Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The descriptive marker text is pretty self-explanatory by itself; below is a very brief narrative on the founding of the seminary, per the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's own website:

"At the end of the nineteenth century, two Presbyterian pastors - Dr. Robert Lewis Dabney and the Rev. Richmond Kelley Smoot - looked to the dusty expanses of the American frontier and dreamed a dream. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, founded in 1902, was the result of their vision and labor. Established under the auspices of the Synod of Texas in the Presbyterian Church in the United States, Austin Seminary began its mission of educating and equipping ministers for the Southwestern United States. It wasn't long, however, before the institution blossomed and grew beyond the wildest visions of its forebears. Soon, Austin Seminary was training women and men for a variety of ministries throughout the nation and world."

Marker Number: 12743 Marker Text: This seminary had its origins in the Austin School of Theology, begun in 1884 by the Rev. Dr. Richmond Kelley Smoot and the Rev. Dr. Robert Lewis Dabney to provide training for candidates for the Presbyterian Ministry whom the founders hoped would remain in Texas and the southwest. Smoot and Dabney both taught classes, but received no compensation. Although the school closed in 1895, continuing enthusiasm for a permanent seminary provided momentum to the Synod of Texas to appoint a committee to carry out this vision. The new institution opened in 1902 as the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, with the Rev. Dr. Thornton Rogers Sampson as president. Classes were held at an East Austin Campus in a donated building. Wishing to take advantage of an academic partnership with the University of Texas, Sampson succeeded in moving the seminary campus to this site in 1908. Smoot's and Dabney's original goal of having seminary students remain in the region was realized, as graduates accepted calls to pastorates in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. After World War I, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary began a Spanish-speaking department to serve the Hispanic population in south Texas. Other programs have developed over the years to equip Presbyterian pastors with training and education for ministry in a rapidly changing world. (2002)

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