Texas A&M University
183px
Established	1871[1][Note 1]
Type	Flagship state university[2] Land-grant university Sea-grant university Space-grant university[3]
Endowment	US$ 7.0 billion (Systemwide)[4]
President	Dr. R. Bowen Loftin[5]
Provost	Dr. Karan Watson[6]
Academic staff	2,700[7]
Students	49,861 (spring 2012)[8]
Undergraduates	39,867 (spring 2012)[8]
Postgraduates	5,530 (spring 2012)[8]
Doctoral students	3,943 (spring 2012)[8]
Location	College Station, Texas, United States
Campus	Suburban, 5,500 acres (20 km2)[9]
Former names	The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (1871–1963)[10]
Colors	Maroon & white          [11]
Nickname	Aggies
Mascot	Reveille VIII
Affiliations	AAU, Big 12, Texas A&M University System (Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2012)
Website	www.tamu.edu
All enrollment figures are as of 12th class day data of the spring 2011 semester

Texas A&M University (often referred to as A&M or TAMU) is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas, United States. It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school history.^[12] Texas A&M's designation as a land, sea, and space grant institution reflects a broad range of research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research. The school ranks in the top 20 American research institutes in terms of funding and has made notable contributions to such fields as animal cloning and petroleum engineering.

The first public institution of higher education in Texas, the school opened on October 4, 1876^[13] as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Its original mission was to educate white males in farming and military techniques. Under the leadership of President James Earl Rudder, in the 1960s A&M desegregated, became coeducational, and dropped the requirement for participation in the Corps of Cadets. To reflect the institution's expanded roles and academic offerings, the Texas Legislature renamed the school to Texas A&M University in 1963. The letters "A&M", originally short for "Agricultural and Mechanical", are retained only as a link to the university's past. The school's students, alumni, and sports teams are known as "Aggies".

The main campus is one of the largest in America, spanning 5,500 acres (22 km²),^[1][14] and includes the George Bush Presidential Library. Approximately one-fifth of the student body lives on campus. Texas A&M has approximately 800 officially recognized student organizations. Many students also observe the traditions of Texas A&M University, which govern daily life as well as special occasions, including sports events. Varsity Aggie sports teams compete in the Big 12 Conference. However in July 2012, the school will join the Southeastern Conference. A&M operates two branches: Texas A&M at Qatar and Texas A&M University at Galveston. Working with agencies such as the Texas AgriLife Research and Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M has a direct presence in each of the 254 counties in Texas. The university offers degrees in over 150 courses of study through ten colleges and houses 18 research institutes. Texas A&M has awarded over 320,000 degrees, including 70,000 graduate and professional degrees.

As a Senior Military College, Texas A&M is one of three public universities with a full-time, volunteer Corps of Cadets. It provides more commissioned officers to the United States Armed Forces than any other school outside of the service academies.^[15]

History[link]

Texas A&M in 1902

Beginning years[link]

The U.S. Congress laid the groundwork for the establishment of Texas A&M in 1862 with the adoption of the Morrill Act. The act auctioned land grants of public lands to establish endowments for colleges where the "leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanical arts... to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life".^[16] In 1871, the Texas Legislature used these funds to establish the state's first public institution of higher education,^[17] the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, then known as Texas A.M.C.^[16] Brazos County donated 2,416 acres (10 km²) near Bryan, Texas, for the school's campus.^[16]

Classes began on October 4, 1876, with 40 students and 6 faculty members. Admission was limited to white males, and all students were required to participate in the Corps of Cadets and receive military training.^[18] Enrollment climbed to 258 students before declining to 108 students in 1883, the year the University of Texas opened in Austin, Texas.^[19] Though originally envisioned and annotated in the Texas Constitution as a branch of the University of Texas, Texas A.M.C. had a separate Board of Directors from the University of Texas from the first day of classes and was never enveloped into the University of Texas System.^[16]

Statue of Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross located in front of the Academic Building

In the late 1880s, many Texas residents saw no need for two colleges in Texas and clamored for an end of Texas A.M.C. In 1891, Texas A&M was saved from potential closure by its new president Lawrence Sullivan Ross, former governor of Texas, and well-respected Confederate Brigadier General. Ross made many improvements to the school and enrollment doubled to 467 cadets as parents sent their sons to Texas A&M "to learn to be like Ross".^[20] During his tenure, many enduring Aggie traditions were born, including the creation of the first Aggie Ring.^[20] After his death in 1898, a statue was erected in front of what is now Academic Plaza to honor Ross and his achievements in the history of the school.^[20]

Under pressure from the legislature, in 1911 the school began allowing women to attend classes during the summer semester.^[21] At the same time, A&M began expanding its academic pursuits with the establishment of the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1915.^[16]

World Wars era[link]

Many Texas A&M graduates served during World War I. By 1918, 49% of all graduates of the college were in military service, more than any other school.^[16] In early September 1918, the entire senior class enlisted, with plans to send the younger students at staggered dates throughout the next year. Many of the seniors were fighting in France when the war ended two months later.^[22] Over 1,200 former students served as commissioned officers. After the war, Texas A&M grew rapidly and became nationally recognized for its programs in agriculture, engineering, and military science.^[16] The first graduate school was organized in 1924 and the school awarded its first PhD in 1940.^[16] In 1925, Mary Evelyn Crawford Locke became the first female to receive a diploma from Texas A&M, although she was not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.^[23] The following month the Board of Directors officially prohibited all women from enrolling.^[21]

