(1924-1989) Generations of students learned to ride and care for horses at the University of North Texas thanks to a woman named Sweet Estes. Ms. Estes was born in Ennis, Texas. She was named Sammie Jean Estes and acquired the nickname “Sweet” from her big sister, Queena Jo Estes, shortly after birth. Sweet started selling… Read more »
One of the most celebrated coaches of UNT history was the aptly named Charles C. Sportsman (Choc). Born in 1902 in McKinney, Texas, he attended Texas University in the fall of 1922 before transferring to North Texas State Normal College (now known as the University of North Texas) in the summer of that same year…. Read more »
Students on campus will find Bain Hall located on Highland Street and used primarily by music students as practice rooms. The structure was originally built in 1947 as part of the Quadrangle, a dormitory for men. It was renovated and renamed in 1991 to honor the former Dean of School of Music. Dr. Bain has… Read more »
Transportation has always been a concern for students, but also for the citizens of Denton. In 1908, the Denton Traction Company sought to solve this problem with the introduction of street cars. The corporation was headed by H. M Griffin. R. J. and W. W. Wilson purchased control of the operation in 1909. The streetcars… Read more »
The Current Literature Club, an organization for women who shared an interest in literature, decided to bring the arts and lectures on current events to campus. The goal was to expand access to drama, music, and knowledge of world events to the student body. In 1903, the Current Literature Club sponsored the first “Lyceum… Read more »
Pursuing higher education has always been an expensive activity. Students in the 1910s and 1920s faced monetary shortfalls just as today’s students do. However, there was no scholarship office, no grants available to help a student in financial straits. According to the Denton Record Chronicle, the North Texas Normal Student Aid Fund was organized… Read more »
Dr. Imogene Bentley Dickey Mohat was a member of the UNT community from 1943 to 1979. Students nicknamed her “Big Red” due to her height and her red hair. The Denton Record Chronicle recorded that her motto was, “good discipline is good guidance.” Imogene Bentley was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She came to Texas as… Read more »
“I think it’s important to get involved in things on campus to promote school spirit. It’s not just a dance group. You’re a representative of the school.” -Sherry Nowell, Mean Green Dollies member, 1976 In 1974, the university launched a new spirit organization, a dance team named the Mean Green Dollies. The idea for this… Read more »
The University of North Texas is known for the beauty of its campus. In part this is due to the long pedestrian malls on campus that allow students to walk from one building to another without having to cross busy streets. This was not always so. Talk to alumni who were on campus before the… Read more »
In 1947 a Student Government Committee was formed at North Texas. Its mission was to create a formal way for students to participate in college affairs. They needed to write a constitution for the type of system they agreed on, and the chair of the committee was Malcolm Richard Barnebey, who was known as Dick… Read more »