Campus of Texas A&M University

The campus of Texas A&M University, also known as Aggieland, is situated in College Station, Texas, USA. Aggieland is centrally located within 200 miles (320 km) of three of the 10 largest cities in the United States and 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations. Aggieland's major roadway is State Highway 6, and several smaller state highways and Farm to Market Roads connect the area to larger highways such as Interstate 45.

The campus is bisected by a set of railroad tracks primarily operated by Union Pacific Railroad. The area east of the railroad tracks is known as "Main Campus" and includes many of the academic buildings, the Memorial Student Center, Kyle Field, and the student dormitories. The portion of the campus west of the railroad tracks is known as "West Campus" and includes most of the other sports facilities, the business school, agricultural programs, the veterinary college, the George Bush Presidential Library and the medical school. The area of West Campus along Kimbrough Boulevard is known as "Research Park" and includes many research facilities.

History

Establishment

The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, later known as Texas A&M University, was established by the Texas State Legislature on April 17, 1871 as the state's first public institution of higher education. The legislature provided $75,000 for the construction of buildings at the new school. A committee tasked with finding a home for the new college chose Brazos County, which agreed to donate 2,416 acres (10 km²) of land.

The college officially opened on October 4, 1876 with six professors charged with educating 106 students. The campus at the time bore minimal resemblance to the campus as it is today. Wild animals roamed freely, and the area served as a meeting point for the Great Western Cattle Trail. The first building to be placed on campus was known as Old Main. "A stately, semi-classic building four stories in height", Old Main housed all the activities of the college for the first ten years of the school's existence. In the following three decades, it played a prominent part in A&M activities and housed the offices of the school's presidents. The building caught fire in the early hours of May 27, 1912 and was unable to be saved.

Students and faculty lived in separate wings of Gaithright Hall. For the school's first few decades, there were no formal train stops in the area. Students would request to be dropped off near the college. The wife of the college president would keep watch for the trains from her home in the faculty portion of Gaithright Hall, sending a buggy to retrieve any students she saw disembark.

Sul Ross era

Many people credit Texas A&M president Lawrence Sullivan Ross, known affectionately to students as "Sully", with saving the school from closure and transforming it into a respected military institution. Ross, the immediate past governor of Texas, had been a well-respected Confederate soldier and enjoyed a good reputation among state residents. When Ross arrived at the school in February 1891, he found that there was no running water, the school was suffering a housing shortage, the faculty was disgruntled, and many of the students ran wild. Ross promptly began instituting improvements. When students returned for the 1891–1892 school year, they found a new three–story, 41 room dormitory (named Ross Hall), the beginning of construction on a new home for the president, and a new building to house the machine and blacksmith shops. Even with the addition of a new dormitory, space was still at a premium. Some cadets were forced to live on the fourth floor of the main building.

Enrollment continued to rise, so much so that by the end of his tenure Ross requested that parents first communicate with his office before sending their sons to the school. The increase in students necessitated an improvement in facilities, and from fall 1891 until September 1898 the college spent over $97,000 on improvements and new buildings. This included construction of an infirmary, which included the first indoor toilets on campus, a new artesian well, a natatorium, four new faculty residences, an electric light plant, an ice works, a laundry, a cold storage room, a slaughterhouse, a gymnasium, a warehouse, and an artillery shed.

The last major campus construction overseen by Ross was the development of the Mess Hall. Designed by architectural firm Glover and Allen and opened in 1897, the Mess Hall could originally seat 500 students. Its front porches were later enclosed to double the seating capacity, making the Mess Hall the largest dining hall in Texas. An accidental kitchen fire on the morning of November 11, 1911 destroyed the building. Its replacement, Sbisa Dining Hall, remains one of the primary dining centers on campus.

During this time one of the more recognizable features of the Texas A&M landscape, the Century Oak Tree, was planted. The massive oak tree, located in Academic Plaza, would become a favored place for students to propose marriage.

Early 20th century

The focal point of campus for much of the early 20th century was Military Walk, a 1,500 feet (460 m) street that connected the former Guion Hall, now the location of the Rudder Theatre Complex, with Sbisa Dining Hall. Lined with oak trees, the avenue provided access to Assembly Hall (1889-1929), Foster Hall (1899-1951), Ross Hall (1891-1955), Gaithright Hall (1876-1933), and Mitchell Hall (1912-1972). The street was closed in 1971. Many of the original trees remain, but buildings, walk ways, and grassy areas were added in place of the street itself.

The school began offering an expanded choice of degree programs at the same time that the state legislature and the United States Department of Agriculture established several services at Texas A&M. The college was unprepared for the ensuing population growth. For the next ten years, several hundred students lived in tents in a field in the middle of campus.

