Jesse Robert Manning
1.5 linear ft.
A1982-107; A1998-004
1890-1945 (unknown)
Jesse Robert Manning was born September 26, 1898 in the small town of Yoakum, Texas. His parents were Joseph Edward and Frances Rebecca Smith Manning. He entered Yoakum High School in 1914 and graduated in 1918. Immediately he went into the infantry in World War I. The armistice was signed at that time and Manning entered the University of Texas in Austin instead. He received his B. A. A. degree in 1921. He worked in the business field, taught elementary school and taught night school at a junior college in Witchia Falls. In 1924 he went to Gainesville Junior College and headed the business program there. In the meantime, he was working toward his M. A. degree at UT which he received in 1925.
Manning signed his first contract at South Texas State Teachers College on July 26, 1925 as head of the Business Administration Department. Dr. Manning received his Ph.D. Degree from the University of Texas in 1939. He continued working for Texas College of Arts and Industries (used to be South Texas State Teachers College.) When the college was reorganized in 1947, Dr. Manning was made the first director of Business Administration. He worked with many of the university clubs, was faculty advisor for Alpha Chi for 27 years, Business Manager to the annual staff, submitted the name "El Rancho" as the name for the annual, and sponsored Delta Sigma Chi fraternity for 13 years.
The Old Administration Building was renamed J. R. Manning Hall in 1969 to honor Dr. Manning's long years of service. Dr. Manning was married three times, to Nellie Josephine Thiele Manning who died young, to Elizabeth Alice Wimberly Manning who also died early and lastly to Gertrude Ophelia Sammons Lee on December 23, 1956. They divorced on September 20, 1984. Dr. Manning did not have any children. Healthy all his life, Dr. Manning died at the age of 98 on March 5, 1997.
Dr. Manning donated two oral history recordings, correspondence concerning the early days of South Texas State Teachers College, photographs, notes on education, his personal writings on the history of Kingsville, membership certificates from the Javelina Club, the Mason's and other organizations. The collection includes Commencement programs from UT Austin and Texas College of Arts and Sciences, newspaper clippings of important events during his life in Kingsville and grade books for the years he taught.
The collection is divided into seven series: Series I: Correspondence - Series II: Notes on Education - Series III: Commencement Programs - Series IV: Grade Books - Series V: Certificates - Series VI: Publications and Newspaper Clippings - Series VII: Photographs & Miscellaneous Materials
South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Open for Research
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J. R. Manning Collection, A1998-004.XXXX, South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
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A1982-107 – Gift from Mrs. J. R. Manning A1998-004 – Gift from Bill Bayne (J. R. Manning Estate)
Lori Atkins re-processed both accessions and created the finding aid in 2017. Daniel Thacker encoded the finding aid and uploaded all files to the South Texas Archives website in 2017.