Their Stories, Our Stories - (Afro-Texans) by Rosalee Martin (Paperback)

About the Book

An institutional history of Huston-Tillotson University, shown through portraits of four past presidents who shaped its trajectory.

Book Synopsis

Huston-Tillotson University is a merged Historically
Black College/University (HBCU) in Austin (established as Huston-Tillotson
College in 1952). Its roots lie in Tillotson College (established in 1875) and
Samuel Huston College (1877). Their Stories, Our Stories: Four Presidents of
Huston-Tillotson University is the first comprehensive book covering
the period of 1965-2022, the administrations of the four presidents.

No person is better suited to chronicle this history
than Rosalee Martin. Upon her retirement after fifty years of service to the
university, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett said, "You have preserved the
history of this institution and become part of it yourself."

Their Stories, Our Stories captures
Dr. Martin's fifty years, which overlapped with four university presidents from
the Civil Rights era to the present. Our story starts with the third president
of the institution. Dr. John Q. Taylor King Sr. came up through the ranks from
student to teacher, dean, and president at age 44. Dr. Joseph T. McMillan Jr.
rose to the presidency from being a member of the Board of Trustees. He brought
much chaos to HT, resulting in his downfall. Dr. Larry Earvin came to HT during
a time when the institution's reaffirmation was being threatened. Dr. Colette
Pierce-Burnette, the first woman to lead HT, was a STEM proponent for all
students, especially women.

Through Dr. Martin's
meticulous biographical and institutional narrative, readers will learn the
nuts and bolts of university life, its trials and triumphs, and its struggles
and successes.

Review Quotes

"Minutely
researched and ultimately uplifting. . . . The book offers candid, insider
accounts of the tenures of four Huston-Tillotson University presidents--John Q.
Taylor King Sr., Joseph T. McMillan Jr., Larry Earvin, and Colette Pierce
Burnette--all of whom served during Martin's 50-year teaching career at the
historically Black institution. . . . [Martin's] training in the
social sciences serves her well. She carefully lays out each argument and
supports her cases through written documentation, personal interviews, and, especially, surveys of students, faculty, staff and alumni." --Michael Barnes, Austin
American-Statesman