Many Aggies again served in the military during World War II, with the college producing 20,229 combat troops. Of those, 14,123 Aggies served as officers, more than any other school and more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy.^[24] During the war, 29 A&M graduates reached the rank of general.^[16]

At the start of WWII, Texas A&M was selected as one of six engineering colleges to participate in a 10-month program of 12-hour study days to train Navy personnel who were urgently needed to maintain the new, highly complex electronic equipment such as radar. These colleges provided the Primary School, wherein the key topics of the first two years of a college electrical engineering curriculum were condensed into three months. The instructional effort at College Station was developed and led by Frank Bolton, EE department head and future Texas A&M president. At a given time, some 500 Navy students were on the campus, a significant fraction of the then-years enrollment. Students graduating from the Primary Schools then went to a Secondary School, one of which was at Ward Island, Texas (the future location of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi).^[25]

Enrollment soared after the war as many former soldiers used the G.I. Bill to further their education.^[26] In 1948, the state Legislature formally recognized Texas A&M as a separate university system from the University of Texas System, codifying the de facto arrangement between the schools.^[27]

University era[link]

On March 26, 1960, Major General James Earl Rudder, class of 1932, became the 16th president of the college.^[28] Rudder's tenure (1959–1970) marked a critical turning point in the school's history. Under his leadership, Texas A&M underwent a dramatic expansion in terms of its physical plant construction, but more importantly, it diversified and expanded its student body by admitting women and minorities. The Corps of Cadets became voluntary. In the face of growing student activism during the 1960s, Rudder worked diligently to ensure that school continue to fulfill its mission of providing a quality education for all Aggies. By his death in 1970, Rudder had overseen the growth of the school from 7,500 to 14,000 students from all 50 states and 75 nations.^[29][30]

In 1963, the 58th Legislature of Texas approved of Rudder's changes, and officially renamed the school "Texas A&M University",^[29] specifying that the "A" and the "M" were purely symbolic, reflecting the school's past, and no longer stood for "Agricultural and Mechanical".^[16] In the following 35 years, Texas A&M more than tripled its enrollment from 14,000 students to over 45,000.^[14]

Much of the legislative work allowing the expansion of Texas A&M and the admission of women was pushed by State Senator William T. "Bill" Moore, who served from 1949 to 1981. Known as "the Bull of the Brazos" and "the father of the modern Texas A&M University", Moore was a Bryan attorney and businessman originally from Wheelock in Robertson County. He also taught economics at TAMU prior to his entry into World War II.^[31]

Texas A&M became one of the first four universities given the designation sea-grant for its achievements in oceanography and marine resources development in 1971. In 1989, the university earned the title space-grant by NASA, to recognize its commitment to space research and participation in the Texas Space Grant Consortium.^[32]

George Bush Presidential Library

In 1997, the school became the home of the George Bush Presidential Library. Operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, it is one of thirteen American presidential libraries. Former President George Bush remains actively involved with the university, frequently visiting the campus and participating in special events.^[33][34]

Texas A&M received national media attention on November 18, 1999, when Aggie Bonfire, a ninety-year-old student tradition, collapsed during construction. Twelve current and former students died and twenty-seven others were injured. The accident was later attributed to improper design and poor construction practices.^[35] The victims' family members filed six lawsuits against Texas A&M officials, the student Bonfire leaders, and the university. Half of the defendants settled their portion of the case in 2005,^[36] and a federal appeals court dismissed the remaining lawsuits against the university in 2007.^[37]

With strong support from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin, the Association of American Universities inducted Texas A&M in May 2001, on the basis of the depth of the university's research and academic programs.^[38] In December 2006, university President Robert Gates resigned from his position to become the U.S. Secretary of Defense.^[39] Elsa Murano became his replacement in January 2008, but later resigned in June 2009^[40] and was replaced by R. Bowen Loftin. In September 2011, Texas A&M announced that it will leave the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference in July 2012.^[41]

Academics[link]

Student body[link]

Then-President George W. Bush smiles with his parents, former President George H. W. Bush, left, and former First Lady Barbara Bush following his commencement address at Texas A&M's December 2008 convocation.

In the fall 2008 semester, Texas A&M was the seventh largest American university with an enrollment of 48,039 students pursuing degrees in 10 academic colleges. The student body represents all 50 US states and 130 foreign countries. Texas residents account for 86% of the student population, and 28.9% are either of international origin or members of ethnic minority groups. The student body consists of 46.8% women and 53.2% men.^[42]

Although Texas A&M is a secular institution, its student body has a reputation for being religious and conservative. According to a 2005 student survey published in the Princeton Review, Texas A&M ranked 13th highest in the category "students pray on a regular basis".^[43] Four years later, the Princeton Review ranked Texas A&M the eighth most socially conservative campus in the nation.^[44] The Princeton Review also ranked the university in 2011 as the "17th least friendly" college in the United States for LGBT people.^[45]