The Presidents Tree

The Presidents Tree. . During the summer of 1911, the "State Residence" built by President H.C. Pritchett was moved from its original location to the Wilson lot, current site of the Lowman Student Center. While the residence was being remodeled for President Harry F. Estill, it was lost to a fire that spread from the nearby Mitchell Boarding House. A new State Residence was subsequently constructed on the site, and the Southern Magnolia tree that stands before you was planted in front of the home circa 1912.

The Estill family was the first presidential family to occupy the home, followed by President Charles N. Shaver and President Harmon Lowman and their respective families. The Lowman family was the last to live in the home, and the descendants remember playing near the Magnolia tree when they were youngsters. They vacated the house in 1964, after which it was used as a home demonstration model for home economic classes until 1970, when it was torn down and removed from campus.

With the dedication of this plaque, the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association hereby designates this stately Southern Magnolia as "The Presidents Tree," and acknowledges its significance in the early life of the university and in the lives of the students, faculty, administrators and friends who have rested in its shade through the years; and further, the Alumni Association pays tribute to the history that reflects the institution’s past and helps to shape its present and its future.