters and sits with them in his study filled with memorabilia from his tenure as The University of Texas at Tyler’s first president.

Former president Dr. James H. Stewart Jr., holding framed photographs of the first graduating class of Tyler State College, reme

He said he and his wife of nearly 51 years abandoned dreams of retiring to the family ranch and moved to Keller instead to be closer to their grandchildren.

With his free time, Stewart sits in his immaculate study and reflects on his experiences as the president who literally saw the ground floor of the University being built.

Stewart received his degrees from North Texas State College and later worked as an assistant to the president there until moving to Tyler in the early 70s when Tyler State College was in its infancy.

“Some friends encouraged me to become interested,” Stewart recalled.  “A member of the board of regents I knew encouraged me to apply [for the presidency].”

He was appointed to the post — the first of three to ever to claim the post — on his 38th birthday. “That experience is fairly unique,” he said. “ At the time I didn’t know enough to be afraid or nervous.”

In the late 60s, Texas education representatives believed upper level institutions should be placed near junior colleges throughout the state. Stewart said he worked with the coordinating board in Austin to get the University started.

Texas legislators created Tyler State College in 1971 as a two-year, upper-level institute of higher learning. Classes began in the fall of 1972, first in a former high school building and later in a former shopping center off Gentry Street in north Tyler.

Officials renamed the school East Texas University four years later and in 1979 it became a part of the University of Texas System.

Stewart said he believes he may be the only university president in the country to serve the institution under three different names.

“ I wanted every student to graduate from a fully accredited institution. We opened with a very small program with 176 students,” he said.

Stewart said he recalls the enthusiasm of the students and the faculty in the early years of the University and has supported the University’s gradual expansion since his retirement in 1981.

Stewart said he and his wife frequently visit Tyler and the current University and keep up with campus events through the student newspaper that is mailed to their home.

His study is filled with memorabilia of his presidency, including framed photographs of the first graduating class, construction blueprints and photos, the first student newspaper and the first student petition. The petitioning students had asked the president not to have a formal graduation ceremony, he said.

“I would like to have had more time to do things, but I am pleased that we got things done quickly,” he said. “The last year I was there was spent in developing the bachelor’s degree in nursing. We had a lot of good support with Tyler being the medical center of east Texas.” The nursing program has now grown to offer a doctoral degree.

Texas Eastern University

Stewart said he spend much of his time now with his wife and grandchildren. He serves on the Harris Hospital board and is involved at Rocky Top Ranch therapy center, he said. He said he also occasionally serves on the grand jury for Tarrant County.