Live Oak Female Seminary facts for kids
| Type | Female seminary |
|---|---|
| Active | 1853–1888 |
| President | James Weston Miller |
| Location | , , |
Imagine a school from a long time ago, just for girls! The Live Oak Female Seminary was a special boarding school in Gay Hill, Texas. It was run by the Presbyterian church and taught girls from 1853 to 1888. Many girls from important families in the Southern United States went to school here.
Contents
History of Live Oak Seminary
Founding a School for Girls
The Live Oak Female Seminary was started in February 1853. A Presbyterian minister named James Weston Miller created the school. He was like the headmaster, a chaplain, and even taught subjects himself. He taught Latin, French, Greek, and a subject called Moral Philosophy.
Mr. Miller's second wife, Elizabeth Scott Stuart, managed the boarding house. Her sister, Rebecca Stuart, was the principal. She taught English, history, science, and math. Later, Rebecca married a doctor named George Clark Red. He then helped teach science and math at the school. Girls also learned art, music, embroidery, and home economics. They also studied the Bible.
Who Attended the Seminary?
About sixty girls lived at the school as boarders. Another fifty girls came for classes during the day. Most students were girls, but Mr. Miller's sons also studied there. Many students came from wealthy or well-known families. These families were often called the "Southern aristocracy."
For example, Matilda Burke studied at the seminary. Her son, Edward Benjamin Cushing, later led the Board of Regents for Texas A&M University. Daughters of important judges also attended. These included Betty and Lucy Lipscomb, whose father was Judge Abner Smith Lipscomb. Emily Wheeler, daughter of Judge Royall T. Wheeler, also went there. Elizabeth Hemphill, whose father was Judge John Hemphill, was another student.
Nieces and grandnieces of Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor also attended. He lived on a farm near the school. Anne Giddings was another student. She later married J. N. Brown, who was the president of a bank. Her son, Clinton Giddings Brown, became the mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
The School During the Civil War
The American Civil War happened from 1861 to 1865. The Live Oak Female Seminary stayed open during this time. However, Mr. Miller's wife and sister-in-law stopped teaching. Mr. Miller served as a chaplain for the Confederate army. He worked under Thomas Neville Waul, a general.
The school fully reopened after the war ended in 1865. Mr. Miller's sister-in-law had moved to Austin, Texas. There, she started another school called the Stuart Seminary. Even so, Live Oak Female Seminary continued to operate. Mr. Miller's three daughters taught classes there.
Closing of the Seminary
The Live Oak Female Seminary closed its doors in 1888. This happened shortly after Mr. Miller passed away.
