Judge Clifton Mott Caldwell

HSU Trustee 1919-1965

Clifton Mott Caldwell was born May 1, 1880, in Palo Pinto County, 10 miles north of Gordon, Texas, to James S. and Janie Mott Caldwell. 他在农村学校上学，直到13岁不得不辍学去家里的农场帮忙. He returned to school two years later in Colorado City, and eventually qualified for a teaching certificate.

16岁时，他的家人搬到了布雷肯里奇，在那里他遇到了他未来的妻子科拉·贝尔·基斯利. By 1901, he had saved enough money for the couple to marry, and with his buggy and Cora’s horse, they began their life together. 他们的第一个家在卡多社区，考德威尔在那里教书. 他们住在新校舍旁边的一所以前只有一个房间的校舍里. He purchased the house for $20, 这对夫妇把报纸贴在墙上的洞上，以帮助阻挡冬天的风，而他们则蹲在大肚子火炉旁.

With a strong belief in the importance of education, Caldwell was appointed principal of the Caddo school in 1905. 他能够通过咨询和指导他的学生，而不是使用更传统的方法鞭笞和鞭打，成为一个有效的纪律.

这对年轻夫妇在1904年迎来了他们的第一个孩子盖伊，米尔德里德和艾格尼丝也紧随其后. In 1908, with three young children in tow, the Caldwells took their life savings and moved to Austin, 他到哪里去实现儿时当律师的梦想. 他进入了德克萨斯大学法学院，但费用远远超过了他们的积蓄. They rented a large house adjoining the university and Mrs. Caldwell took in boarders to help support the family of five. In addition to studying law, 考德威尔在图书馆和书店工作，以补充收入.

他在法学院表现优异，担任过班级书记和副主席. 1911年，31岁的他毕业了，回到布雷肯里奇，开始了他的律师生涯. In 1912 he was elected county attorney, and in 1916 was appointed county judge, and later district judge. 他担任这些职位的时间很短，但“法官”的绰号伴随了他的余生.

As a county attorney and judge, 考德威尔使用了他在教室里使用过的同样的策略, 选择与当事人协商，而不是提出指控或罚款.

During this time, Caldwell developed a business partnership with Breck Walker, which involved leasing mineral rights on surrounding farms. He and Walker later entered into the banking business, 考德威尔被任命为布雷肯里奇第一国民银行的董事，沃克被任命为行长.

1917年，在Ranger石油繁荣之前不久，沃克-考德威尔石油公司成立了. Caldwell invested in property and at one time owned over 225,000 acres on four ranches around Toyah in West Texas. 他还在布雷肯里奇附近、卡拉汉县和沙克尔福德县买了一小块地. Feeling it was his civic duty, 他还在布雷肯里奇社区投资了数千美元, 为修建大坝和输油管提供资金，以取代布雷肯里奇的水车业务. 他还主要负责将铁路引入该地区.

In 1922, Caldwell moved his family to Abilene, 他在哪里再次把他的时间和资源奉献给了社区. When HSU president, Dr. J. D. Sandefer, 找到考德威尔，想为建造一座艺术大楼捐款, Clifton and Cora gave $100,000 – enough to cover the total cost of the building. 这笔捐款是来自考德威尔家族对HSU的众多捐款中的第一笔, including those made by his children and grandchildren.

考德威尔从1919年开始在哈佛大学董事会任职，直到1965年85岁时辞职. 他还曾在20世纪20年代和50年代担任德克萨斯和太平洋铁路公司的董事. 他捐出土地建造亨德里克纪念医院，并担任该医院的受托人. 他还曾在该市两家主要银行机构的董事会任职, Citizens National Bank and Abilene Savings Association, for more than 40 years.

He served as director of the West Texas Chamber of Commerce, 努力实现他的目标，让西德克萨斯成为“地球上最民主的地区”, including right living and the Golden Rule.” He chaired the war loan drive during both world wars, raising over $40 million in war bonds and stamps.

1951年，他被阿比林商会评为年度最佳公民, 1953年，美国童子军授予他银海狸奖. He was honored by many resolutions of appreciation, including one by the State Legislature on January 29, 1969.

在他的晚年，考德威尔说，他最珍视的头衔是浸信会执事. 考德威尔的谦逊和关怀在他写给一个孙子的信中得到了很好的体现:

“I always had an ambition to try to learn something, 但我没有早期的机会，因此我学得不够快. 如果我能拥有我的孩子为他们的孩子创造的机会，我相信我可以做得更强, better, and more useful citizen. I am counting on you….I just want you to make one of the best citizens Texas has….我想让你学会如何为自己谋生，并能够帮助那些比你不幸的人.”

C. M. 考德威尔于1968年8月8日去世，享年88岁，他是德克萨斯州有史以来最优秀的公民之一.