The Deadliest Disasters to Happen at Texas Schools & Colleges

One things that we can never forget is that Texas has been the home to some of the deadliest accidents in US history. Whether it's a deadly publicity stunt involving trains or a filming accident, accidents do happen. And schools are not avoidable in this sense. Some of the worst disasters have occurred at various Texas schools & colleges.

The 1999 Texas Aggie Bonfire Collapse

A longtime tradition for Texas A&M was the building of a giant vertical log tower & setting it on fire every time the Fightin' Aggies would beat the University of Texas. This tradition would be a standard from 1907; between 30,000 to 70,000 people would come every year to watch the giant bonfire. It was torn down in 1963 in honor of JFK's assassination but it would be rebuilt the next year.

The bonfire stayed as a tradition until the day of November 18th, 1999. While being built, the tower would collapse at 2:42 am. 12 people were killed & 27 more were injured.

The 1937 New London School Explosion

The oldest & deadliest Texas school disaster occurred on March 18, 1937 in Rusk County. Just minutes before the students would be let out at the New London High School, natural gas would leak into the basement of the school...and would explode. Over 300 people would be injured; over 300 students & teachers would be killed.

To this day, it remains the 3rd deadliest disaster in Texas history, behind the 1900 Galveston Hurricane & the 1947 Texas City disaster.

We can't forget some of the Texas school shootings we've had too.

The first school shooting Texas would be was the August 1, 1961 Texas Tower Shooting at the University of Texas at Austin. A 25 year former Marine named Charles Joseph Whitman walked up to the top of the tower & started firing on unsuspecting staff & students. His rampage would last 96 minutes before police were able to storm the tower and killing him. In the end, 15 people would die & Charles would injure 31 others.

Charles' rampage would be the subject of many songs written by artists like Harry Chapin & Insane Clown Posse.

Sadly this isn't the only shooting to take place at a Texas school; never forget the 2022 Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary School or the 2018 Santa Fe Texas High School shooting neither...

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R.I.P. to everyone that died because of these disasters & our condolences go to their families & friends...

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