Marrs, S. M. N.

On January 2, 1862, Starlin Marion Newberry Marrs was born in Gauley Bridge, Fayette County, Virginia (now West Virginia). At 16, he began teaching in rural schools, working in coal mines to make ends meet. He moved to Texas in 1881, teaching in Erath County, Hico and Cleburne. He also earned a degree from Ohio's National Normal University, and wed Anna Hesup, also of West Virginia. In 1893, Terrell's school board chose Marrs as superintendent. In 1897, the board was involved in a political fight with the city aldermen and mayor. During two years of turmoil, Marrs was fired and re-hired, and he resigned to work at the Department of Education in Austin for a year. He returned as Terrell superintendent in 1899. After his first wife died in 1904, Marrs cared for their four children and, in 1909, wed Ina Cadell. In addition to school and family responsibilities, he was an active citizen, playing a role in building Terrell's Carnegie library and also in changing the local government utilizing a city commission model. He also served as president of the Texas State Teachers Association and on the State Board of Examiners. In 1918, Marrs left to become State Supervisor of High Schools. He worked under State Superintendent Annie Webb Blanton, becoming Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1921. He became State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1922. In that job, he initiated compulsory school attendance and worked for better rural schools, stronger high school funding and higher certification standards. Marrs died in 1932 and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, He was honored at the 1954 Texas State Fair as one of 100 heroes of Texas education. His contributions to Terrell, and to the state, remain significant. (2004)

Marrs, S. M. N. is a historical marker in Terrell, Kaufman County, dedicated in 2003. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Kaufman County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 178 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7440, -96.2757 near Terrell. The nearest cataloged historic site is Terrell Elemtary School (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Saint John Catholic Church, First Christian Church of Terrell, and First Baptist Church of terrell.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014636. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.