50 years of Western Texas College

or 50 years, Western Texas College has provided solid educations for students from around the West Texas region and beyond, and Monday, the college celebrated the half-century mark with a 50th Anniversary Celebration.
College officials awarded recognitions to a distinguished graduate, symbolically buried a time capsule to be opened in 50 years (the real capsule will be buried sometime in early 2020) and opened a time capsule buried 40 years ago in 1979.
After introducing a member of WTC’s eight-person first graduating class, Roxy Small, WTC President Dr. Barbara Beebe spoke about the college’s history.
“How exciting to have been in on the creation of a new college — to select the colors, to select the name, to select a location. How daunting, yet exhilarating that must have been,” she said. “I remember looking at one of the minutes where they had wanted to purchase a typewriter — now, mind you, not a computer or a word processor — a typewriter. And it was denied because of the expense.”
Beebe spoke about the college’s first president, Dr. Robert L. Clinton, who served from 1969-1981.
“Dr. Clinton had the vision, the desire, and the passion for education, so it was no surprise when he was unanimously chosen to be our president,” she said. “During this decade, Dr. Clinton led the college successfully, saw it grow tremendously and remained as its leader for 11 years.”
Beebe introduced Dr. Don Newbury, the college’s second president, who served from 1981-1986. Newbury, now a public speaker and syndicated columnist, spoke about his experiences as president.
“What an honor and privilege it is for me, and I’m not going to drive 250 miles to Snyder to say a few words. I’ll say several words,” he joked. “The average age of college former presidents is ‘deceased,’ so the honor is particularly great for me to get to be here, and to really complete a puzzle with a piece I did not know: I didn’t know about the typewriter purchase being denied. I do know in my first board meeting, there was on the agenda the request to purchase a new typewriter for Mavis Brumbelow, and one of the board members said, ‘Does she really need a new typewriter?’ And I drove back home that evening thinking, ‘What have I done?’”
Newbury concluded his speech with an anecdote about meeting former U.S. Representative George Mahon and his wife Helen at a WTC play.
“Before they left, Mr. Mahon looked me straight in the eye, and said ‘Don, I hope you’ll remember: There is no hope for the world outside the church and education. But it has always been that way,’” he said.
“I believed him then, I believe him now. I believe this is a shining college on the hill, where tomorrows are better than yesterdays because of the genuine efforts put forward today by teachers who teach, and students who learn sometimes whether they want to or not.”
Beebe announced that the college has created an award named after its first president,to be presented to “…an individual who demonstrates the qualities that Dr. Clinton held dear — an individual who unites the community and supports it in this institution. An individual who makes our community a better place to live.”
The first Clinton Award was presented posthumously to Clinton himself. His family members Wanda, Ron and Reagan Clinton, were on hand to accept the honor.
Emily Smith, now a resident of Altus, Okla., and a stand-out rodeo competitor during her college career at WTC, was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award, which was presented by Deborah Pruitt Boyd.
Matt Crow, representing State Rep. Dustin Burrows’ office, presented the college with a flag  which has flown over the State Capitol and a proclamation honoring the WTC anniversary.
WTC Board of Trustees President Lee Presswood and former Vice President of Instruction Dr. Jim Palmer symbolically lifted the college’s new time capsule into a box for future burial, and custodial manager Mike Bailey carried the 1979 time capsule from its container in the school’s courtyard to the stage and opened it.
Beebe said no one remembered what was placed in the receptacle during the college’s 10th anniversary.
“We did, however, find documentation noting suggestions for the 1979 time capsule,” she said. “Suggestions ranged from textbooks to disco clothes. Other suggestions included a yearbook, a skateboard, a TV Guide, cowboy boots, a can of Skoal, a L’Eggs pantyhose container, a piece of chalk and a Coke can. However, my favorite 1979 suggestion is attributed to a woman named Sandy Schaffer. Ms. Schaffer said she would like to put her youth in it, because she was sure to want it back by WTC’s 50th anniversary.”
None of those items were discovered inside the capsule. Rather, the cylindrical container held piles of papers, including early college planning and organizational documents, several laminated newspapers from the college’s early years, a few WTC T-shirts and hundreds of photos. There was also a Western Texas College belt buckle.
The contents of the 1979 WTC time capsule, as well as a series of photographs detailing its excavation, and a selection of items that will be placed in the new time capsule, will be on display on the first floor of the school’s library.