Construction Date: Summer of 1919
Original Purpose: To honor Austin College alumni & students who died in World War I
From the Civil War to Vietnam, Austin College has had a long and distinguished record of students serving their country. Some of them died in that service. A forgotten and little-known corner of the campus survives as a living memorial to the college’s World War I dead. Twelve live oak trees which line the sidewalk connecting Baker Hall with Dean Hall stand as silent memorials to these men. Although to the casual observer these trees appear to be of recent vintage, they have been growing there for almost ninety years.