The History of Higher Education in Texas

A Timeline

By: Alma Young

Georgia Southern University
EDLD 7432

1840

Rutersville University, the first college chartered in Texas.

1845

Baylor University is charted by the Republic of Texas.

1856

Soule University was funded.

1848

McKenzie Institute (College) was chartered.

1873

Southwestern University in funded in Georgetown, Texas.

1876

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) is opened.
The Constitution of the State of Texas funded the Permanent University Fund
Alta Vista Agricultural College (now Prairie View A&M University) was funded.

1879

Sam Houston Normal Institute (now Sam Houston State University) was established in
Huntsville

1883

The University of Texas officially opened its doors.

1889

East Texas Normal College (private) is funded.

1890

Polytechnic College (Wesleyan University) was funded by the Methodist Episcopal

church.
Texas Normal College and Teachers Training Institute (University of North Texas) is
chartered

1899

Southwest Texas State Normal School in San Marcos, (now Southwest Texas State
University)

1901

The Girls Industrial College ( Texas Woman's University) was founded by the state
legislature to offer the last two years of high school work plus the first two years of
college.

1909

West Texas State Normal School in Canyon, (now West Texas A&M University) is
established

1917

South Texas Normal School (now Texas A&M University at Kingsville) is chartered.

1917

Sul Ross State Normal School in Alpine (now Sul Ross State University) was authorized
by the state legislature.

1920

Sul Ross State Normal School in Alpine (now Sul Ross State University) opened.

1922

Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College (now Stephen F. Austin State University)
opened.

1923

All of the normal schools in the states were renamed state teachers colleges, a change
consistent with the rest of the country. All had earlier been authorized to offer bachelor's
degrees.

1927

University of Houston was funded.

1929

South Texas State Teachers College was renamed Texas College of Arts and Industries.

1935

Colleges and universities in Texas benefited immensely from New Deal programs.

1943

Texas ended New Deal Programs

1918

University of Texas provided ground training for army air service personnel, and most
public and private institutions participated in the Students Army Training Corps

1939

Texas started one of the first federally sponsored military training programs at thirteen
colleges and universities to train pilots; one of these was in Texas-North Texas
Agricultural Junior College, now the University of Texas at Arlington.

1940

The Civilian Pilot Training Program was expanded to hundreds of colleges and
universities, including almost all of those in Texas.

1944

The army specialized training program ended 1944, leaving several Texas colleges with
only a fraction of their pre-war student body.

1947

Texas Southern University for Negroes, established in 1927 as a private institution,

becomes the first state institution in Houston Texas.

1949

All of the state teachers colleges were renamed state colleges.

1955

The state legislature established the Texas Commission on Higher Education

The state legislature set tuition at state colleges and universities at four dollars a semester
credit for Texas residents

1961

Founded in 1927 as Wichita Falls Junior College, the institution becomes part Texas
Colleges and Universities System and is renamed to Midwestern State University.

1963

Angelo State University and the University of Houston became state supported.

1965

The Texas College and University System Coordinating Board was established

1965

University of Texas-Pan American at Edinburg became state supported.

1965

The state legislature approved the Tuition Equalization Grant Program

1985

The state legislature agreed to appropriate $100 million annually for construction and
repair of campus facilities of institutions who did not qualify for Permanent University
Fund.

1987

Initially known as the Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, was
renamed Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

1989

The state legislature assigned three institutions to A&M-Laredo State University, Corpus
Christi State University, and Texas A&I University

1989

The state legislature authorized the addition of freshman and sophomore years to the
University of Texas at Dallas and Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi.

1991

The state legislature authorized the addition of freshman and sophomore years to the
University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

1992

Enrollment in independent institutions accounted for about 10 percent of the total

enrollment in postsecondary education in the state.

1993

The state legislature renamed these institutions, respectively, Texas A&M International
University, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University at
Kingsville, and West Texas A&M University.

2001

The state legislature approved House Bill 1403 (HB 1403) which allows certain
immigrants become eligible for in-state tuition.

2014

House Bill 209 (HB 209) is filed which will revoke BH 1403.