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Texas-Mexican Industrial Institute
 Rev. James W. Skinner 1912 - 1931 |
 Rev. Sam Brooks McLane 1932 - 1954 |
 Dr. Berta F. Murray 1955 |
With
just the ground of the 700 acres of cactus and mesquite brush, the "father"
of Tex-Mex, Rev. James W. Skinner accepted the challenging task of starting
this school. On May 1, 1912 the ground was broken to start work on the
first permanent building. With limited resources, his hardheadedness,
his great love for Mexican boys and great faith in the great God of love,
this Scotsman opened the school on October 1, 1912 with an enrollment
of fifty students.
The
goal of the school was to provide opportunity and assistance to every
Mexican young man seeking to help himself, find himself, and obtain skill
and mastery of himself and that it would be realized in a disciplined
Christian manhood--"it shall be a living and life-creating organism
and not an aggregate of mechanical machinery" and "it shall
contribute to the development of efficient Christian manhood".
Tex-Mex
proved to be a place where Mexican boys had the opportunity to work out
a practical education in the light of an open bible. Since day one, the
amount of hard work, studying, and worship that was done by these young
men, and the staff of the school have proven to be immeasurable. They
are the ones that helped give life to Tex-Mex and kept it going.
In
1932, Dr. McLane succeeded Dr. Skinner as President. During his term as
president, Dr. McLane turned away one boy for every boy that was admitted.
Some applicants found themselves on a waiting list for at least two years
before being accepted. And by 1940, enrollment was at about 100 boys who
came from as far away as Dallas to Mexico city.
Through years of struggle and years of priceless blessing, the school had survived. "Truly the blessed hand of God has been upon us."
"For God, America, and Mexico," this had been the slogan of the Texas-Mexican Industrial Institute through the years. It had trained over 2000 Mexican young men.