| Motto | "Give the best you have to Texas and the best will come back to you" |
|---|---|
| Type | Service Organization |
| Established | 1922 |
| Founders | Arno Nowotny & Bill McGill |
| President | Alumni President: Brian Antweil |
| Director | Eddie Lopez |
| Location | |
| Website | www.texascowboys.org |
The Texas Cowboys is an honorary student service organization at the University of Texas at Austin. The organization was founded in 1922 with the purpose of serving the University of Texas and maintaining Smokey the Cannon. [1] [2] It is considered one of the "oldest and most elite student organizations" at the university. Among its alumni are national politicians, two Texas Governors, prominent businessmen, and professional athletes. [3]
The Texas Cowboys serve as ambassadors of the University of Texas and are present at numerous significant university-sponsored events. They are most well-known for their responsibility keeping and maintaining Smokey the Cannon, which is present at all Texas Longhorns home football games. [4]
In 1922, two students at the University of Texas at Austin decided to form a club. These two men were head cheerleader Arno Nowotny and Longhorn Band president Bill McGill. In 1922, forty men from all aspects of campus life were chosen by McGill and Nowotny to be the first Texas Cowboys. Throughout its nearly 100 years of existence, becoming a Texas Cowboy became a high honor to its members.
In 1953 Smokey the Cannon was created by The University of Texas at Austin's mechanical engineering lab in response to the shotgun blasts often heard at the Red River Rivalry and was then presented in 1954 to the University of Texas by the Texas Cowboys. That same year, the Cowboys began their involvement with and support of The Arc of the Capital Area.
In 1955 Smokey was modified to shoot twin 10-gauge shotgun shells and the revision was renamed "Smokey II" which you can find a replica at the Texas Cowboys Pavilion and the original in the Denius Hall of Fame at the North Endzone of the DKR Memorial Stadium. Smokey II served the University well until 1988.
On the Monday following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Smokey fired a 21-gun salute to the fallen President during the climactic moment in a public ceremony in front of the state Capitol building.
In 1988, Smokey III, a civil war replica cannon standing six feet tall, weighing 1,200 pounds, and fires four 10-gauge shotgun shells was constructed by Lupton Machine and remains in service to this day.
In 2019, the University of Texas at Austin suspended the Texas Cowboys spirit group from campus for six years following an investigation into alleged hazing during a retreat in 2018, where new members were subjected to physical brutality, forced ingestion of unwanted substances, and coerced consumption of alcohol. [5]
Political and judicial figures
University figures
Athletes and coaches
Others
The Cowboys have been suspended and returned after two incidents on campus.
In 1995, the Texas Cowboys were suspended from the UT campus for five years after one of their New Men, Gabe Higgins, died during a retreat. [10] Independent investigators determined that the Texas Cowboys engaged in eight hazing violations. [10] The organization was already on probation for hazing at the time, and this was the third penalty for hazing in as many years. [11] [12] [13] The Texas Cowboys were reestablished in 2000. [14]
In 2019, the Texas Cowboys were suspended from the UT campus for six years for hazing violations. New Men Nicholas Cumberland died in a car crash returning from a retreat held at a ranch outside of Austin. [15] Nicholas's death prompted a university investigation into the retreat, which discovered multiple forms of hazing that led to the group's suspension, including forced ingestion of unwanted substances (including cat food), coerced animal cruelty (namely biting a hamster's head off), and physical brutality. [16] [17] The Texas Cowboys accepted the terms of their suspension. [18] [19]
In 2023, The University of Texas granted the Texas Cowboys provisional permission to return to campus. This decision is part of the university's Nine Dimensions of Successful Student Organizations program, which aims to foster accountability and address hazing within student groups. As part of their return, the Texas Cowboys are now required to follow the Nine Dimensions program, which includes self-reflection, value definition, behavior expectations, governance establishment, and the promotion of an anti-hazing culture. Oversight for these requirements is provided by the Office of the Dean of Students. As of 2023, the Texas Cowboys are officially back on campus, operating under these revised guidelines. [20] [21] [22] [23]
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 52,384 students as of Fall 2022, it is also the largest institution in the system.
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