In the late 1920s, following the discovery of oil on university lands, Texas A&M and the University of Texas negotiated a settlement for the division of the Permanent University Fund which enabled A&M to receive one-third of the revenue. This guaranteed wealth enabled A&M to grow and expand.

World War II

Enrollment soared after World War II as many former soldiers used the G.I. Bill to further their education. Again unprepared for the growth, between 1949 and 1953 Texas A&M used the former Bryan Air Force Base as an extension of the campus. An estimated 5,500 men lived, studied, ate, showered, and attended classes at the base, which became known as the Annex.

Late 20th century

The George Bush Presidential Library was established in 1997 on 90 acres (364,220 m²) of land donated by Texas A&M at the western edge of the campus. This tenth presidential library was built between 1995 and 1997 and contains the presidential and vice-presidential papers of George H.W. Bush and the vice-presidential papers of Dan Quayle.

The 2004 Campus Master Plan

To address the rapid growth of the student body and faculty, Texas A&M created a Campus Master plan that provided guidelines on campus development. The plan created by the architectural firm Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects with Michael Dennis & Associates, was completed in July, 2004. The primary goals of the plan were to: reinforce campus identity and community, establish connectivity, create architecture that contributes positively to the campus community, promote spatial equity and appropriateness, promote sustainability, and develop a supportive process to achieve the goals above

Major components of the plan include

• New Main Drive
• Administration Building/East Lawn Area
• East Quad
• East-West Pedestrian Walks
• Library Quad and Diversity Plaza
• Academic Quad and Military Walk
• Simpson Drill Field and the New Underpasses
• New West Quad and Wellborn Road
• West Campus Extension of Old Main
• White Creek Greenway

Texas A&M's master plan has won several awards including: Campus Planning Award from the Boston Society of Architects and a 2004 design award from the Texas Society of Architects.

Current Status

Following the completion of the master plan, Texas A&M has begun some of the largest construction projects in its history. The Interdisciplinary Life Sciences building will be and cost 95 million dollars. When completed it will be the largest building on campus. Texas A&M is also constructing two physics buildings dedicated to astronomical research with funds from a donation by George P. W. Mitchell.

For sports, A&M completed an athletics complex southwest of Kyle Field primarily used for indoor football practice and indoor track and field. The university is building the Cox-McFerrin Center, a practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams.

Areas

Main Campus

The main campus chiefly contains the student and Corps of Cadets dormitories, university apartments, various dining facilities, a health center, two post offices, libraries, and drill fields used by the Corps. The main campus houses some facilities of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Sciences and all of the facilities of the College of Architecture, the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Geosciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Dwight Look College of Engineering. Notable buildings on the main campus include Kyle Field, the Academic Building, the Memorial Student Center, the Administration Building, Rudder Tower, Albritton Bell Tower, and the Bonfire Memorial. The main campus is bordered by George Bush Drive, Wellborn Drive, University Drive, and Texas Avenue on the south, west, north, and east sides, respectively.

West Campus

The west campus contains both the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Health Science Center, a component of the Texas A&M University System. West campus also contains the remaining facilities of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Sciences, all of the facilities of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, and Mays Business School. In addition to a few dining facilities, the Medical Sciences Library and the West Campus Library are the only two libraries on west campus. Olsen Field, home of the baseball team, and Reed Arena, home of the basketball team, are both situated on west campus as well. In addition, administrative offices of various state agencies, including the Texas Engineering Extension Service and Texas Transportation Institute, are housed here. Easterwood Airport, which provides flights to both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, is located on the far west side of west campus. West Campus is bordered by railroad tracks operated by Union Pacific Railroad, George Bush Drive, John Kimbrough Boulevard, and Easterwood Airport, on the east, south, north, and west sides, respectively.

Riverside Campus

The Riverside Campus is located adjacent to State Highway 47 and Highway 21, west of Bryan, Texas. Riverside Campus was originally Bryan Army Airfield.

In 1943, Bryan Field was the starting point of the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane.

Gus Grissom, later one of the first astronauts, was a jet instructor here.

The base became Bryan Air Force Base upon separation of the Air Force from the Army in 1947. Following World War II, enrollment at Texas A&M soared. Housing was in short supply, so between 1949 and 1953 an estimated 5,500 men lived, studied, ate, showered, and attended classes at the Annex on the former Bryan Air Force Base. It was deactivated in May 1961. The land and buildings were deeded to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) in 1962.

Situated from the main campus, the Riverside Campus hosts three training divisions of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), which occupies about of offices, classrooms, and laboratories. The agency maintains outdoor training facilities at Riverside, including overhead and underground electric power training fields, a firing range for law enforcement officers, a heavy equipment training field, an emergency vehicle-driving track, unexploded ordnance ranges and search grids, and simulation prop houses for tactical training.

