College Building destroyed in fire

College Building destroyed in fire

    The $100,000 main building and girl's dormitory of Guadalupe College west of Seguin was destroyed by fire early Sunday.  No lives were lost, the 80 students and faculty escaping by the fire escapes and several jumping from the second story without injury.
    The Building, a 4-story brick and wood structure, was erected 20 years ago with funds contributed by Col. George W. Brackenridge of San Antonio, who also gave the college the land on which it is located.  In  this buildingwere quartered the general offices of the school, the library, kitchen, dining room, music room and girls' dormitory.  The building and its contents were a total loss, the inmates escaping with barely enough clothes to cover them and not enough to protect them from the cold.  Barefoot students were furnished blankets and brought to Seguin where they were housed from the intense cold.
    The college is several miles west of town and the Seguin fire department, which responded to the call, was unable to cope with the blaze due to lack of water.  The college system was frozen.
    President Luckett of the college said classes will have to be temporarily discontinued until arrangements can be made to continue the school.  Guadalupe College is the largest college for Negroes in the state and has been located in Seguin for some 50 years.
    President Luckett was in Austin Monday in conferences with the State Department of Education regarding the affiliation and future of the college.  Mr. Nelson of the Board gave every assurance of cooperation and assistance.  Affiliation was granted and allowances will be made for work done this semester, pending rehabilitation of the college.
    Friends of the college are urged to offer all assistance so that the splendid work may be continued.
    The kitchen, dining room and general offices will be moved to the building now used as the boy's dormitory.   The girls will also live in this building.  The boys will live in the chapel building and temporary quarters erected on the campus.
Seguin Enterprise, February 14, 1936

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