That coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and inquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom—these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier. Dr. Brian Holt, superintendent of Booker ISD (recently named the sole finalist for Randolph Field ISD in San Antonio) warned me that students from Booker and the countless smaller schools dusted across the Panhandle believed that everybody at West Texas A&M University would be like those from their home town. But, having attended WT, he correctly suggested WT was not just a bigger Booker. However, like Booker, WT has a frontier attitude. That attitude means that we welcome new experiences, realize the importance of community as a means of survival and appreciate the combination of the individual experience and community life. Strength in each leads to power in both. West Texas A&M University is a frontier, too. Don’t dismiss it—and miss it—because it’s close to home. However, like Booker, WT has a frontier attitude. That attitude means that we welcome new experiences, realize the importance of community as a means of survival and appreciate the combination of the individual experience and community life. Strength in each leads to power in both. West Texas A&MUniversity is a frontier, too. Don’t dismiss it—and miss it because it’s close to home. The best universities strive for acuteness in thought and inquisitiveness of mind; they are practical and inventive, with expedience and an understanding of how things work. They have lofty goals, a sense of urgency, “nervous energy” and a rugged individualism. All are marks of free people in a free society on a frontier just as Frederick Turner outlined over 125 years ago. Look for these things in a university. The best institutions encourage freedom in a community, rather than a herd mentality that too often dominates thinking. Institutions not on intellectual frontiers, but locked in mindsets that find safety in a center, are far from the edge of anything.
Silicon Valley, Booker, New York City and WT—not a full house, but four aces and each one distinctive.
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