A prominent Methodist minister, one of the founders of Southern Methodist University and first chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Horace Bishop lived a life of service. Born in Virginia in 1844, Dr. Bishop's family moved to Texas before the Civil War. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 and served until the war's end in 1865. Dr. Bishop began his ministry shortly after this time. His service to the Methodist Church included extended pastorates in many Texas cities including Fort Worth, Waco, Waxahachie, Corsicana and San Angelo. He also served several terms as presiding elder. In the University's early years, Dr. Bishop was the Presiding Elder of the Waxahachie District, the oldest active member of the Central Texas Conference, as well as SMU's first chairman of its Board of Trustees. The preachers of the Waxahachie District raised $5,000 for the construction of a "splendid boulevard" to run the length of the campus and named it "Horace Bishop Boulevard" to honor Dr. Bishop. In recognition of his dedication to the Methodist Church and providing a solid foundation for growth in the University's early days, SMU was honored to confer upon Horace Bishop the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

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