West Texas A&M University - Canyon TX

City:: Canyon, TX
Site Type:: Education and Health, Parks and Recreation, Infrastructure and Utilities, Colleges and Universities, Tennis Courts, Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels, Sidewalks and Stairs
New Deal Agencies:: Public Works Administration (PWA), Public Works Funding, Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Description

Then known as West Texas State Teachers College, the campus of what is now West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) was greatly impacted by the New Deal. Notably, multiple sizable construction projects were accomplished with the aid of Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds.

Many students were involved with various New Deal agencies:

In the 1930s, “Frustrated by the parsimony of the Texas Legislature, WTSTC leaders turned to the federal government for help. By conservative estimates, approximately 25 percent of the student body worked for such New Deal agencies as the National Youth Administration (headed in Texas by Lyndon B. Johnson), the Civil Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration. Many of these projects took place on campus and resulted in substantial improvement in the physical plant. One visible legacy from this time is the Buffalo Courts Building, which currently houses the Alumni Association offices.” (https://www.wtamu.edu)

(During a personal visit in 2018 the contributor has found no direct evidence linking any New Deal agency to the construction of the remarkable Buffalo Courts.)

The Amarillo Globe-News detailed some projects on the campus in a 2000 story: “[A. A. Meredith] spent $400,000 in WPA funds for work at the college, including the [Panhandle-Plains Historical] museum, rock work on the campus, paved streets, sidewalks and the tennis courts and grandstand.”