 A popular school for active teachers seeking state certification or recertification, it was largely shaped by Mayo's own personal beliefs about education, which focused on participation and hands-on learning instead of memorization or rote learning.ETNC's relative success during this period led to rivalry with other nearby colleges such as T. Henry Bridges' Henry College in Campbell, a 1904 attempt by Denison to entice Mayo to relocate the college there for a considerable amount of financial aid, and praise from perhaps its most famous alumnus, future Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Sam Rayburn.By the time the 35th Texas Legislature voted to buy the college in 1917, it had educated more than 30,000 students, including more public school teachers than any other college or university in Texas during the same period.