From the 40 students who made up the first class at Texas A.M.C in 1876 to the 7,300 students who made up the Texas A&M Class of 2012, the University has undoubtedly come a long way.
When classes began on Oct. 4 136 years ago admission was limited to white males, all students were required to be members of the Corps of Cadets to receive military training and the University had a total of six faculty members.
Rich with history and tradition, Texas A&M has grown each year, with this year being no exception. From the re-opening of the newly renovated Memorial Student Center, the Universitys recent move into the Southeastern Conference and the record enrollment freshmen class, Texas A&M continues to grow and change while at the same time maintaining its core values and time-honored traditions.
Jeff Cohen, sophomore meteorology major, said A&Ms recent move to the SEC would bring more national exposure, student, money and research to the school.
This new exposure opens up a plethora of possibilities to have A&M become a national brand to the point that everyone knows us, like how everyone knows about t.u. or USC or Florida, Cohen said.
Campus life continually changed over the past year with ongoing construction sites.
I think we are headed in a good direction, said Matt Millar, senior human resources major. As much as I hate the construction, I love all of the new buildings. They look a lot better than the old ones.
Another important event in A&Ms history was the grand opening of the newly renovated MSC.
The new MSC is awesome, said Christina Mathis, sophomore biomedical science major. The bookstore is more comfortable and there are many more dining options. The atmosphere feels like home and the respect that everyone has for it is very cool.
The University has undergone more than just changes to its outside appearance and structures. The commonly known symbols that represent A&M have also been added to and modified over the years. Since the founding ofA&M, the official University seal has changed several times. The seal went from reading, The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, to The Texas A&M University System, to Texas A&M University.
The University has also patented many well-known logos over the years such as the Gig Em, the 12th Man, Ol Sarge and the T with a five-pointed star.
Traditions Council will be providing free cake at noon in the 12th Man Hall in the MSC. They will also be honoring the Universitys rich history by displaying a timeline of events that have taken place since the founding of the school in 1876.
Texas A&M has two birthdays, Oct. 2 was the day the charter was signed and Oct. 4 was the first day of classes, said Jeremy Selvidge, senior English literature major. [The timeline highlights] important events in A&Ms history and how they relate to events in world history that were happening at the same time.