This site derives its name from the Clan MacLellan motto: “Think On.” This motto can sometimes be seen in Latin as “superba frango” or “I break the proud.

According to legend, in the 15th century King James II of Scotland offered a large reward for the capture of a notorious criminal. Sir William MacLellan hunted down and killed the criminal, and brought the severed head to King James to claim the reward. When the king failed to honor his promise, Sir William responded “Think On!” thus prompting the king to fulfill his promise, restoring substantial lands and honor to Clan MacLellan. As a result, the motto of Clan MacLellan is the challenge to “Think On.”   In a macabre reference to Sir William’s conquest, the coat of arms and insignia of Clan MacLellan also depict a severed head impaled on a sword.

Descendants of Sir William settled in Coleman County, Texas in the early 1900’s, where the spelling of the name took on several forms, including the modern variant “McClellan.”

Scholarship

In 2017, Russ and Stan McClellan, descendants of the McClellan family in Central Texas, established the McClellan “Think On” Memorial Scholarship.  The scholarship was established for two primary purposes:

  1. To honor this family’s history in Central Texas, which is preserved in three books authored by Billy and Joy McClellan.  One of these books is entitled The E. S. McClellan Clan: From 13th Century Scotland to 21st Century America.
  2. To build bridges for Coleman County youth whose goals include personal advancement beyond high school through academic vocational education.  The scholarship is a practical application of the concepts embodied in the poem “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen Dromgoole.