Dean’s Welcome
Dear College of Education Community,
I want to extend a hearty welcome to the 2023-2024 academic year in the College of
Education. Each August, students and their loved ones arrive on our beautiful campus
at TCU, carrying lots of boxes and with big smiles as they embark on this new journey
called college. The beginning of the fall semester serves as a time of renewal and
connection. This fall was particularly special as TCU celebrated its sesquicentennial,
150 years of educating students to be leaders of action and impact. The sesquicentennial
also gave us time to reflect on the College of Education and its past, present, and
future.
Our commitment to preparing individuals who will contribute to creating a humane and
just society continues to be our north star. As the College of Education prepares
to celebrate its 100th anniversary, let’s look at where we’ve been, where we are now,
and where we hope to be. In the 1923-24 academic year, the Department of Education
at TCU was made a School of Education. At the time, the School of Education offered
three majors: elementary education, secondary education, and educational administration.
Two additional majors were later added, including religious and physical education.
In the early 1950s, education instructors, including Sandy A. Wall, began traveling
off campus to hold classes for Black Fort Worth teachers for certification requirements.
At the time, Black teachers were not allowed to participate in professional development
with white teachers from FWISD. Among the teachers trained were Reva Bell and Juanita
Cash, who later earned their master’s degrees from TCU. Two years after Chancellor
Sadler and the Board of Trustees voted to end segregation, Mr. and Mrs. M.J. Neely
started the Starpoint School, a laboratory school on the TCU campus for children with
learning differences.
In 1980, Reva Bell became the first Black-tenured professor in the School of Education.
Thirteen years later, the very first endowed chair was established and was called
The William L. & Betty F. Adams Chair of Education. In 2000, KinderFrogs School opened
for preschool children with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. In
2009, Mary Patton became the first female dean of the College of Education. The College
Advising Corp, designed to support underserved students with college access, began
its work in 2011. In 2015, the Early Childhood Education program received the Best
Practice Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
for supporting multicultural education and diversity.
As impressive as these milestones are, the College of Education continues to make
a difference in the lives of our students and the communities in which they teach,
lead, and serve. Our focus is on acknowledging the past and looking to the future.
Fifty years from now, the College’s story will be about perseverance, resilience,
and compassion. Our graduates' work and impact will speak to the College's investment
in them and their future. Join us in celebrating our 100th anniversary, and tell us
your story. If you have a story to share about the impact of the College of Education
at TCU on you, your family, or your career, please use the space below to tell us
about it. We’d love to hear from you.
Dean Frank Hernandez