A Brief History of Captain LeTellier's School

I have studied and written about a number of higher education institutions in Texas during the Gilded and Progressive Eras, including Austin College (Sherman), Wesley and Burleson Colleges (both Greenville), and the College of Industrial Arts (Denton). Furthermore, I have extensively researched the history of the now-defunct North Texas Female College in Sherman (later renamed to Kidd-Key College). This school served as the stomping grounds for Sallie Brooke Capps - the subject of my recent book - who learned to appreciate music, languages, and the fine arts. Since the North Texas Female College was an academy for young girls, male students were treated to a quality education at an institution on the outskirts of Sherman that was managed by Captain John Henry LeTellier. Today, I will write a history on LeTellier's school.

Sherman was a popular place for traders to sell their products (traders traveled as far as Missouri). This 1877 photograph illustrates the beehive of activity in Sherman's town square following Reconstruction. Sherman was nicknamed the "Athens of Texas" since the quaint, rural town was home to some of the best schools in the state (including Austin College, Kidd-Key College, and Captain LeTellier's School). Photograph from Author's Collections.

Sherman's first public school for young boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18 opened after the Civil War in the late 1860s. The Sherman Male and Female School was housed in the town's Odd Fellow's Hall and followed a rigid curriculum in writing, English grammar and composition, history, geography, science, philosophy, Latin, Greek, book-keeping, algebra, and geometry. William Pitt Petty, minister of Sherman's Methodist Church, was the school's principal. Hired teachers included J.E. Wharton, Miss Vida Younger, Bob Shannon, Miss Mollie Owen, and Capt. John H. LeTellier, a former Confederate soldier. Older high-school-aged students were taught in classrooms on the first floor of the old building, while younger pupils (including Sallie Brooke) studied on the second floor. Once the school had been established, leadership reins were turned over to J.C. Parks, a distinguished educator and textbook author from St. Louis, MO. In 1871, the academy became a school exclusively for female students. This meant there was need for a male school in Grayson County (since Austin College did not move to Sherman until 1876 - yellow fever in its old Huntsville location persuaded the Austin College Board of Trustees to move their private academy to the cooler North Texas region, and I am glad it did!). Capt. LeTellier took matters in his own hands.

John Henry LeTellier (b. January 28, 1842) was a graduate of Albernale Military College and Bethany College (both in Virginia) and enjoyed a teaching career in the Commonwealth before enlisting in the Confederate Army in 1861. He diligently served in the 24th Virginia Infantry, Company K. LeTellier took part in the battles of Manassas, Williamsburg, and Seven Pines under the command of General George Pickett prior to getting wounded in North Carolina skirmish in 1864. After the Civil War, LeTellier resumed his teaching duties and moved to Texas in February 1861. Photograph from Author's Collections.

The Confederate veteran, whose smile and calm demeanor was a favorite among students, established his school for young boys in the fall of 1871. A large frame building on South Travis Street was outfitted with classrooms and an auditorium (which Austin College and Kidd-Key College would use frequently). Since the captain was an esteemed educator and known by many, the student population swelled. Students from out of town, eager to acquire a high-caliber education, roomed with Sherman civilians. At first, tuition was only $3,000 per month (which included textbooks), but that sticker price would steadily increase as more students filtered through the doors. LeTellier enjoyed mentoring his students outside of the classroom, and was often found playing soccer and board games with the boys during the two 15-minute recess slots each day. After school, students who lingered on campus a little longer were frequently treated to a guitar and singing performance by the captain. Some recollect that his soothing voice "whistled" in the wind. The challenging curriculum included subjects taught at the female academy, in addition to military sciences and strategies (the captain intended to drill the importance of leadership in every lesson). Traditions held at the academy included a hotly-contested pecan hunt in the fall and a grand April Fool's Day trick every spring. Despite his strict Christian character, LeTellier permitted male students to congregate and dance with females from Sherman's other academies. The captain's school played host to several large dances (Austin College and Kidd-Key students enjoyed these festivities!), where a colored musician named "old Jim" beautifully played the fiddle.

A photograph of Captain LeTellier's boys, c. 1875. The captain, with his long, white beard, is on the far left. Photograph from the Ivert Mayhugh museum collection.

A popular subject among the students was mathematics since, according to alumnus J.N. Dickson, Captain LeTellier's "reputation was built on teaching business math because it was most vital in those days to be proficient in that subject." The captain's daughter, Miss Clifford LeTellier, also taught at the school (and later at Baylor University in Waco). The academy with its robust academic standards, remained popular until the death of the captain on July 18, 1913. After LeTellier's burial, the campus was razed and the old property was purchased by Levis Hall Sr. (one of the captain's former students), who built his home there. There was a class reunion on June 21, 1969 in Sherman, where a group of ex-students gathered and took a fond trip down memory lane, recollecting cheery stories of their times with Captain LeTellier. Although the captain's private academy is now a footnote in the history books (and faded from public memory since the alumni have passed on), its impact on Sherman's education was significant and should be noted so.

Captain LeTellier's ex-students reunited at Sherman's Ramada Inn in 1969. They swapped fond stories of their former principal. Photograph from Author's Collections.

*More information on the captain's school can be found in "An Illustrated History of Texas" by Graham Landrum and Allan Smith (pp. 99-100) as well as various newspaper clippings in Sherman newspapers.

While wandering around the Touch of Class Antique Mall in Sherman, I found several Austin College yearbooks. This is a page from the 1977 yearbook, depicting the college's distinguished history department. Dr. Edward H. Phillips was the dept. chair at that time. Two of my former professors and close friends, Drs. Light T. and Vicki Cummins are pictured. I love looking at these relics of the past! Photograph from 1977 Austin College Yearbook, Touch of Class Antique Mall.