George W. Littlefield

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Littlefield Fountain, by Pompeo Coppini, in front of The University of Texas tower, which is lit in celebration of the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team.
Littlefield Fountain, by Pompeo Coppini, in front of The University of Texas tower, which is lit in celebration of the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team.

George W. Littlefield (June 21, 1842November 10, 1920) was a former Confederate officer, as well as a banker, cattleman, and regent of the University of Texas. Though born in Panola County, Mississippi, Littlefield made Texas his home.

In addition to having been a successful banker and rancher, Littlefield was a major benefactor of the University of Texas. He so loved the university that he located his home on campus. He willed the house to the university, which today uses it to host luncheons and banquets.

As a result of his philanthropy, Littlefield's name is visibly entwined with many aspects of university life. In 1914 Littlefield, feeling the university's textbooks were too Northern-focused, established the "Littlefield Fund for Southern History" to encourage better archiving of Southern-focused books; many Southern-themed books in circulation at the university's libraries today are stamped with his name as a result. He also bankrolled a prominent and well-recognized fountain on campus, the Littlefield Fountain, which was established as a war memorial.

Littlefield also bankrolled the construction of one of the university's dorms, named Alice P. Littlefield Dormitory after his wife. He stipulated that it should be used specifically for freshman women.

[edit] External links


 This University of Texas at Austin-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.