United States. Two West Texas Military Academy (Wtma) Collar Tab Insignia, C.1890

United States; Ten-piece construction, bronze gilt, eight pieces composing "W.T.M.A." mounted to two horizontal bars, 55.5 mm (w) x 11.8 mm (h) and 62.7 mm (w) x 12 mm (h), green oxidation evident on both, very fine.

Footnote: The West Texas Military Academy was founded in San Antonio, Texas in 1893, by Bishop James S. Johnston with the aid of gifts from Mrs. Edward Cunningham of San Antonio and Mrs. George P. Andrews of Brooklyn, New York. The first building that opened on October 3, 1893, was located on Grayson Street, not far from Fort Sam Houston. On September 13, 1911, the academy moved to a new location in Alamo Heights, where an attractive building was erected. This proved to be a rather ambitious step, and for some years the financial condition of the school was precarious. By 1917 there was a heavy debt, but better administration kept the deficit from growing, and in 1921, the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas conducted a financial campaign, which succeeded in reducing the indebtedness. On June 13, 1926, the academy combined with San Antonio Academy with W. W. Bondurant as superintendent. The name was changed to Texas Military Institute, San Antonio. The former building of the San Antonio Academy on North Flores Street was used by the Lower School, and the buildings of the West Texas Academy in Alamo Heights were occupied by the Upper School. In a period when good secondary education for boys was hard to obtain, the West Texas Military Academy made a real contribution. Many army officers stationed at Fort Sam Houston sent their sons to the academy, and there are many distinguished names on the roll of former students, including that of Douglas MacArthur. On June 27, 1936, the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas sold the school to Bondurant, whose family owned the Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, until the Episcopal Diocese repurchased the facility on July 1, 1952, and renamed it TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas. General Douglas MacArthur, an 1897 graduate, visited the school on June 15, 1951, during a speaking tour. The school expanded registration to include the first female students in 1972, and the first male civilian students in 1974. The Alkek Campus opened in northwest San Antonio on March 30, 1989. The school held centennial celebrations in 1993 and the campus expanded during the 2000s to include new residence halls and All Saints Chapel. [C:162]