A vintage World War II hangar at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus was recently transformed into a state-of-the-art training facility for utility workers in the electric power and telecommunications industry. Classrooms in the new facility include interactive Smart boards, custom-built workbenches and cabinets, built-in audiovisual systems, and automatic lighting.

The runway is also used as an SCCA racetrack.

The Texas A&M College of Architecture recently completed an Built Environment Teaching and Research Facility also known as Architecture Ranch. The building contains a woodshop, a metal shop, and two digital fabrication machines: a CNC Mill and a CNC Plasma Cutter. Architecture Ranch is located on 12 acres of the Texas A&M Riverside Campus.

The campus is also home to several Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) testing facilities used in the areas of vehicle performance and handling, vehicle-roadway interaction, the durability and efficacy of highway pavements, and the safety of structural systems.

Residential life

During the 2006 fall semester, 20.5% of the student body lived on campus in one of two distinct housing sections located on opposite ends of campus. Both the Northside and Southside areas contain student dormitories, or residence halls. While some halls are single-sex, others are co-educational. Usually students of different genders live on alternate floors, although the Corps dormitories and Hobby Hall are segregated by room or suite. Residence hall styles vary; while many halls offer only indoor access to individual rooms, access to the rooms of "balcony halls", comes from an outdoor balcony. Room sizes vary by building, and halls with larger rooms including en-suite or private bathrooms, while halls with smaller rooms have a common bathroom on each floor. Several halls include a "substance-free" floor, where residents pledge to avoid bringing alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes into the hall. While the university provides a variety of dining facilities, non-Corps students are not required to purchase a meal plan.

Northside consists of 17 student residence halls, including the two university honors dorms. The halls are located near Northgate, a local entertainment district featuring the popular bar, the Dixie Chicken. The campus dining establishments Sbisa Dining Hall and The Underground are located on Northside. Some halls have unofficially claimed tables within the Sbisa Dining Hall and many halls congregate for dinner at a specific time each weekday.

Southside contains halls both for the Corps of Cadets members and "non-regs". Non-corps halls in this area center around the Commons, a hub for activities and dining. Southside has two Learning Living Communities, which allow freshmen to live in a cluster with other students who share common interests.

Facilities for the Corps of Cadets are located in the Quadrangle, or "The Quad", an area consisting of dormitories, Duncan Dining Hall, and the Corps training fields. The Corps Arches, a series of 12 arches that "[symbolize] the undying spirit of the 12th Man of Texas A&M", mark the entrance to the Quadrangle. All cadets, except those who are married or who have had previous military service, must live in the Quad with assigned roommates from the same unit and graduating class. Reveille, the Aggie mascot, lives with her handlers in the Quadrangle.

Notable buildings

Of the over 200 buildings on the Texas A&M University campus, the most recognized include the Academic Building, Albritton Bell Tower, the O&M Building, the Administration Building, the George Bush Presidential Library, Kyle Field, and the Memorial Student Center (MSC).

Academic Building

The Academic Building stands at the crossroads of the campus. Completed in 1914, it stands on the site of Old Main, the first campus building, which burned to the ground in 1912. Its most prominent feature is its copper dome, which is green with oxidation, much like the Statue of Liberty. The practice of polishing the dome was stopped due to the danger the glare posed for pilots landing at nearby Easterwood Airport. When the building was constructed, it was one of the first on campus to use rebar. Its architect, A&M Professor F. E. Giesecke knew little about reinforced concrete, "so [he] just figured out the amount of steel...necessary and doubled it". The result was an extremely durable building so filled with steel that blowtorches had to be used when piping for water fountains was added. In front of the Academic Building is the Academic Plaza, which is the site of a wide range of campus events, most notably Silver Taps.

Albritton Bell Tower

Donated to Texas A&M University by Martha and Ford D. Albritton and dedicated on October 6, 1984 the Albritton Tower is tall and contains 49 Westminster carillon bells weighing a total of , the largest of which weighs . The bells ring every quarter hour and are also programmed to play music such as The Spirit of Aggieland, patriotic songs, and hymns.

Eller O&M Building

The David G. Eller Oceanography & Meteorology (O&M) Building is the tallest building at Texas A&M University. The construction of the Oceanography and Meteorology (O&M) building began in August 1970 and was completed in 1973. The architectural designers for the building were the father and son team of Preston M. Geren Sr. and Jr. of Fort Worth. Both the Gerens are Aggies. The building was built by the Tulsa, OK-based Manhattan Construction Company. It cost $7.6 million to build and was constructed of reinforced concrete and steel, with limestone exterior walls. In 1989, the building was renamed the David G. Eller Building for Oceanography and Meteorology, after David G. Eller, the former Chairman of the University Board of Regents.

