▁the ▁area , ▁particularly ▁after ▁Sou le ▁University ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 ; ▁the ▁college ' s ▁month ly ▁literary ▁magazine , ▁the ▁Phil om at he an , ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁raising ▁money ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 8 0 s ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁Confeder ate ▁veter ans . ▁ ▁En roll ment ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁ 1 1 2 ▁by ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁but ▁fell ▁by ▁half ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁ten ▁years : ▁the ▁college ▁took ▁in ▁ 7 0 ▁public ▁school ▁students , ▁ 5 0 ▁of ▁them ▁boys , ▁to ▁raise ▁money . ▁The ▁Method ist ▁Texas ▁Conference ▁provided ▁support , ▁and ▁the ▁college ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁Sou le ▁University ▁property ▁to ▁reduce ▁its ▁deb t , ▁but ▁public ▁schools ▁in ▁Texas ▁were ▁impro ving , ▁women ' s ▁colleg es ▁were ▁less ▁popular , ▁and ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁problem ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁curr icul um ▁was ▁re vised ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁conform ▁to ▁the ▁Method ist ▁Church ▁General ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ; ▁a ▁study ▁published ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁ass essed ▁the ▁college ▁as ▁offering ▁primarily ▁secondary - school ▁level ▁courses . ▁It ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁en roll ment ▁was ▁ 1 1 2 . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁school ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the