Town and Gown

With the 1876 establishment of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas south of the young city of Bryan, Brazos County had a college, but it would be many years before there would be, at least officially, a College Station.

One of the key elements of the young school's early and continued growth was its proximity to a stop along the Houston and Central Texas Railroad line. For obvious reasons, the depot there was known as "the college station." The local postmaster soon took to canceling letters and parcels sent from the college with "College Station," and the first president of A&M, Thomas Gathright, is said to have scratched out "Bryan" on his letterhead and hand wrote "College Station."

Many were the unincorporated communities around the area and surrounding the campus, and College Station remained one until, in 1938 due to fear the area would be annexed by the City of Bryan, the City of College Station was incorporated.

Eighty years later the "town and gown" relationship between the city and the university remains unique and at times challenging, according to former Blinn College history professor and College Station city councilwoman Blanche Brick.

Dr. Blanche Brick is a retired professor of History with Blinn College. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Baylor in Education, a Masters of Arts in Education from George Washington University, a Master of ARts in History from the University of Hawaii, and a Ph.D. in Education from Texas A&M University. She has lived in the Philippines, Pakistan and Indonesia. She is a former member of the College Station City Council and is respected as a social and political commentator addressing present-day events from an historical perspective.