Processed by: Katherine Freeman
Date Processed: 29 Oct. 2014
Southwestern University announces its 2021–2026 Tactical Plan.
more informationParent Leadership Gift Council members and fellow parent volunteers warmly welcome new students and their families to Southwestern at send-off parties across the state.
more informationHang out with SU first-year Aransas as she explores Georgetown.
more informationEmilie Moeller ’18 shares how her time at Southwestern transformed her from a shy Unicorn Handler to a confident sorority president and tennis team captain.
more informationTo give you a glimpse into one student’s recent Friday night, Keyshaan Castle ’20 , takes us behind the scenes of a blacklight dodgeball tournament, hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha and SIRA.
more informationSophomore students participate in a three-day professional development summit.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Sylvia Kerrigan ’86 shares her sorority experience.
more informationThe transformative power of Fraternity & Sorority Life at Southwestern.
more informationNarrowing down your college short list is not easy. Here are six tips to help.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Mary Medley ’74 recalls her time at Southwestern.
more informationBrad Reagan’s ’94 journey from Southwestern to The Wall Street Journal.
more informationKarim Clarke ’26 shares his eye-opening Houston Methodist Research Institute internship journey.
more informationSouthwestern University announces its 2021–2026 Tactical Plan.
more informationQuincy Holland ’19 is the nineteenth recipient from SU to earn the Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators
more informationAlejandro Medina ’24 demonstrates outstanding potential in computing research by the Computing Research Association.
more informationStudent’s study unveils the connections between education, gender, and belief in conspiracy theories.
more informationSophomore students participate in a three-day professional development summit.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Sylvia Kerrigan ’86 shares her sorority experience.
more informationThe transformative power of Fraternity & Sorority Life at Southwestern.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Mary Medley ’74 recalls her time at Southwestern.
more informationBrad Reagan’s ’94 journey from Southwestern to The Wall Street Journal.
more informationKarim Clarke ’26 shares his eye-opening Houston Methodist Research Institute internship journey.
more informationSouthwestern’s Late-Night Breakfast is the ultimate study break.
more informationChris Vela will study the Southern Hemisphere’s skies and environment.
more informationSouthwestern University announces its 2021–2026 Tactical Plan.
more informationParent Leadership Gift Council members and fellow parent volunteers warmly welcome new students and their families to Southwestern at send-off parties across the state.
more informationEmilie Moeller ’18 shares how her time at Southwestern transformed her from a shy Unicorn Handler to a confident sorority president and tennis team captain.
more informationTo give you a glimpse into one student’s recent Friday night, Keyshaan Castle ’20 , takes us behind the scenes of a blacklight dodgeball tournament, hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha and SIRA.
more informationAlejandro Medina ’24 demonstrates outstanding potential in computing research by the Computing Research Association.
more informationSophomore students participate in a three-day professional development summit.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Sylvia Kerrigan ’86 shares her sorority experience.
more informationThe transformative power of Fraternity & Sorority Life at Southwestern.
more informationNarrowing down your college short list is not easy. Here are six tips to help.
more informationKarim Clarke ’26 shares his eye-opening Houston Methodist Research Institute internship journey.
more informationSouthwestern’s Late-Night Breakfast is the ultimate study break.
more informationSouthwestern University announces its 2021–2026 Tactical Plan.
more informationAlejandro Medina ’24 demonstrates outstanding potential in computing research by the Computing Research Association.
more informationThe University will receive over $1 million to support the humanities curriculum.
more informationSU celebrates four campus community members with the 2024 Mundy Awards and recognizes those who have achieved milestone anniversaries with the University.
more informationSouthwestern’s Late-Night Breakfast is the ultimate study break.
more informationSU Business Club collaborates with Houston Methodist Hospital in annual case study competition.
more informationEmbark on a transformative academic journey where excellence meets experience.
more informationA group of students attended a conference focused on empowering and developing Hispanic leadership.
more informationA conversation with Associate Professor of Art Heidi Hogden.
more informationLearn more about Cooper Philips’ research on insect biodiversity.
more informationLearn more about this collaborative student-faculty SCOPE project.
more informationStudents work with faculty and staff to create an interactive digital map of Southwestern’s campus.
more informationSouthwestern University announces its 2021–2026 Tactical Plan.
more informationParent Leadership Gift Council members and fellow parent volunteers warmly welcome new students and their families to Southwestern at send-off parties across the state.
more informationSophomore students participate in a three-day professional development summit.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Sylvia Kerrigan ’86 shares her sorority experience.
more informationBoard of Trustees member Mary Medley ’74 recalls her time at Southwestern.
more informationBrad Reagan’s ’94 journey from Southwestern to The Wall Street Journal.
more informationAn alumna advocates for women, giving back, and making a lasting impact.
more informationAn alumna’s journey from student to architectural conservator and historian.
more informationA conversation with Associate Professor of Art Heidi Hogden.
more informationLearn more about this collaborative student-faculty SCOPE project.
more informationStudents work with faculty and staff to create an interactive digital map of Southwestern’s campus.
more information
Processed by: Katherine Freeman
Date Processed: 29 Oct. 2014
Jabez Demming Giddings (J.D. Giddings), born in Pennsylvania, came to Texas in 1838 to claim his brother Giles’ land bounty after Giles’ death at the Battle of San Jacinto. After initially teaching school, Giddings became a lawyer and wealthy entrepreneur in Brenham, becoming one of the state’s wealthiest men. He and a brother founded one of the state’s earliest banks and he became a stockholder and member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Texas Central Railway. Giddings joined the Somervell expedition against Mexico and also served in the Confederacy during the Civil War. The town of Giddings, Texas, was named after him.
