Robert J. Hoyland, III was born on November 12, 1940 in Arcadia (now Santa Fe), Galveston County, Texas to Robert J. Hoyland, Jr. and Hazel Stoneking Hoyland in the house that his dad built. His sister Millie was born three years later followed by the birth of his sister Margaret three years after Millie.

Robert attended Arcadia Elementary School first through fifth grades, Santa Fe Junior High sixth through eighth grades, and Santa Fe High School ninth through twelfth grades. He was active in both football and basketball during his Junior High and High School years and served as class president his junior and senior years of High School. He graduated from Santa Fe High School in May of 1959.

In the fall of 1959, Robert entered Tarleton State University majoring in pre-veterinary medicine (His parents told the story that as soon as Robert understood what a veterinarian was, his mind was made up that this was what he would become). On August 27, 1960, Robert married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Sue Harrell, whom he had known since sixth grade. In the fall of 1960, Robert left Tarleton State and entered the pre-veterinary medicine program at Texas A&M. He was accepted to veterinary school the following fall and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science in May of 1963 followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in August of 1964.

After graduation, Dr. Hoyland worked in a veterinary practice in San Antonio until entering the army in January of 1965. He was stationed in Denver for two years and was discharged as a captain.

After leaving the army, Dr. Hoyland practiced veterinary medicine in his home town for a short while and then decided to join a veterinary practice in Pasadena, Texas. He stayed in Pasadena for approximately two years before opening his own practice in Spring, Texas in June, 1969. Dr. Hoyland continued to practice in Spring until January of 1998 when the practice was sold. He continued to work as a relief veterinarian for several more years in Spring until he and Sandra made the decision to move to Bandera, Texas in July of 2002 where he continues to do relief veterinarian work in Bandera and the surrounding area.

Dr. Hoyland was a member of the Spring I.S.D. school board from 1974 through 1983. Through these years, he served as Vice-president and during his last year, as President. Just as the board members today are facing a student population explosion, he and his fellow board members faced the same challenge. During his tenure on the board, they opened one high school (Spring South), three middle schools (Dueitt, Twin Creeks, and Wells), five elementary schools (Anderson, Hirsch, Jenkins, Link, Meyer), the Transportation Center on Hardy Road, the Administration Building on Ella, and restructured Wunsche as a multipurpose facility. With this growth came the challenges of bond elections (amounts that had never been heard of before) and increases in the tax rate (strongly opposed by the local farmers). Dr. Hoyland proved to be a stabilizing force to the board during this time. He was someone that the community trusted and respected.

Dr. Hoyland served on the Vocation Council as President for one year, the Spring Tri-Club board as Vice-president one year and President for four years. He lobbied the school district and school board for the new show barn, we now know as the L. C. Nagy Pavilion.

Along the way, Robert and Sandra had five children – three daughters and two sons. All five attended Spring I.S.D. for all of their public education. They are expecting their fifteenth grandchild in October 2009 and they also have one great grandchild.

Dr. Hoyland is currently semi-retired and raising meat goats.