Strolling through campus can be like taking a walk through the past if one knows where to look.
The oldest, and perhaps most recognizable, building on campus is the Academic Building. The dome of the building is a centerpiece of main campus.
Built in 1914, it stands on the site of Old Main, the first campus building that burned in 1912. The first floor of the Academic Building was used as a library until Cushing Library was built in 1930.
Perhaps one of the most important uses of the Academic Building has been its role in Silver Taps. Academic Plaza has been the scene of the Aggie tradition since 1918.
The class of 1978 contributed to the Academic Building’s grandeur by donating the mosaic University seal on the floor of the rotunda.
The YMCA Building may not be in use, but it was the birthplace of one of the greatest Aggie traditions.
Built in 1914, it was on its outside steps that Midnight Yell Practice began. The first Yell Practice was in 1913 and was originally a post-dinner activity. In 1931, students gathered at the steps of the YMCA building midnight before the football game against t.u. for the first official Yell Practice.
The Jack K. Williams Administration Building is the focus of the main entrance to A&M and often the first building visitors see.
It was built in 1932 and is elaborately decorated with iconic columns, a marble staircase and stained-glass windows. The building originally was home to all administrative offices and still is to some. It was named for former University president Jack K. Williams in 1997.
The arguably most popular structure of the A&M campus is Kyle Field. In 1904, Edwin Jackson Kyle, a graduate of A&M and horticulture professor, fenced off a section of campus and purchased a grandstand with his own money. He also built wooden bleachers for the field to allow for 500 spectators.
Later that year, the University made Kyle Field the permanent home for the Aggie football team. The most recent upgrade came in 1999 when the Bernard C. Richardson Zone was completed allowing for a capacity of 82,600.