Texas State University-San Marcos
From Free net encyclopedia
Texas State University–San Marcos (often referred to as Texas State) is a doctoral granting university located in San Marcos, Texas, United States. It is the largest campus in the Texas State University System, and the sixth-largest in the state.
Contents |
History
The school was founded in 1899, and opened its doors in 1903 as Southwest Texas State Normal School in order to meet a need for teachers in the southwest part of the state. Over a hundred-year period, the school has gone from a teachers' college to a multipurpose university.
The school has changed its name five times since opening:
- Southwest Texas State Normal College (1918–1923)
- Southwest Texas State Teachers College (1923–1959)
- Southwest Texas State College (1959–1969)
- Southwest Texas State University (1969–2003)
- Texas State University–San Marcos (Since 2003)
The most recent name change took effect in September 2003, after some controversy between the school administration, alumni, and student body leaders. After several years of inconclusive discussion, leaders from the Associated Student Government (ASG) of Texas State convinced the Texas Legislature to pass a law changing the university's name.
Campus
The campus is in San Marcos, a community about halfway between Austin and San Antonio on Interstate 35. Its location on the banks of the San Marcos River provides students with recreational and leisure activities, such as swimming and tubing, throughout the year.
Overlooking the campus and serving as a geographic landmark since 1903 is Old Main, a restored red-gabled Victorian building. The university purchased the former San Marcos Baptist Academy, located adjacent to the original campus, in 1979 and added a number of classroom buildings and residence halls. The totality of the campus today covers approximately 429 acres (1.7 km²), as well as an additional 4,200 acres (17 km²) in off-campus ranches and outdoor facilities.
Texas State offers 114 undergraduate, 81 masters, and 6 Ph.D. graduate degree programs from seven colleges (Applied Arts, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, and Science), the University College, and the Graduate College. The university's Department of Geography is top-ranked nationally, and its School of Music is considered to have one of the top music education programs in the nation.
Enrollment in Fall of 2005 was 27,171, compared to an opening enrollment in 1899 of 303. Texas State has an active Greek System, with over 30 different fraternities and sororities.
Athletics
The school's mascot is the Bobcat, with sports teams competing in NCAA Division 1. Texas State's rival in most sports is considered to be the UTSA.
Notable alumni
The most famous graduate of the university is U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Texas State has the distinction of being the only major university in Texas to have a US President alumnus. Other notable alumni of Texas State include country singer George Strait, director Thomas Carter, actor/filmmaker Richard Jones, actor Powers Boothe, actress Tracy Scoggins, professional (NBA) basketball player Jeff Foster, and professional wrestler Lance Hoyt.