"In Union, Strength"

“To Elevate” demonstrates the legacy of Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU in Austin, Texas. The legacy of higher education in Austin dates to 1875, when the first college was chartered here; Tillotson Collegiate and Normal Institute. In 1876, the origins of Samuel Huston College were founded. Both Institutions would go through their shares of trials and triumphs, before merging in 1952 to become one. Through active lives, Huston-Tillotson leaders, faculty, and alumni have led schools, churches, newspapers, government agencies, and a diverse variety of businesses locally and across the nation.

Oakwood Cemetery was situated just northeast of the city limits. Now, after decades of city expansion, the cemetery is in the heart of Austin. The cemetery holds the namesakes of many Austin buildings, streets, and beloved parks. The final resting place for more than 23,000 people, Oakwood Cemetery remains an enduring link to the community, cultures, and life stories that built the great city just beyond its gates.

The Oakwood Cemetery Chapel was created in 1914, 75 years after the cemetery was founded, to host funeral and memorial services on site. The cemetery is evidence of the changing city and the past century’s shifting attitudes about mortuary services. Reopened in spring 2019, the Chapel is part of the Museums and Cultural Programs Division of the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Austin. The Chapel is a visitor center where we can, as an act of remembrance, learn about our cultural heritage through the people who were buried in the surrounding cemetery. Genealogy reveals our forebearers' influence on the past and future. We share and collect individual narratives to create a framework for the collective human story.

Oakwood Cemetery Chapel's digital history exhibits are published here: