Cenizo Journal Spring 2010 | Page 9

Photo courtesy Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas Sul Ross State University President H.W. Morelock and Victor J. Smith stand inside the newly built Big Bend Memorial Museum in 1937. The two paint- ings, Moonlight on the Chisos by Xavier Gonzalez (at the back of the room) and Branding Scene at Cathedral Mountain by Julius Woeltz (at right) remain in the Museum collection today. Perhaps teaching manual arts classes, overseeing campus construction and interacting with the students might be con- sidered a full load for some, but these represented only a por- tion of Smith’s activities. One can begin to understand why President Morelock thought Smith to be a “human dynamo who possessed all the traits of a genius.” While Smith dedicated por- tions of his summers to advanced training in educa- tion, he spent other summer days and holidays exploring the archeology of the Big Bend region. Immediately after classes ended in early May 1921, Smith fired up his Model T for his first archeological field trip. His notes for that day describe a site near Terlingua with 16 “potholes” (bedrock mortars). During 1921, Smith reconnoi- tered 35 archeological sites from Point of Rocks to Ranger Canyon, from Marathon to Shafter, traveling the dirt roads of the Trans-Pecos in his Model T. His investigations continued throughout the next dozen years; by the end of 1933, Smith had visited and described 207 sites. Professor Smith’s holiday archeology spilled over into his campus activities. In addition to adding anthropology classes to his teaching load, he also penned three dozen articles for scientific journals between 1923 and 1951. Smith housed his growing collection of Indian artifacts in the base- ment of the Main Building, and, with the vision of a larger museum in mind, he worked to create a new society to collect and preserve “materials of anthropological, biological, geological, mineralogical and historical value” in “fire and vermin proof storage cabi- nets.” The West Texas Historical and Scientific Society met for the first time in December 1925; over the next 12 years, the soci- ety, spearheaded by Victor Smith, collected specimens, raised funds, and built a new museum building. Collections grew from 600 items in 1926 to more than 12,000 items at the time of the dedication of Big Bend Memorial Museum in 1937. The collection encom- passed the full breadth of life in the Big Bend from arrowheads to a stuffed mule deer buck and a black silk sunbonnet. In May 1939, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held their annual meetings at the new museum, master-minded by Smith. Speakers included archeological luminaries of the day. One can imagine Smith’s pride as he welcomed col- leagues from across the Southwest to the museum and the campus, which he had helped create on a hillside that had been empty two decades earlier. Professor Smith continued to teach and to serve Sul Ross through the 1940s. During the war years, he taught additional classes in pilot training ground school. As he approached retirement in 1951, his profes- sional accolades mounted up – Smith was named a Fellow in AAAS and an honorary life member of the Texas Academy of Science. Victor Smith appears to have always been thin and fit. In the spring of 1956, he lost weight rapidly and became concerned about his health. On May 5, Smith drove his automobile one mile south of Alpine on Hwy. 118 and killed himself with a rifle shot to the head. Curious, I, too, drove south on Hwy. 118 expecting a panorama of the city of Alpine, but that is not the view from one mile south – the view is that of the campus of Sul Ross marching up the hill- side under the Bar-SR-Bar emblem. I wonder if “Mr. Sul Ross” chose that particular spot so that he could gaze on “his” campus. Dr. Bryan Wildenthal memorialized Smith as “one of the most excellent and devoted teachers and one of the finest gentlemen who has served Sul Ross. (We) will forever be indebted to Victor J. Smith for what he did to make Sul Ross State College one of the most beautiful in Texas. As long as the grass grows in West Texas and the mesquite leaves shim- mer in the dry winds, Victor J. Smith’s influence will be felt.” Postscript: In 1960, an inel- egant concrete block men’s dormitory was christened “Victor J. Smith Hall” in his honor; it has since been demol- ished. Today, no campus build- ing or structure carries the name of the man who dedicat- ed so much of his time and tal- ent to Sul Ross. Moonlight Gemstones Bed & Breakfast and ecology resource Center Flowers By Kate special occasion arrangements 432.386.4165 ave C & n 3rd • marathon, tX [email protected] Mon - Sat • 10am to 6pm Sunday by appointment 1001 W San Antonio St Marfa 432.729.4526 moonlightgemstones.com read uS onLIne! cenizojournal.com CITY DRUG STORE Alpine’s Country Drug Store Now a HealthMart ® Pharmacy R X 432-837-2252 202 East Avenue E, Alpine Cenizo Second Quarter 2010 9