George W. Littlefield

George Washington Littlefield (June 21, 1842–November 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.

Early life

George W. Littlefield was born June 21, 1842 in Panola County, Mississippi to Fleming Littlefield and Mildred Terrell Satterwhite Littlefield. In 1850, the family moved to Texas, settling in western Gonzales County near the community of Belmont.

His father died in 1853, and in the late 1850s George attended Baylor University--then located in Independence, Texas in Washington county. By 1860, 18-year-old George is listed in the census as the manager of his mother's plantation. The real estate was valued at over $23,000 with personal property valued at $30,000. The personal estate included thirty slaves.

Military Service

In 1861, Littlefield enlisted in the 8th Texas Cavalry, popularly known as Terry's Texas Rangers. He mustered in as Second Sergeant of Company I. On January 10, 1862, he was elected 2nd Lieutenant.

He commanded the company at the Battle of Shiloh, because the Captain and 1st Lieutenant were on furlough in Texas. The Captain never returned and the 1st Lieutenant was killed a few days after returning to the regiment. Littlefield was elected Captain on May 10. There was only one man younger than him in the entire company and he was not yet 20 years old.

He commanded Company I through the battles of Perryville and Murfreesboro. After Chickamuaga on September 18-20, 1863, he was made acting major of the regiment. He fought at the Third Battle of Chattanooga, specifically the part known as the Battle of Lookout Mountain, and then a little over a month later at the lesser known Battle of Mossy Creek. He was severely wounded at Mossy Creek, where he was given a full promotion to major.

Littlefield was discharged from service due to his wounds and returned to Gonzales County.

Businessman

Littlefield did not prosper immediately after the war. His attempts at farming and retail foundered. It was not until 1871 that he speculated in the cattle market and made a profit. He bought and sold large tracts of land, including the LIT Ranch and a large part of the XIT Ranch.

In 1883, he moved to Austin. He organised and served as president of the American National Bank from 1890 until 1918.

Philanthropist

In addition to having been a successful banker and rancher, Littlefield was a major benefactor of the University of Texas. He was appointed to the Board of Regents in 1911.

Littlefield gave more to the university than any other individual during the first fifty years of its existence. 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. In 1916, when Governor James E. Ferguson vetoed appropriations for the University in the state budget, Littlefield offered to personally fund its operations for the biennial period.

Littlefield paid for a prominent and well-recognized fountain on campus, the Littlefield Fountain, which was established as a war memorial. He 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.

He willed the house to the university, which today uses it to host luncheons and banquets.

Personal life

Littlefield married Alice Payne Tiller On January 14, 1863. They had two children, both of whom died in infancy. As a result, he was very close to his extended family, paying for the college education of all of his nieces and nephews. He also employed nephews and the husbands of nieces as managers in his many business concerns.

George W. Littlefield died at his home in Austin on November 10, 1920. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin next to his wife who survived him by fifteen years.

A definitive work on Littlefield is J. Evetts Haley's "George W. Littlefield, Texan" (1943) through the University of Oklahoma Press in Norman.

The city of Littlefield, Texas is named after him.

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