Charles Patrick Estill Memorial Scholarship Endowment

The Charles Patrick Estill Memorial Endowed Scholarship is established by Robert E. Estill of Houston, Texas in honor of his Great-Grandfather, Charles Patrick Estill. Charles was born November 2, 1834, in Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of Harry Miller Estill M.D. and Mary Jane Patrick, and was educated at Washington College (now Washington and Lee) and the University of Virginia. Estill served as a captain of the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. After the war, his wife (Kate Fishburne) and five children remained in Virginia while he sought work in Texas. Charles became the superintendent of schools in Brenham and Bryan, Texas before joining the faculty of Austin College in Huntsville as professor of language. After a stint teaching at Texas A&M, Estill returned to Huntsville as professor of English Literature at the newly opened Sam Houston Normal Institute. He died August 8, 1882, (age 47) in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, and is buried there in Oakwood Cemetery. The donor and his family have deep Texas roots, and he has proudly supported higher education for Texas citizens at Sam Houston State University. Robert is grateful for the years he spent at Sam Houston State. In his estimation, they were among the most memorable and important years of his life.