Ernest Lynn Kurth, a pivotal benefactor and figure at Southwestern University, represents a complex legacy intertwining considerable philanthropy with staunch segregationist views. His remarkable contributions to the University are contrasted by his resistance to racial integration, reflecting the societal tensions prevalent during the Civil Rights Era.
Ernest Lynn Kurth was an influential figure and benefactor at Southwestern University, though his views on racial segregation and integration posed significant challenges to the University's progression towards inclusivity and respect for all races.
Born in the late 19th century, Kurth was a Texas native who began his affiliation with Southwestern University as a student, graduating in 1905. He was an active member of the student community, participating in various groups such as the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Glee Club, Executive Committee, and serving as the Secretary of the Athletic Association. As a notable student athlete member of the football team, he demonstrated dedication to both academia and extracurricular activities.
After graduation, Kurth established himself as a successful businessman in East Texas while maintaining strong ties to Southwestern University. His wife, Isla Kinsolving, was also a former student of the University, adding another personal link to the institution. His father, Joseph Hubert Kurth Sr., made frequent contributions to the school, establishing a pattern of philanthropy that Ernest would continue.
In 1929, Kurth was elected as a member of Southwestern's Board of Trustees, serving in this capacity for over 30 years. His involvement in the University's financial and strategic planning was crucial, particularly during the Great Depression. As part of a steering committee, Kurth helped launch a campaign that sought to secure $2 million for Southwestern, contributing significantly to the University's financial stability. His leadership continued into the late 1930s, when he served as the president of the Ex-Students Association and championed various projects, from fundraising for the school band's uniforms to the construction of new university buildings.
Kurth's philanthropic endeavors extended beyond financial contributions. He and his wife endowed a scholarship fund for the School of Fine Arts, demonstrating their commitment to fostering education and talent. Kurth also administered a student loan fund begun by his father, aiming to provide deserving young people in Angelina County with a college education, regardless of their race or creed. He notably donated a two-manual pipe organ to the University in 1946 and funded a golf course and tennis courts named after him in the 1950s.
Despite his significant contributions and undeniable positive impact on Southwestern University, Kurth's views on racial segregation were problematic and inconsistent with the University's growth towards inclusivity. His beliefs, rooted in the "separate but equal" ideology prevalent during the mid-20th century in the South, were especially pronounced during the presidency of William C. Finch, who served from 1950 to 1961. Finch and other trustees were keen on integrating the University, aligning with the broader societal and Methodist Church's push towards desegregation after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Kurth, however, was resistant to these initiatives. His belief in maintaining racial segregation not only in education but also in other aspects of society led him to propose that Southwestern University cease scheduling matches with integrated athletic teams. This stance served as an obstacle to the university's progress toward racial equality and stood in sharp contrast to the broader societal trend towards integration. Even though Kurth's record of service to the university was otherwise commendable, his position on segregation posed a substantial challenge to the mission of fostering an environment that embraces diversity and upholds the dignity of all races.
Following his death in 1960, it was decided that the upcoming dormitory to be constructed, a women's residence hall completed in late 1961, would be named the "Ernest L. Kurth Residence Hall" in honor of him. This posthumous recognition underscores the complexity of Kurth's legacy at Southwestern University. He already had the tennis courts and golf course named after him in 1955, the year after Brown v. Board of Education. His substantial contributions to the University and the countless scholarships he provided, without regard to race, color, or creed, are praiseworthy. However, his views on segregation serve as a reminder of the historical struggle towards racial equality and inclusivity in educational institutions. His story serves as a case study for the struggles faced by many Southern institutions during the Civil Rights Era, as they sought to reconcile traditional views with the growing demand for integration and equality.
More recently, the University has been actively distancing itself from Kurth. Several years ago, and not for ideological reasons, the golf course was replaced with new fields for the football team and track & field, and the tennis courts were replaced and renamed after a different white alum who played tennis for Southwestern in the 1930s and 1940s, Marvin S. Henderson. In 2020, as part of a wave of building renamings that swept the country, Kurth Hall was renamed after Southwestern’s first African-American student and graduate, Ernest L. Clark.
The fact that the University knew about Kurth’s segregationist ideologies and honored him anyway in the 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights Era, is problematic in itself, but the fact that the University continued to honor him for almost sixty years after that in multiple ways is something we have yet to reconcile. Most important, generations of Southwestern women have spent their first year in Kurth Hall, and an increasing number of them have been students of color. None were ever encouraged to recognize the complex legacy carried by commemorating Kurth and what it means for Southwestern as a diversifying Predominantly White Institution (PWI).
