Site of Samuel Huston College
historical marker
This historical marker in Austin, Travis County, Texas, designates the site of Samuel Huston College. The college traces its origins to 1876, when Reverend George W. Richardson founded a school for African American youth in Dallas. The school moved to Austin in 1878. It was later named Samuel Huston College in 1887, honoring Samuel Huston, an Iowa farmer who donated property worth $10,000. The institution was chartered as a private educational corporation in 1910. Samuel Huston College became a senior college in 1926 and received accreditation in 1934. It offered programs in preparatory studies, college normal courses, and music, alongside vocational training. On October 24, 1952, Samuel Huston College merged with Tillotson College, forming Huston-Tillotson College. Following the merger, all activities moved to the Tillotson campus, and the original Samuel Huston College buildings were removed by 1965. The Texas Historical Commission erected this marker in 1996. The site represents a significant institution in the history of African American higher education in Central Texas.