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Ex-Students Lead in Fields of Entertainment, Politics, Journalism, Business, Law, Engi neering, Government. Representative of the ex-stu dents who have become success ful writers is Laura Krey. Born Laura Lettie Smith about forty nine years ago in Galveston, Mrs. Krey made herself an important American writer with one book, “...and Tell of Time.” “... and Tell of Time” is the story of a group of pioneers who came to Texas and took part in the win ning of the state. Much of the story is said in the valley of the Brazos River, where Mrs. Krey lived until she was twelve years old. In her thirteenth year, her grandfather sent her to Virginia to learn to become a lady. Her mother had died when Laura was only a few months old, leaving her to the care of her father and her mother’s family. This meant that she grew up largely in a world of men, who thought it more im portant to teach her the working of politics and the practical man agement of a plantation than to see that she was instructed in feminine arts. Even today she can not sew a fine seam. After attending Mary Baldwin Seminary at Staunton, Va., it was decided that she should return to Texas and continue her education at the University, “which accept ed girls, and where Bishop Kin solving lived, chaperoning his for tunate charges.” From Bishop Kinsolving, Mrs. Krey has said, she learned about the Bishop who appears so often in her book. The influence of men in her life continued. At the University it was Bishop Kinsolving and Stark Young. Stark Young kind led into flame the spark of desire to write. She wrote thousands of words a week, just learning to rite. For diversion she worked on The Daily Texan and acquired a bachelor of arts degree and a Phi Beta Kappa key. That was in 1912. Then, ironically, her writing was put aside, and she began a new course of study, this time in housekeeping. She was mar ried to August C. Krey, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin. Two babies, a boy and girl, took the place of the brain children she might have created. The excisting history she had grew in 1923. George A. Hill Jr. attended the University in 1907- 1911. Now he is president of the Houston Oil Company of Texas, Houston. The fourth rep resentative of successful Texans in business is Miss Helen Knox, Manager women's department, learned at her grandfather's knee, she never quite forgot, however. When the children got older, she went back to her writing, and in 1938 “. . .and Tell of Time” appeared and became a best sel ler. The night that she received word from the publishing company that they were going to publish the book, she and her husband and daughter broke out their fine bottle of wine and celebrated at 2 o'clock in the morning. The son was away at school in Vir ginia. Today she is at Chapel Hill, N. C., working on a second book, “The Fires Center on Texas,” a story of the Texas Revolution. Success waited a long time, but when it came to Laura Krey, it came with a bang. Other Texas writers of note are Major John W. Thomason, Barry Benefield, Owen P. White, Ruth Cross, Stanley Walker, Wal ter Prescott Webb, and Donald Joseph. A reporter by intention, a sol dier by circumstance, was Major Thomason, master of realism in the printed word and on canvas. Of the many stories which he has written and illustrated, “Gone to Texas” is the most important in our opinion. Born at Huntsville, Major Thompson was schooled at Lee EX-STUDENTS, Page 27 Both of the United States sen ators from Texas are ex-students. Senator Tom Connally, above, re ceived his bachelor of laws degree from the University in 1898, and Senator Morris Sheppard received his bachelor of arts degree in 1895 and his bachelor of laws degree in 1897. Highest-ranking of the many ex-students who have gone into politics, Senators Con nally and Sheppard have brought prestige to the University by their service to their country. Senator Connally is chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, and Sena tor Sheppard is chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. Other ex-student in public serv ice include Congressmen Ed Gos sett and Fritz Lanham and former Governors Dan Moody and Pat M. Neff. Grand Central Branch, The Chase National Bank of the City of New York. She is also treasurer and finance chairman of Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Inc., which is restoring General Lee's birthplace, Stratford Hall, Vir ginia. One of three appointees by Secretary of Labor Frances Perk ins, Oscar R. Strackbein, right, in 1937 was named member of the Public Contract Board in Wash ington, D. C. The Public Contracts Board holds public hearings in the various industries which supply the gov ernment from time to time, and makes Findings of Fact as to the minimum wages prevailing throughout the United States. When the findings are promul gated in the form of wage deter minations, a manufacturer bidding on government contracts in ex cess of $10,000 is bound by law to pay not less than the rates specified in the wage order. To date about thirty wage determina tions have been made, including the iron and steel, cotton gar ment, cement, paper, furniture, aircraft, explosives, and other in dustries. Formerly assistant trade com missioner to Cuba and Venezuela, Mr. Strackbein in 1933 became economic adviser to the Cigar Makers International Union and the Tobacco Workers Interna tional. Graduated from the University in 1922, he taught in the School of Business Administration in the summer of 1923. Another ex-student prominent in Washington is Marguerite Ra walt (not pictured), who was ap pointed by President Roosevelt in 1933 to be an attorney on the staff of the General Counsel for the Bureau of Internal Revenue. This office has been described as the largest law office in the world under one roof, since there are over three hundred attorneys comprising the legal staff. Only four of these are women. Miss Rawalt’s attitude toward Texas is typical of these ex-stu dents who now live far from the Engineering their way to the top are the three men above, who stand for the army who have been educated in the College of Engineering. The firm of Ash, Howard, Needles, and Tammen, consulting engineers, of which Ernest FE. Howard, above, is a member, now has the unsual as signment of building four bridges University. “My schooling and professional work in Washington,” she wrote, “have in no way dimmed my loyalty and interest in my home state, Texas. My legal domi cile qualifies me as a citizen of Texas. My family resides in Kingsville and Robstown.” A third Texan of note in Wash ington is George Wythe, right, liaison officer in the Department of State, a position which was es tablished by the Reorganization Act of 1939 and Reorganization Plan No. 2. He has an office both in the Department of Com merce and in the Department of State, and his duties relate to co-ordination of the work of these two departments and the adminis tration of the Foreign Service of the United States. Reorganization Plan No. 2 pro vided for the consolidation of the former Foreign Commerce Service with the Foreign Service under the State Department. After the World War, Mr. Wythe spent most of his time in the Foreign Commerce Service in the Near East, Austria, Hungary, Finnland, and Mexico; but he decided sev eral years ago to stay in the United States. Students will get a close-up of Mr. Wythe next summer, when he comes to the University to lec ture in the Latin-American Insti tute, across the Mississippi River simul taneously. Mack Donald Rust, center, is co-inventor (with his brother) of the Rust Cotton Pick ing Machine. Kindred McLeary, shown at night at his camp, receiv ed his bachelor of science in arch itecture degree in 925, and now teaches architectural design at Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, GEORGE A. HILL, JR. TOM CONNALLY HELEN KNOX ERNEST HOWARD LAURA KREY MACK RUST GEORGE WYTHE OSCAR STRACKBEIN KINDRED MCLEARY
Newspaper Details
Austin Daily Texan
Austin, Texas, US
Fri, Apr 05, 1940
Page 86
Full Page
Clipped by
Isabelle J.
USA 05 Jul 2026
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