no formal budget process, and Texas Wesleyan was lacking many
other standards usually found in institutions of higher
education. Following his grassroots philosophy, Pearce began
making immediate changes. Pearce brought to the college
widely used and accepted practices of college and university
administration. Pearce's administrative style was autocratic
yet contained a degree of participative management. His
organizational structure provided avenues for faculty and
student participation in college administration. His
accomplishments during his 10-year administration, while not
extraordinary, were necessary and added to the future health
and success of Texas Wesleyan College. Without them the
college would have remained in the dark ages of higher
education. A reserved man, Pearce's experience,
capabilities, straightforwardness, and quiet initiative were
necessary for Texas Wesleyan's evolution into modern higher
education. A history of the presidency of William M. Pearce
is critical to understanding where Texas Wesleyan University
has been, where it is now, and where it may be in the future.