Embedded Files
This page establishes the original policy context for the Hazlewood Act. As you review the 1923 legislation and its initial intent, focus on who the benefit was designed to serve, why it was created at that moment in history, and what assumptions the state made about veterans’ educational needs at the time. These early choices form the foundation for understanding why later expansions and revisions became necessary.
Texas Veterans, Land Grants, and the Foundation of Educational Benefits
Texas Veterans, Land Grants, and the Foundation of Educational Benefits
Texas has a long and well-documented history of awarding benefits to veterans, beginning in 1836, when the Republic of Texas granted land to those who fought in the Texas Revolution.
The first image on this page, a Republic of Texas land grant certificate, is an original example of that early policy. It shows a veteran receiving 640 acres of donation land as recognition for military service. The certificate reflects the values of the era, Texas rewarded service with tangible, life-altering resources.
This commitment to veterans would continue to shape Texas policy for the next century.
From World War I to Federal Peace: Education as Reintegration
From World War I to Federal Peace: Education as Reintegration
The end of World War I for the United States came on July 2, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution, formally ending hostilities.
The second image: Harding signing the resolution, surrounded by civilians, captures a turning point: soldiers transitioned out of wartime service and re-entered communities, jobs, and educational institutions. Texas, like many states, recognized that higher education could play a critical role in helping veterans reintegrate and contribute to a rapidly modernizing economy.
1925 Civil Statutes: Texas Establishes Its First Structured Veteran Educational Benefits
1925 Civil Statutes: Texas Establishes Its First Structured Veteran Educational Benefits
In 1925, Texas formally codified a wide range of general laws into Vernon’s Civil Statutes, which included specific provisions for World War I veterans.
The images on this part of the page — the Texas Historical Statutes Project cover and the scanned statute pages — reinforce that the content comes directly from legislative sources, not secondary interpretation.
Two sections matter for the development of the Hazlewood Act:
Art. 4008 - Special Rates for Transportation
This provision allowed veterans to receive reduced railroad transportation fees, acknowledging the difficulties many veterans faced traveling long distances in search of work or education.
This may seem unrelated to tuition, but at the time, transportation costs were often a greater barrier than tuition itself. For veterans in rural Texas, mobility was access.
Sec. 16 - Fee and Tuition Exemptions for “World War Veterans”
The key image here shows the statutory language stating that all laws exempting World War I veterans from payment of fees in public educational institutions shall continue in force.
This is important because:
It establishes the first legal continuity of veteran education benefits in Texas.
It sets the precedent for state-funded tuition exemptions, laying the groundwork for what later becomes the Hazlewood Act.
The statute reflects a central theme in Texas policy:
military service creates eligibility for publicly supported education as a matter of state interest, not charity.
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