HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE

During the mid part of the century, it became evident that there was a great need in Southeast Texas to open a college of mortuary science to train men and women in the art and science of embalming and the skill of funeral directing.

In 1936 Mr. R. Victor Landig accepted this challenge and opened the Landig College of Mortuary Science in Houston, Texas. The Landig College of Mortuary Science immediately became recognized as one of the leading and most respected colleges of Mortuary Science in the United States.

Mr. Landig was truly a pioneer in funeral service education. Possessing vision and good academic skills, Mr. Landig was able to attract to his faculty some of the leading experts in embalming and restorative art in the country. Some of the luminaries in funeral service education that were on the Landig faculty included A.O. Spriggs, the author of “The Art and Science of Embalming” and “Champion’s Textbook on Restorative Art”. Mr. Spriggs went on to become the Director of Research for the Champion Embalming Fluid Company. Also on the faculty was Mr. C.F. Callaway, who wrote the widely used textbook “The Art of Funeral Directing”. Mr. Callaway was a widely respected author and lecturer, and later served as Director of Research for the Undertakers’ Supply Company in Chicago. Mr. Landig authored a book entitled “Time Changes Everything,” which was a standard textbook providing communication skills for funeral directors. Also during this growth period, the Landig College of Mortuary Science became the focal point in the formation of Howard S. Eckel’s new method of restorative art called “Derma Surgery.” This mortuary art was widely taught and is still used today as the core of the Restorative Art Course.

In 1955 Mr. Landig had plans to move his college to Commonwealth Street located in downtown Houston, however personal health problems stopped Mr. Landig’s plan of a new school on Commonwealth Street, however the new name was retained, the Commonwealth College of Science. Due to poor health Mr. Landig sold his interests in the college to Mr. Tex Garton, who was an extremely popular and respected funeral director in the Houston area. Mr. Garton operated the college until 1966 when the college was purchased by the Pierce Organization. Mr. Pierce helped move the excellence of the educational experience further. To this end, a new college was built on Barren Springs Dr. in north Houston.

Over the years the college has expanded, and now offers the finest in educational facilities and faculty in the United States. Today Commonwealth has a state of the art embalming facility, a new restorative art laboratory, casket display room, and a learning resource center.

In the late 1980’s an extensive feasibility study by a team of the nation’s top funeral service executives, practitioners, and funeral service educators was conducted by Mr. R.L. Waltrip, with the goal in mind of providing the finest in contemporary funeral service education. Key features included: a curriculum which emphasized hands-on experience in embalming and restorative art, computer science, and funeral directing and management skills. Provisions were made, and in 1988 the “Institute of Funeral Service” was chartered as a Texas non-profit 501(C3) corporation. The opening of the Institute of Funeral Service was announced in the summer months in professional journals. The first class enrolled and instruction began on August 29, 1988.