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Aug 12, 2018
10:33:47am
TCUfan77 Walk-on
Texas Christian University is an educational institution...

and has always been an educational institution, with a separate Board of Trustees, who set forth an educational mission for the university to pursue.  It was founded by Addison and Randolph Clark in 1873, who were both proselytizing ministers affiliated with the Disciples of Christ and for so long as they lived, they ran it.  It was originally nameds AddRan School and was distinctive in that it admitted both males and females, which, at the time most schools didn't.  When it added multiple colleges a decade or so later, it became AddRan University. It entered into a formal covenant relationship with the Disciples of Christ during the Clarks' tenure, which has continued ever since, and at that time, it changed its name to AddRan Christian University.  It started in Thorp Spring, moved to Waco (cough) after a fire and then moved to Ft. Worth in 1910 (after another fire).

At that time, both Clarks had died and while formal control resided in the Board of Trustees, informal control devolved upon the "Brethren" (which is a loose term describing all the influential primarily-Texas-based DOC preachers) who, as described in my great-grandfather's autobiography, attended a series of meetings to decide what to do about the university.  A lot of towns and cities were bidding to host AddRan and they essentially decided which offer to accept.  They chose Ft. Worth, which was the Clark's original desired location and the school moved there and formally changed its name then to "Texas Christian University."  At that time, many people shortened that to "TCU."  In the 1970's, the school obtained trademark and tradename legal protection for the acronym.

In a sense, therefore, the DOC (as represented by the Brethren) ran the school, having selected both the new location and the new name (although the educational mission was run by the administration and the faculty).  For decades, the Chancellor was always an ordained DOC minister.  And the DOC was heavily represented on the Board. Over time, however, that changed and the DOC being very ecumenical, people of other faiths joined the Board and eventually, even the Chancellor.  The current Chancellor is a Roman Catholic.

The covenant relationship between the Disciples of Christ and Texas Christian University remains ongoing.  The two institutions like each other (a lot!) and both benefit from the relationship.  But, except for the time of my great grand-dad and the Ft. Worth move, the DOC has never really "run" the school.  It's more accurate to say that they get involved from time to time when the school faces difficulty like a close friend in need.

 

 

TCUfan77
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TCUfan77
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8/9/18 9:34pm

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