The first Anglo settlers to Texas were welcomed with open arms by the United Mexican States in the 1820s. Those early pioneers were followers of Stephen F. Austin who, through the work of his deceased father, Moses, received from the Mexican government a series of land grants to occupy territory in that part of Mexico called Texas. This included what would later become Brazos County. Henry Mayo of the Brazos County Historical Commission recounts how the City of Bryan, TX–site of the RELLIS Campus–came to be.

Henry Mayo has lived in the College Station area his entire life. He grew up working for his father’s surveying and engineering company, Joe Orr, Inc., which he leads today. He has been an active member of many local organizations, including chair of the Brazos County Historical Commission and past president of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. He is highly regarded as a local and state history expert, writes a regular local history e-blast, and serves as a tank commander in World War II battle reenactments.