Friar Society History

A Tradition of Continuing Service to the University

Contributing to the betterment of the University as alumni comes naturally to Friars, as many just cannot abandon the institution that is so dear to their hearts. While the University's Ex-Students' Association has facilitated alumni involvement even before the founding of the Friars, the Society has served as a focal point for alumni activity, as its small size and conviviality help its member's efforts to be more efficient and productive, and especially due to the fact that almost from the beginning Friars have played key roles in both the University administration and the Texas state government. As early as 1935, the Society adopted a resolution instructing the Abbot to maintain contact with Friars throughout the State and nation at least twice yearly, "extending the greetings of Friars on the Campus, and containing such information about campus activity and problems as is likely to be of general interest to Friars." This formal contact between Friars active at the University and alumni continues to this day in the form of The Friar Forum, a twice yearly newsletter produced by the active Friars.

Throughout the Society's existence, Abbots and various alumni have called upon all Friars for the purpose of initiating special efforts on behalf of the University. The University of Texas, as a public institution, has perennially been under funded in comparison to its peer institutions. This has left the university almost since its inception with large classes, less than desirable faculty and staff salaries, and, for a long period, rickshaw buildings. Friars have long recognized this need and have been the chief organizers of the University's development efforts in the twentieth century. Abbot Benno Schmidt in his first mass communication with Friars mentioned earlier, implored Friars to assist, "An effort must be made to get our ex-student body 'University minded'..."

In the early 1960s, Friars led a state-wide effort to secure greater appropriations from the Texas state legislature for all public institutions in the state, including the University of Texas at Austin. Abbot Charles R. Gregg wrote Friars across the state in early 1960 to involve them in a grassroots information campaign to inform the public, through local media, and more importantly, candidates for legislative office of the problems facing the University. By the following year, this effort had been taken up by Friars Allan Shivers and J. J. "Jake" Pickle, and christened as CLASP, or the College Loyalty Alumni Support Program. Former Governor Shivers, as overall chairman of the effort, which included 20 public institutions across the state, challenged alumni to participate in annual giving to their alma maters, and organized a fundraising drive March 19 - 31, 1962.

Abbot Joe Peck engaged the active Friars and Austin alumni in the effort through a series of meetings with UT Chancellor Harry Ransom, Jim Triola, Executive Director of the UT Development Board, and Ex-Students' Association Executive Director Jack Maguire. Together they developed a comprehensive program for alumni involvement for the University, entitled "Continuing Service to The University of Texas and The State of Texas". It was presented to the Friar membership at the April 9, 1961 Breakfast and was unanimously endorsed. Its five general goals have since been the core of the Ex-Students' Association's and the Society's outreach efforts:

  1. To develop backing for State-supported Higher Education in Texas,
  2. To provide information for developing a better understanding of the State's available fund; emphasizing the importance of maintaining the present division of the fund,
  3. To cooperate with and assist the University Development Board to obtain greatly increased private gift support,
  4. To develop the manpower inherent in our ex-students though wider support for the Ex-Students' Association and its functions, and
  5. To facilitate recruitment of outstanding high school graduates for The University of Texas.

Abbot Joe Peck also initiated in information campaign among Friar Alumni whereby directors of UT departments and the dean of each college or school corresponded with alumni to inform them of current activities and future plans, as well as solicited contributions for various programs.

Aside from development efforts, Friar Alumni serve as University of Texas System Regents and, when asked by the Governor, submit and review nominees for the Board of Regents. It has been a rare occasion in the history of the University that at least one Friar Alumnus has not been on the current Board. Some notable Friar Regents include Former Governors Beauford Jester and Allan Shivers, Wales Madden, Lowell Lebermann, and current regents Pat Oxford and Cyndi Taylor Krier. Due to the good relationship between the Society and the Board, active Friars have regularly met with Regents both formally and informally to discuss problems facing the University and to give student input on issues before the Board.

During the tumultuous times at the University of the late 1960s and 1970s, the Society's members were called upon to meet with various university administrative officials and faculty members, in an attempt to foster a greater understanding between students on campus and the University administration. Since that time until the administration of Dr. Robert Berdahl, the active Friars had regular audiences with the President of the University, both separately, and later, with other selected student organizations, to discuss current issues of concern at the University. In the early 1990s, President Berdahl established the President's Student Advisory Committee, consisting of students appointed by the Student Association, as a regular source of student input.

The Abbot of the Friar Society has always played a crucial role in student life at the University. Prior to the abolishment and subsequent restructuring of the Student Association in 1978, the Friar Abbot was a part of the Judicial Branch selection committee, as well as nominated students for appointment to various standing committees at the University. While the role and visibility of the Friar Abbot on campus has declined in recent years, several appointments to selection committees for student awards and scholarships are still made by the Abbot.

Aside from serving as an organizing force for alumni and a source of student input for faculty and administration, the Friar Society has, over the years contributed to the betterment of the University through various awards and programs it has established. The Society's recruitment efforts, the Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship, the Student Endowed Centennial Lectureship, The Hemann Sweatt Civil Rights Symposium, and the Guleke Endowed Student Excellence Award are just a sampling of the Friar's efforts to build the University.

