Mexican Ward. Photo by George Sanchez 1946.

Shows the typical dilapidated, inadequate, rotting old shack, which is one of the mainstays of the ‘Mexican Ward School’ os [sic] Mathis. Notice rotting lumber. No screens on windows. No screen doors. Improper lighting. No fly-proofing or rat-proofing. Inside, it is dark, crowded and generally of an uninviting appearance.

George I. Sánchez was a professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1948, he completed “A Study of the Educational Opportunities Provided Spanish-Named Children in Ten Texas School Systems,” for which he took numerous photographs of school buildings and toilet facilities. The above photograph, taken in 1946, is of the Mexican Ward School in Mathis, Texas. Sánchez’s own caption for this photo reads, “Shows the typical dilapidated, inadequate, rotting old shack, which is one of the mainstays of the ‘Mexican Ward School’ os [sic] Mathis. Notice rotting lumber. No screens on windows. No screen doors. Improper lighting. No fly-proofing or rat-proofing. Inside, it is dark, crowded and generally of an uninviting appearance.” Used by permission of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.