UMHB Wilson Administration Building and Alma Reeves Chapel

The Wilson Administration Building and Alma Reeves Chapel were the heart of the Mary Hardin-Baylor campus for 57 years. The administration building was the third permanent building constructed on campus after Luther Hall and Ely-Pepper Hall. And tragically, like Luther Hall, it was destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1964.

Construction on the Wilson Administration Building began in 1905 with a “big hole in the ground.” For months the hole was the butt of many jokes until sufficient funds were raised and the foundation was laid. The cornerstone was laid on April 22, 1907. The building was designed to house general offices, the Academy Department, and classrooms. It was named for the college president, W. A. Wilson. The senior class of 1907 furnished and decorated the Senior Reading Room; classes of 1909 and 1910 contributed equipment for the gymnasium located in the basement.

Alma Reeves Chapel was added in 1917 and had a separate entrance. Mr. and Mrs. William Reeves of Fort Worth donated money in memory of their daughter, Alma Reeves Langham who died in childbirth. The class of 1908 presented a huge, highly-rounded dome of stained glass for the ceiling of the chapel. Since the day of its opening, the chapel served as a gathering place for ceremonies, religious services, plays, and pageants. The last activity held in the chapel was bestowing the title of Miss Bluebonnet 1964 on Sharon Spurlock of Farmington, NM.

Just before noon on February 9, 1964, a fire demolished Wilson Administration Building. The fire alarm was turned in about 11:15 a.m., and in less than an hour, the building was a burned-out shell. Bystanders watched helplessly as efforts to extinguish the blaze were in vain. All of Belton’s fire-fighting equipment as well as units from Temple were at the scene. Eyewitnesses described hearing a steel safe and a concert grand piano crash into the basement when the floor gave way. Destroyed in the fire were all school records dating back to the institution’s founding in 1845, all the business machines and equipment, and the personal libraries and research material of half a dozen faculty members. The building housed not only the chapel and administration offices but also the departments of journalism, religion, sociology, and business.

While the fire was still smoldering, committees went into action. Plans were made to rehouse the offices and departments and to reconstruct the records. The administrators issued a plea for every person with transcripts, catalogues, school publications, correspondence, photographs, and any other pertinent material relating to the institution to send them to the school. The building was insured for $156,000 but President Tyson predicted that more than a million dollars would be needed for a new building.

The college safe was lifted from the rubble on Sunday afternoon and placed in the powerhouse to cool. When college officials opened the safe several days later, they found most of the vital documents in good condition. The documents included minutes of the Board of Trustees meetings dating back to 1866, college catalogues, business reports, money, and the Townsend papers.

In a called religious meeting Sunday evening, Dr. Tyson opened the fund drive for a new building with five silver dollars. In his message, Tyson said, “I have a feeling that out of this tragedy we will find ourselves with a oneness of purpose, a will to work, a willingness to sacrifice, a spirit of cooperation and a zeal for service that will bring Mary Hardin-Baylor a future far brighter than her illustrious past.” Gifts poured in from all over Bell County. The Belton Journal started a fund spearheaded by Mr. James Russell, editor of the paper, and Belton High School organized a drive to receive donations. Tyson told of plans to construct simultaneously Gettys Memorial Dormitory and a combination student center and administration building.

The chapel was replaced by W. W. Walton Memorial Chapel in 1967. Built at a cost of about $325,000, the building was constructed of the same type and color brick as most other buildings on campus, and the entrance was graced with four white columns in the Roman style. The stained glass windows represented the colors of academic disciplines. Costing approximately $19,500, the chapel spire was manufactured in Pittsburgh and was lifted into position by a crane. The spire contained a carillon chime system which also served as a campus-wide time system.

Following the fire in 1964, college administrative offices were housed in Heard Hall. Groundbreaking for a new administration building located east of the chapel was held in May 1977. A Six Million Dollar Capital Campaign provided the funds, and the building was named for the Sanderford family of Belton.

"2.5 Million Sigh of Relief." Belton Journal, Sep. 29, 1977.

"Fire Demolishes Wilson Administration Building." MHB Suppl. to Belton Journal, Feb. 20, 1964.

"Fire Destroys Administration Building." Belton Journal, Feb. 13, 1964.

"Walton Chapel Largest of Its Kind in Central Texas, To Have Many Uses." Belton Journal, Apr. 20, 1967.