Noting that the histories and traditions of the buildings at Texas
A&M University have shaped the institution's history and will
shape its future, Texas A&M President Robert M. Gates formally
accepted the designations of 16 buildings throughout campus that
have been determined culturally and architecturally significant
and part of “The Campus Remembered” project. Gates’ remarks highlighted
a dedication ceremony held Sept. 18, 2004 outside of the Williams
Administration Building, one of the 16 buildings recognized. The
project is an effort by the College of Architecture's Historic Resources
Imaging Laboratory (HRIL) to preserve and appreciate the physical
history of the state's oldest public university.
“Today, we rededicate the Williams Building and 15 others; honor
their significance to and their influence upon, Texas A&M and
Aggies,” Gates said. “The markers we put on them are to signify
the mark they have made on us, and, we honor them best by ensuring
that every building we add to this campus will not only help define
Texas A&M's space, but also its substance, as we build our great
university.”
“We are here in recognition of the essential function of space and
structure in achieving greatness — here to affirm our commitment
to supporting this function, to providing a place conducive to that
achievement,” Gates said.
HRIL Director David Woodcock noted that the “early noble diagrams”
for the campus have too often been forgotten, and many building
from Texas A&M's early years have been torn down, leaving “gaps
in the fabric of campus, and, in some cases, replacements with little
respect for scale or content.”
“The marker program we are celebrating today was envisaged as part
of the 125th anniversary of the campus, and it is gratifying that
the lessons we learned from these older buildings and places have
become a central part of the Campus Master Plan championed by President
Gates and his administration,” Woodcock noted.
Commending the progress Texas A&M has made throughout its existence,
Woodcock acknowledged the value of change, but stressed that wise
change needs good management. He emphasized that the university's
built heritage has meaning and significance.
“Managed change must be based on an understanding of the resources
to be changed,” he said. “The 'big plans' need history, and of all
the education institutions in the world, this (Texas A&M) is
surely one where the concept of traditions should find favor.”
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