Dr. Grady Early, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, taught math and computer science at Texas State University for 29 years, serving briefly as interim chair of the newly-formed Computer Science department. After retirement, Early began researching his family history and gained some familiarity with various research tools: ancestry, familysearch, newspapers, San Marcos Record archives, findagrave and many more. This made it easy for him to segue into the histories of non-family members, which is how he began to write a story about Southwest Texas Normal in San Marcos, also known as San Marcos Normal, which is now Texas State University. This series will highlight the first staff at Southwest Texas Normal.
The 1906 Pedagogue poked a bit of good-natured fun at Alfred Freshney with the quatrain, “There’s Mr. Freshney, my! my! my!
To see his face would make you cry, But he can’t help that, so we all try, Instead of his face, to look at his tie.”
Very little is known of the particulars of Freshney’s life. Even his birth date is in question.
His tombstone has Nov. 26, 1851, but his only U.S. census appearance is in 1900 — when he claimed to be 39 years old, born in November of 1860 in England. That was probably in Lincoln where his father William Freshney was a noted author.
Freshney’s mother, of whom he spoke tenderly, appears to have had a major influence on his personality. He cut short a visit home because “now that mother is gone; it pained me to be there.”
Freshney was educated in England. His father wished him to enter the ministry, but he soon developed a love for natural science.
After extensive travels in Europe, Freshney came to the U.S. in 1885, toured the U.S. and Canada and spent a few years teaching in Fayette County — probably in La Grange, the county seat.
In 1895, Freshney became chair of science at the Austin high school. When teachers were assigned in 1896, Freshney was assigned to the high school. Fellow teachers included Helen Hornsby, Mary Stuart Butler and Jessie Sayers who would be fellow faculty members in San Marcos in 1903. Salaries in 1901 were $88.23 a month for principals and $70 a month for teachers.
After 6 years in the Austin school system, he left to become a Fellow in Chemistry at the University of Texas where, in June 1903, he received his B.S. degree.
In 1902, Freshney and Maud Shipe were re-elected as tutors. Shipe, too, would go to San Marcos in 1903.
During his time in the Austin school district, his boss was Superintendent Tom Harris who, impressed with Freshney’s abilities and personality, soon recruited him as Chair of Science, physics and chemistry of the soon-to-be formed Southwest Texas Normal in San Marcos.
Freshney’s time at SWTN was short but memorable. He was not an aloof teacher but a friend who cared for his students’ education and well-being. Too, he was always eager to help less-experienced teachers when they encountered difficulties.
On Tue 20 Nov 1906, he taught all his classes; on Wed 21 Nov, he was gone.
The information about his grave can be found at findagrave.com #110022523.
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