A&M System History
Universities
The Texas A&M University System—although not officially recognized as such until 1948—got its start in 1876, with the establishment of the state’s first public college, the land-grant Agricultural and Mechanical College (A&M) in College Station.
In addition to A&M College (now Texas A&M University), the Texas Legislature created a branch college at Prairie View (now Prairie View A&M University), which opened in 1878. John Tarleton College at Stephenville (now Tarleton State University) joined the A&M System in 1917. Tarleton State University-Central Texas, an upper-level institution offering bachelor's and master's degrees, was established in Killeen in 1999.
The Galveston Marine Laboratory joined with the Texas Maritime Academy in the 1960s to form Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas A&M’s marine studies branch. Texas A&M University at Qatar was established in 2003 to bring engineering programs and research to the Gulf Region by establishing a branch campus in an area called Education City in Doha, Qatar. Education City is a 2,400-acre multi-university campus housing various American universities.
In 1989, the A&M System increased its presence in South Texas with the addition of Texas A&M International University (formerly Laredo State University) in Laredo, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (formerly Corpus Christi State University) and Texas A&M University-Kingsville (formerly Texas A&I University). The Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center-San Antonio, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, was opened in 2000.
In 1990, West Texas State University in the Texas Panhandle city of Canyon joined the A&M System, changing its name to West Texas A&M University in 1993.
In 1996, three other institutions joined the A&M System: Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas and two former East Texas State University campuses, now Texas A&M University-Commerce and Texas A&M University-Texarkana.
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, also established in 1999, comprises the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Rural Public Health on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, and the College of Medicine in College Station and Temple.
Agencies
The A&M System’s first state agency reflected its agricultural heritage and mission. Established by the Texas Legislature in 1887 under the federal Hatch Act, Texas AgriLife Research (formerly the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station) continues to represent a unique state-federal partnership in agricultural research. Texas AgriLife Extension Service (formerly the Texas Agricultural Extension Service) grew out of the agricultural initiatives of Texas A&M University under the provisions of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided for cooperative agricultural extension work between Texas land-grant colleges and the United States Department of Agriculture. The Texas Forest Service was established in 1914 to develop and protect the forested areas of Texas.
The Texas Engineering Experiment Station was also created in 1914 with a research and technology transfer mission for the field of engineering. The Texas Engineering Extension Service was established five years later with a charge to help develop a highly skilled workforce through technical and vocational training. The Texas Transportation Institute, created in 1950, conducts highway, safety and other transportation-related research.
For a complete overview of the various A&M System locations, see the map.