Over at College

In 1926 James Knox Walker, professor of civilengineering, and his new bride moved onto thecampus of what was then known as the Agriculturaland Mechanical College of Texas. The greatercommunity of which this small on-campusneighborhood was a part was known simply as“College.” There was no such place as CollegeStation, and the city of Bryan stood six miles away.

James Knox Walker Jr., the couple’s oldest child,recollects the days when professors, staff members,and their children formed a small, closely knitsociety “over at College.” The campus served asthe children’s playground and the scene of theiradventures. It also served their educational needs atA&M Consolidated School, founded in 1920. Thiscommunity flourished from its beginnings in thelate 1890s until 1938, when the college informedresidents that it would no longer provide on-campushousing.

Over at College is a charming stroll through the pastthat also captures fascinating glimpses of the socialstructures, institutions, mores, and daily lives on theA&M campus during the 1920s and 1930s.