Beginning with the very first graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin, the game of football has long played a large part in shaping the culture and identity of our campus. This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, which was formally dedicated on 27 November 1924 with a Thanksgiving Day football game between the University of Texas and Texas A&M. That day, Texas Memorial Stadium was dedicated in honor of the Texans who had died while serving in World War I. A flagpole—bought and donated by the people of Fredericksburg, Texas—was placed outside the stadium and dedicated to honor Louis Jordan, a University of Texas football player (1911-1914) and the first Texas officer to be killed in action while serving in World War I. The crowd that day filled all 27,000 seats of the newly constructed stadium, which was originally billed as “the greatest in the South.” While the field, the building, and even its name have been expanded—in some cases, to truly colossal proportions—Texas Memorial Stadium, along with its pride and traditions, has remained an integral part of life at the university. Last month, when the Longhorns hosted the Georgia Bulldogs, 105,215 spectators set a new attendance record. Not bad for a 100-year-old facility. This exhibit presents an illustrated timeline of the history of where University of Texas teams have played the game of football, with an especially detailed account of DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium, as it has grown and improved over the last century.
