A committee of two dozen faculty, students, and alumni — including athletes and Longhorn Band representatives — has completed their work documenting the nearly 120-year history of “The Eyes of Texas”. The Eyes of Texas History Committee released their findings in a 58-page report which is now available to the public, including a timeline, committee member and expert videos, personal stories, and links to the report’s documentation.
“The Eyes of Texas” will remain as the university’s alma mater, which had previously been decided and was not actually under consideration by the committee.
Some key findings:
•While conventional wisdom traced the title to a comment by Gen. Robert E. Lee, the committee concluded there was “very low likelihood” the line originated with Lee.
•Reviewing the creation of the lyrics in 1903, the committee found no evidence they were intended to show nostalgia for slavery but found facts supporting the song’s message of accountability.
•The song borrowed a popular melody of the time from “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” Evidence points to the melody being used because of its familiarity and popularity among students in the early 1900s. While some lyrics of the Railroad/Levee song are racist, the tune was selected at a time when borrowing well-known melodies was a common practice.
•Research reveals “The Eyes of Texas” was intended to affectionately parody the university president’s famous signatory line. That “The Eyes of Texas” was almost certainly debuted in blackface is a painful reality of the song’s origin, notes the report’s Executive Summary: “Although it was not written in dialect and does not appear to have been composed as a minstrel song, we are pained and uncomfortable with this aspect of its history. We believe it is important to fully acknowledge and learn from the university’s past.”
CLICK HERE to read the entire committee report.
