Toby Mcdowell Rives Harty, Distinguished Alumni 2012
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When I graduated from
Longview High School,
I went to visit mother
at ET.
Before I could say Jack Robinson, I was enrolled in school.
Didn't have any idea that I was going to be enrolled in school the next day
but I was and of course I loved it. Julia B. Hubbell was the Dean of
Women at the time and she was our house mother.
Se lived in our dorm and
I worked in the dorm office,
and then graduated to working over in her office for her.
I'd go to the campus and park and
what time I didn't,
wasn't in class, I worked at the
counseling center
as a secretary,
or as an assistant, whatever they wanted me to do.
So, I was right there in the department,
and I started taking
my master's degree than in the second summer term
and got it
the next august.
Somehow or other, I
found the position of Dean of Women at
Southwest Missouri State was retiring and
they selected me to be,
to replace her.
I was an acting Dean of Women. Then
two years later when A&M opened up the position
for their Dean of Women
and
somehow or other
they selected me to
integrate those seventeen hundred women
in to the
seventeen thousand students there.
I spoke to
a lot of old Ags, and convinced them that
it was the place to, for their granddaughters to be.
A lot of people said that girls only went to A&M to find a husband and I said
"What better place?"
but it was also a wonderful place for a girl
to be able to get an education.
I was completely awed
and I get teary when I talk about it.
I said, "Are you sure you have a right number
for the right person?" And he assured me that I was, so
most grateful and I'm
in a
society now with some very distinguished people.
