At the turn of the century South Texas was a dry, hostile land, largely uninhabited except for the large towns along the Mexican border. But, the discovery of artisian wells made fresh water available to turn the fertile land into a rich agricultural community. The railroad finally came to the area and brought with it young families, with children who needed schooling. But, it was hard to convince teachers to come into this frontier area and the people of the area knew that they would have to have a school to train their own teachers. As early as 1909 the community leaders of Kingsville started agitating for the creation of a Normal school to train teachers. Normal schools did not necessarily award baccalaureate degrees, they simply awarded teaching certificates. The businessmen of Kingsville organized and traveled throughout the area trying hard to convince the people that a school should be built, preferably in Kingsville. They were the first to recognize the need, and the first to have an organized effort to have it established in their town. 

     The battle to bring a school to South Texas was indeed a mighty effort as the State Legislature did not really believe that a school was needed this far south where the largely Spanish speaking population had little political clout. But, by 1917 the South Texas legislators managed to pass a bill that established a Normal School in Kingsville. Though created, the school was not built as World War I started and all building efforts were put on hold. It was not until 1925, after the end of World War I,  that money was finally appropriated for the creation of the school. In the legislation appropriating funds for the school,  which had been created as the South Texas Normal, was wording causing the first name change so that the South Texas Normal  was to be called the South Texas State Teachers College. It was a community effort and was placed in South Texas as a compromise among all of the communities of South Texas, from Brownsville to Victoria and west to Laredo. It was to bring education to all of the people of South Texas.

1909-1925 continued