At the spring 1980 Breakfast, Friar C. B. Smith challenged members to establish a Friar endowed Professorship as a gift from the Society to the University in honor of the University's Centennial in 1983. With his initial contribution of $10,000, $90,000 from fellow Friars, including a substantial contribution from Friar Lowell Lebermann, and a $100,000 matching contribution from the UT System Board of Regents, an endowment was established. Following discussions with Friars Thomas Law, Allan Shivers, Lowell Lebermann and John Hill, it was decided to dedicate the award to undergraduate teaching excellence, and the name "Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship" was christened. While the endowment matured, a selection process for the award was developed. The award is selected annually by a committee consisting of active and alumni Friars, and is awarded to the best undergraduate teacher at the University. The selection progress is rigorous, involving nominations by fellow faculty and students, examination of Course-Instructor Survey data, classroom observations, and interviews with current and past students. The Centennial Teaching Fellowship Committee makes a recommendation to the President of the University, who makes the final decision. A $12,000 Fellowship is awarded in an ad-hoc "classroom interruption" ceremony, involving Friars, fellow faculty, administrators, and the media. The first recipient of the fellowship was Professor Robert Prentice, of the Business School (1986-87).

To be a world class institution, the University must attract world class lecturers to speak to the University community on a regular basis. It was with this goal in mind that Friar Janet Bauerle led a consortium of eight student organizations on campus in 1980 to create the Student Endowed Centennial Lectureship. Friar Bauerle included in addition to the Friar Society, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa (now defunct), Orange Jackets (women's honorary service and spirit organization), Silver Spurs (men's spirit organization), Spooks (now the Texas Spirits, women's spirit organization), Texas Cowboys (men's honorary service and spirit organization), Texas Posse (now defunct), and Senior Cabinet (now the Cabinet of College Councils, which served as student governance for the University in the absence of the Student Association, which had been abolished in 1978). Funding was raised by the participating organizations, as well as a $1 optional "Dollar for A Scholar" student fee which was collected during the University's Centennial.

The first Centennial Lectureship speaker, Bill Moyers, was brought to campus in March of 1985. He gave an open lecture to students, made himself available for lunch with students, and spoke to various classes University wide. The endowment provided for speakers in following years, but was abandoned in 1992. In the fall of 1999, Friar Ted Bosquez led a campus effort to restart the Centennial Lectureship, and General Colin Powell will come to campus to speak in the fall of 2000.

In the spring of 1985, Friar Randy Bowman spoke at the semester Friar breakfast about the need for a memorial to Hemann Sweatt, the University's first African-American student, in order to counteract the widespread lingering perception among Texas high school students of the University as a racist school. After formulating a proposal for an annual civil rights symposium with fellow Friar and former Black Students' Association president Darrick Eugene, the Hemann Sweatt Civil Rights Symposium was approved and endorsed as a joint project of the Friars and the BSA. Since 1987, the Sweatt Symposium has engaged the campus in dialogue about race and civil rights though a two-day seminar held each spring. With the growth of the University's Multicultural Information Center, an umbrella support center for minorities on campus begun through the efforts of Friars Tito Garcia and Marlen Whitley, the Society no longer plays a key role in the planning and organization of the event, but it is still an attraction for many students.

Friar Ed Guleke was tragically killed in a 1976 accident during a mountain climbing trip over Mt. McKinley. As a student, Friar Guleke was the epitome of student excellence at the University, actively involved in Alpha Phi Omega, the Student Association, Omicron Delta Theta and as an Orientation Advisor. His scholarship was exceptional as well, as Ed was named Phi Beta Kappa and was a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist. In memory of Ed Guleke's dedication to the university and personal excellence, his friends, and the Society established the Ed Guleke Endowed Student Excellence Award in his honor, given each spring to one student who exemplifies the example that Friar Guleke set. The Scrivener of the Friars serves as chair of the selection committee with the Abbot (or his/her designee), the Student Government president (or his/her designee), the president of Alpha Phi Omega, and a representative from the Orientation Program.

In commemoration of the University's Centennial in 1983-84, Abbot Bryan Garner compiled a collection of essays on the University from current and former students and faculty, and published them in a book entitled Texas, Our Texas: Remembrances of the University. The royalties from the sale of the book were used to establish a scholarship fund for undergraduate students who, through their leadership and involvement have contributed to the University. However, sales of the book were relatively low, and the fund only grew to approximately $5,000. Seven scholarships were awarded in 1990, and the fund was exhausted. Several hundred copies of the book were printed, and remain an excellent first person historical account of the progress of the University during its first hundred years.

In spring 1999, the active Friars established a new award to recognize individuals who, for one reason or another, were not eligible to become a Friar, but who nevertheless has made a significant contribution to the University of Texas at Austin. The first recipient of the Friar Society Significant Contribution Award was Dr. Margaret C. Berry, long-time Dean of Women, Historian of the University, and one of the original founders of the Orange Jackets women's honorary service organization. The spring 2000 recipient was former Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents Bernard O. Rapoport, who has served as an advocate for students as well as established numerous endowed chairs and student scholarships.

This account of the Society's service to the University would not be complete without mention of the many contributions to the improvement of the University by Friars while they are active students. As the chief criteria for membership in the Friar Society is the accomplishment of a Significant Contribution, literally more than 600 projects have been undertaken by Society members since its inception in 1911. From the founding of key campus organizations such as the Texas Cowboys and the Neighborhood Longhorns service organizations, to the construction of Memorial Stadium , the Student Services Building , and the Texas Union , Friars have left their mark on the University, and will continue to do so.