A Methodist, Giddings met Texas Methodist pioneer Martin Ruter before Ruter’s death in 1838, and Giddings lived briefly in the Rutersville community named after Ruter. The earliest institution of higher education in Texas, Rutersville College was founded in 1840 as a result of Ruter’s activities, and Giddings would go on to be associated with several Methodist colleges whose charters – including Rutersville College’s - were eventually inherited by Southwestern University. For a time, Gidding’s pastor in Brenham was Francis A. Mood, the first regent of Southwestern. Giddings financially supported F.A. Mood as a stockholder in the Texas University Company that would become Southwestern and was one of the original Board of Trustees. After J.D. Giddings death in 1878, his wife Ann continued to support the endeavors of Mood in the building of Southwestern by creating Helping Hall which was later renamed Giddings Hall in her honor. Four years after Ann’s donation, the Board of Trustees recommended her son-in-law, Heber Stone, for a position on the Board. Stone was approved to serve as a Trustee and he served 15 years.
Sources: William B. Jones, To Survive and Excel: The Story of Southwestern University 1840-2000and the online Handbook of Texas (accessed Nov. 4, 2014).
This small collection is almost exclusively correspondence from Texas Methodists to J.D. Giddings with some to his son-in-law Heber Stone along with a few items to and from other family members. The correspondence regards the financial struggles of Soule University, fundraising and issuing stock for Texas University Company, the founding of Southwestern university, Southwestern business and financial matters, and family members and their activities. The letters were donated to Southwestern University’s library by Wallace Giddings, a descendent of J.D. Giddings, in the Spring of 1996 with a few additional materials donated by Patricia Giddings, wife of Wallace Giddings. There appear to be no letters from 1873-1875.
SEE ALSO: SpecColl 976.42 G362, Giddings’ in the news from 1854; SpecColl 976.092 G361 v.1 & v.2, Letters and information on Jabez Deming Giddings and Family.
Box.Folder
1.1 1871 - 1872
Correspondence almost all to J. D. Giddings in Brenham, Texas, regarding: stock in Texas University Company, Southwestern University business & financial matters, family members & their activities. Letters from: Galveston, Chappell Hill (Soule University), Corsicana, Georgetown, Gatesville, Houston. Included are letters from William Giddings (J.D.’s son?) while a student at Soule University.
Some individual correspondents: F.A. Mood, John Wallis (?), J.C. Jenkins, William Giddings, R.T.P. Allen, B.D. Dashiel, T. Wallis, W.B. Norris, David H. Williams, Geo. T. Jester, M.B. Lockett, John Atkinson, J. F. Matthews, Charles Marechal, E. D. Pitts, J. H. Davidson, William Chappell (re stone edifice at Soule) P.E. Carnes.
1.2 1876 - 1905
Includes: From F.A. Mood to Hon. J.D. Giddings (Southwestern letterhead) re: contract with Southwestern Life Ins. Co. and excellent young men enrolled in the spring term; From F.A. Mood to Hon. J.D. Giddings re: the fulfillment of promise of insurance by the University and the Annual and District conferences, seeking donations for the university, his illness restricting his work; From F.A. Mood to Hon. J.D. Giddings (Southwestern letterhead) re: seeking refund of personal monies spent buying benches, blackboards, etc. for the university, his illness; From J.C.S. Morrow [married Sam Houston’s daughter, Elizabeth, in Georgetown] to Hon. J.D. Giddings re: donation toward building the Mood’s home, the devotion of Dr. Mood to the university and church, anticipated enrollment of 100 students in coming semester, proposal to write names on enclosed list to solicit donations for the Mood residence; From Jno. H. McLean (Ladies Annex letterhead) to Bro. Stone re: photographs taken of the old and new buildings, number of graduates working in ministry and as missionaries in foreign countries, Bro. Hughes visit to Houston, funds needed to complete proposed building; From Horace Bishop on Southwestern letterhead. From R.S. Heyer (Southwestern letterhead) to Heber Stone re: Mexican trip and silver mine ore assay at $30-35/ton, cost of smelting, mentions commencement, 1900.
1.3 1871, 1878
Note: Donor-Patricia R. Giddings (wife of Wallace Giddings)
Grade report for G.A. Giddings for February 1871 from Soule University; letter of condolence to Mrs. J.D. Giddings and Miss Lou from F.A. Mood.