The building encompasses  (10,183 m²) of office, classroom, laboratory, and storage space. Housing the departments of geography, atmospheric sciences, and oceanography, it maintains a TTVN site for distance education which facilitates teaching with the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus. A Doppler radar system located on the roof provides data on severe storms.

E.V. Adams Band Hall

The E.V. Adams Band Hall houses the Texas A&M Wind Symphony, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, as well as the University Symphonic, Concert, and Jazz Band; and Orchestra. Constructed in the 1970s, the Adams band hall was initially intended to serve as a dormitory office building. It is a two-story building with a basement.

Jack K. Williams Administration Building

The Administration Building is the centerpiece of the main entrance to Texas A&M University. For many years home to all of Texas A&M's administrative offices, the Jack K. Williams Administration Building opened its doors in 1932. It continues to house several Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System offices and agencies. Designed by Professor C.S.P. Vosper and built by Campus Architect F.E. Giesecke, features of this monumental classical structure include intricate Ionic columns, polished brass handrails along its marble staircases and stained-glass windows. In 1997, the building was officially named after former Texas A&M University president Jack Williams to honor his work in increasing enrollment while preserving the traditional aura of the campus.

Kyle Field

One of the most prominent architectural features of the campus is the Kyle Field, also known as The Home of the 12th Man. In the fall of 1904, Edwin Jackson Kyle, professor of horticulture and an 1899 graduate of Texas A&M and current, fenced off a section of the southeast corner of campus that had been assigned to him for agricultural use. Using $650 of his own money, he purchased the covered grandstand from the Bryan fairgrounds and built wooden bleachers to raise the seating capacity to 500 people. After the first World War, the stadium was dedicated as a living memorial to the Aggies who died in that conflict. On game days 55 American flags, one for each Aggie killed, fly around the highest points of the stadium. At Kyle Field, the November 1921 game between the Aggies and their archrival the University of Texas became the first college football game to offer a live, play-by-play broadcast.

Over the years, the modest wooden bleachers were expanded to a three deck concrete stadium with a capacity of 83,002, currently the second largest football venue in Texas. Other features of the stadium and surrounding area include the Bright Football Complex, an award-winning natural grass field, the Texas A&M Sports Museum, the award-winning press box, and the second largest video board in college athletics and one of the ten largest in the world. Kyle Field is often regarded as one of the most intimidating college football stadiums in the nation. CBS Sportsline listed Kyle Field as the nation's best with a perfect score in three categories (atmosphere, tradition, and fans).

Memorial Student Center

For more than 50 years, the Memorial Student Center (MSC), "The Living Room of Texas A&M", has been a living memorial, a living room, and a living tradition at Texas A&M University. "Dedicated on Muster Day in 1951, the building is dedicated to all Aggies, past or future, who have given or will give their lives in wartime. Because the building and grounds are a memorial, those entering the MSC are asked to remove their hats and not walk on the surrounding grass lawns.

On the main floor of the MSC is the Flagroom, a large, flag-lined room which students use for meetings, visiting, napping, and studying. The MSC also contains a bookstore, a post office, three art galleries, three dining facilities, and a seventy room hotel. Additionally, the MSC contains many meeting rooms and is the home of numerous student committees "that provide an array of educational, cultural, recreational and entertainment programs for the Texas A&M community."

In 2007, the Aggie student body voted for 122 million dollar renovations to the Memorial Student Center. The renovations will bring the student union to modern standards for both fire code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project is still in its design phase. When complete renovations will increase the size of the building to accommodate the growing school population, and make more efficient use of existing space.

Transportation

On-campus residents, who make up about 20% of the student body, usually travel to classes by walking, biking, or taking the on-campus shuttle. Faculty, staff, and visitors may also take advantage of the on-campus shuttle route system, which operates from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and at select times during nights and weekends. Sidewalks and walkways pervade the campus to allow pedestrians to travel to their selected destination. Multiple bike racks are located throughout the campus, especially adjacent to buildings, for bicyclists to park their bicycles.

Off-campus residents, who make up the remaining 80% of the student body, may travel to campus by walking, bicycling, driving by motor vehicle, or taking the off-campus shuttle. Students who reside in the Northgate area usually walk or bike to campus due to its close proximity. Those who travel to campus by an automobile park on assigned student parking lots located throughout the campus and travel to their classes by walking or taking the on-campus shuttle. Motorcycle parking lots are also located throughout the campus for motorcyclists. As the on-campus shuttle route, the off-campus route operates 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and at select times on nights and weekends.

Branch campuses

Additionally, the university includes two branch campuses: Texas A&M at Qatar located in Education City in Doha, Qatar devoted to engineering disciplines and Texas A&M University at Galveston in Galveston, Texas, devoted to marine research and host to the Texas Maritime Academy.

Footnotes

References

External links

• Texas A&M University Campus Maps