105th Anniversary of The Brand By: Annabelle Smallwood

This year, The Brand is celebrating its 105th anniversary. Since the beginning of The Brand in 1916, students have pushed to have a source of campus news for the students written by the students. The Brand was founded by Midred Paxton Moody, a student at what was then called Simmons College. She now has a plaque in the Hardin-Simmons University Hall of Leaders located in the Skiles Building to honor her for her achievements.

Since the start of the campus newspaper, much has changed on campus, in this newspaper and in our world. Our purpose still remains the same. In this publication, you will find many stories showcasing how things were on campus during the first publications in 1916. Many will compare them to how things are now. We hope that you enjoy this publication of The Brand, reflecting on the change that Hardin-Simmons has gone through over the past 105 years.

Dr. Tim Chandler shares the following:

“In this year of 2021, in this fall semester of the 105th anniversary of The Brand, we are proud to be carrying on the work begun by Simmons College student Mildred Paxton in the fall of 1916. Then as now the world stood on the precipice of perilous times with a world war, a world wide pandemic, and coming depressions, and our college was barely 25 years old. In those days, Simmons College students were busy exploring their world of studies and influencing a young city of Abilene on their way to making a troubled nation a better place to live. Even now, as we pursue those same ideals, we hope you enjoy reading about the exploits of your predecessor in these stories from their time here back then. With gratitude, we bring you updates to the things they were doing and writing about then and hope you find goodness and joy they so clearly did. Best wishes for you, our readers, on this homecoming occasion of 2021.”