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DID YOU KNOW...
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UPPER VALLEY STARTED IN 1927?
By Dr. Kimberly Selber
Let’s step back to the roaring 1920s—a decade when eggs were 25 cents a dozen, watermelon was only 2 cents a pound, and Wonder Bread debuted on grocery shelves. Households were transforming thanks to timesaving new inventions like the toaster, vacuum, and the electric washing machine.
The world was buzzing with innovations. Families huddled in their living rooms as “the golden age of radio” revolutionized home entertainment. The first transatlantic phone call was made in 1927, and suddenly, the world seemed a little smaller. Ford’s $500 Model A was the new must-have on the road, and the affordable Brownie camera meant everyone could finally capture their lives in snapshots.
In a nation filled with fresh optimism, the 1920s were marked by everything from Babe Ruth smashing records in Yankee Stadium to prohibition sneaking in and speakeasies popping up. Charles Lindbergh soared through the skies on his first transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis while women celebrated their right to vote after decades of struggle. It was an era of excitement, discovery, and social transformation.
Meanwhile, America’s children played with tinker toys and gyroscopes, and baby dolls with flirtatious, rolling eyes were all the rage. Fashion was in full rebellion mode—flappers traded Victorian corsets for shorter skirts and bobbed their hair, leading a revolution of style and attitude. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great flew off the bookshelves, while Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in Steamboat Willie. On the silver screen, silent film stars like Rudolf Valentino and Clara Bow passed the torch to talkies—with John Barrymore’s Don Juan and Al Jolson crooning in The Jazz Singer.
Here in the Magic Valley of Texas, big things were happening. Visionaries like John Closner, Argyle McAllen, and Plutarco de la Viña were laying the foundation of a new community. The settlement, initially called Chapin, renamed Edinburg in 1910, was starting to boom. And in 1926, the dedication of the Reynosa International Bridge forever linked Mexico and the United States.
But 1927 was the year Edinburg truly began to shine. The brand-new Southern Pacific Train depot (now home to the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce) welcomed its first locomotive, while Edinburg High School expanded to include a two-year college: Edinburg College.
A dedicated group of local leaders—Edinburg Trustees, Superintendent H.C. Baker, school dean R.P. Ward, and State Representative W.R. Montgomery—joined forces to bring higher education to the Upper Valley. On September 9, 1927, Edinburg College opened its doors with 25 full-time faculty members welcoming over 100 students into their classrooms. Tuition was a mere $10 for residents of the Edinburg School District and $20 for non-residents—talk about a deal!
To commemorate the opening of the college, an oak tree was planted on Arbor Day in 1927—and it still stands strong today.
President Baker was clear on the mission of the college. In his letter to students, published in the 1927 La Mantilla yearbook, he reminded them, “Making a life, and not making a living, is the school’s business…. Knowledge is necessary, but—With all thy wisdom, get understanding.”
Edinburg College, one of the legacy institutes to UT Rio Grande Valley, was dedicated to building a stronger community and a more prosperous future.
Oh, and the students? They had a blast. They spent their college years dancing the Charleston at the Blue Bonnet Garden and the Lipscomb Building, grooving to the sounds of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, and Ernie Fields.
The number of students enrolled for the first semester at Edinburg College varies from 109 to 195. On September 12, 1927, The Brownsville Herald reported 109 students.
On September 6, 2024, UTRGV reported a record breaking enrolment of 34,343 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students combined.
This 1927 ad for Libby’s targets the young woman ready for college. As Edinburg College was opening, the Junior College of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (later to become Texas Southmost College) was heading into their second year of operation.
