South Texas Archives & Special Collections

Cousins' Family Papers

(A1999-018)

Creator Sketch

Robert Barstow Cousins served and shaped the system of public education in the state of Texas for fifty years from 1883 to 1932. He began his career in the public schools at Longview, Texas, teaching Latin and Greek. Cousins was Superintendent at Mineola for two years and in Mexia for sixteen years. During this period he was a founding member and President of the Texas State Teachers Association (1898). He was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction for three terms resigning to become the founding President of the West Texas Normal Institute which is now West Texas A&M. In 1917 he was named the president of a another new teacher training institution, the South Texas State Teachers College. The opening of that college was delayed and Cousins resigned his Presidency to move into his wife's family business, Kelly Plow Company. His career as a businessman was short-lived and in 1921 he became the Superintendent of the Houston City schools, a position he held for three years. In 1924 he was selected by the Board of Regents to organize and build the South Texas Teachers College - the position he was originally given in 1917. That institution is now Texas A&M University Kingsville. Cousins died in office in 1932. During his career he pursued a progressive education agenda that resulted in the codification education legislation; advancements in educational practices, state policies, teacher training; and the expansion of higher education opportunities in Texas.

Cousins was born in Fayette, Georgia in 1861. He attended North Georgia Agricultural College and the University of Georgia, graduating in 1882 with a bachelor's degree in "belle lettres". He also passed the bar examination in that same year. After moving to Longview, Texas, to teach in 1883, Cousins married Dora M. Kelly in September of 1885. The couple had four surviving children: three sons, R. B. Jr., Wayne, and Ralph; and a daughter, Edith, who became Dean of Women at Texas College of Arts & Industries (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville.)

Scope And Content Note

The Cousins' Family Papers are a collection of correspondence, manuscripts, documents, published materials, and memorabilia related to Robert Barstow Cousins, his wife, Dora: his sons, Ralph and R.B. Jr.: and his daughter Edith Cousins. A few items in the collection relate to other family members. Dates of items in the collection range from family correspondence in 1828 through newspaper clippings from the late 1950's. The bulk of the papers are those of Robert Barstow Cousins and are most complete for his tenure as Superintendent of Public Instruction (1904-1911) and as President of the South Texas Teachers College (which became the Texas College of Arts & Industries in 1929) until his death in 1932.

Acquisition Information

Transfer of documents from the Office of the President, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, in 1981.

Access Restrictions

All materials are accessable in this fonds, subject to a reference interview.

Use Restrictions

Unrestricted use for scholarly research with proper citation.

Preferred Citation

(Item Description), (Folder Number), (Title and Accession Number)

South Texas Archives
James C. Jernigan Library
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas 78363

Note: The form for citation describes the source document(s) from smallest to largest component.

Organization

Note: Dotted lines seperating items within each sub series represent the contents of seperate boxes as reflected in the Location of the Unit entry.

Descriptive Identification