Prairie View AandM University

Origins and early years (1876 – 1900)

The university is rooted in the Texas Constitution of 1876. Established during the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War. In that year, senators Matthew Gaines and William H. Holland – both former slaves who became leading political figures - crafted legislation for the creation of a state-supported "Agricultural and Mechanical" college. In another article, the constitution stated that "Separate schools shall be provided for the white and colored children, and impartial provisions shall be made for both."

In an effort to comply with these constitutional provisions, the Fifteenth Texas Legislature, consistent with terms of the federal Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act - which provided public lands for the establishment of colleges - authorized the "Alta Vista Agriculture and Mechanical College for the Benefit of Colored Youth" as part of the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University).

Governor Richard B. Hubbard appointed a three-member commission that purchased Alta Vista Plantation (1388 acres) from Mrs. Helen Marr Kirby, the widow of the late Col. Jared Ellison Kirby, near Hempstead in Waller County, Texas for $15,000. Alta Vista Plantation was one of four plantations and several farms owned by the Kirby family, whose combined properties had a population of more than 400 slaves. The commission appointed the Texas University board to keep the school, and Texas A&M president Thomas S. Gathright selected L. W. Minor of Mississippi as the first principal.

The Fifteenth Legislature officially established the Alta Vista Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth on August 14, 1876. Eight young African-American men presented themselves for admission, and the students began their studies on March 11 of 1878. Students were charged tuition of $130, which included nine months of instruction, board, and one uniform.

In 1879, as the institution was struggling to find resources to continue, Governor Oran Roberts suggested closing the college. But Barnas Sears, an agent for the Peabody Fund, persuaded the Sixteenth Texas Legislature to issue charters for two normal schools (institutions that trained school teachers, with the intention of establishing educational "norms"). One of these normal schools was to be called Prairie View Normal Institute. The Texas A&M College board met in August 1879 to establish thirteen elementary and secondary subjects, and founded the coeducational institution. Women were housed in the plantation house called Kirby Hall, and men were housed in a combination chapel-dormitory called Pickett Hall. Among the first faculty appointed to the new normal school was E. H. Anderson.

Edward L. Blackshear was appointed principal in 1895, and on June 4, 1897, Booker T. Washington delivered the first commencement address.

In 1890, the second Morrill Act was passed; designating Prairie View as a land-grant institution specifically for persons of color.

20th Century

In 1945, the name of the segregated institution was changed from Prairie View Normal and Industrial College to Prairie View University. The school was authorized to offer, "as need arises," all courses offered at the University of Texas.

In 1947, the Texas Legislature changed the name to Prairie View A&M College of Texas and provided that "courses be offered in agriculture, the mechanics arts, engineering, and the natural sciences connected therewith, together with any other courses authorized at Prairie View at the time of passage of this act, all of which shall be equivalent to those offered at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas at Bryan.

On August 27, 1973, the name of the institution was changed to Prairie View A&M University, and its status as an independent unit of the Texas A&M University System was confirmed. In 1983, the Texas Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to restructure the Permanent University Fund to include Prairie View A&M University as a beneficiary of its proceeds. The Permanent University Fund is a perpetual endowment fund originally established in the Constitution of 1876 for the sole benefit of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas, which were originally whites-only institutions. The 1983 amendment also dedicated the university to enhancement as an "institution of the first class" under the governing board of the Texas A&M University System. The constitutional amendment was approved by the voters on November 6, 1984.

In January 1985, the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System responded to the 1984 Constitutional Amendment by stating its intention that Prairie View A&M University become "an institution nationally recognized in its areas of education and research." The board also resolved that the university receive its share of the Available University Fund, as previously agreed to by Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.

21st Century

In October 2000, the Governor of Texas signed the Priority Plan, an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to ensure Prairie View A&M University is an educational asset available to all Texans. The Priority Plan mandated the creation of many new educational programs, and required removing language from the Institutional Mission Statement that might have given the impression of excluding any Texan from attending Prairie View A&M University.

Voting Rights

In 2004, Oliver Kitzman, the district attorney of Waller County, challenged the voting rights of PVAMU students in local elections, arguing that student rights were based on permanent residence. As a result, the United States Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation on Kitzman. Geoffrey Connor, the Texas Secretary of State, said that PVAMU students, like other university students, have the right to vote for officials in the university's voting districts as long as they are registered to vote there.

In July 2013, Priscilla Barbour, then president of the Prairie View A&M University student government association, sent a letter to Texas Secretary of State, John Steen, and registrar, Robyn German. Her letter requested a voting location on campus for county and national elections; arguing that Waller County’s failure to put a voting location on campus for these elections violated the federal Voting Rights Act. In September, 2013, Waller County Commissioners approved early voting and Election Day polling places; including a new location at the Prairie View A&M University Willie A. Tempton Memorial Student Center. Now, students have on-campus access to voting for county and national elections.

Names Given to the University

Academics

Prairie View A&M University offers academic programs through the following administrative units:

In 2004, Prairie View A&M established the Undergraduate Medical Academy (UMA) which is a rigorous pre-medical program designed to prepare and mentor academically talented undergraduate students for success in medical school. UMA began as a result of a Texas legislative mandate in 2003 and is state funded with a mission to increase minority representation in the medical field and redress statewide physician shortages.

Additionally, Prairie View A&M established an honors program for academically exceptional undergraduates who meet the specific SAT/ACT, GPA, and recommendation criteria.

Prairie View A&M is consistently recognized as one of the top institutions in the country for producing the highest number of African-American architects and engineers by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Prairie View A&M annually awards the second most STEM degrees in the Texas A&M University System.

Prairie View A&M academic programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and each college within the university holds additional accreditation or certifications.

Graduation and Awarded Degrees

During the university’s 140-year history, more than 60,000 academic degrees have been awarded.

Accreditations

The University is accredited by the University (Regional Accreditation) Agency: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Inc. (SACSCOC). The university is accredited by this agency to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.

Principals and Presidents

Initially, Texas A&M College and Alta Vista was governed by Principals.

In 1947, the Fiftieth Legislature changed the name of the institution to Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, and the title of principal was changed to dean by the Board of Directors for the 1947-1948 school year. Then, on September 1, 1948, the title was changed to president.

President’s Reading List

In 2007, the university created the PVAMU President’s Reading List, with the intention to "generate interest in reading, to promote formal and informal discussions and to broaden knowledge and intellectual thought." The reading list was distributed to PVAMU students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and was then circulated to and enthusiastically received by high school students, members of the Texas Legislature, representatives from other universities, and by the general public.

After distributing more than 40,000 copies of the first PVAMU reading list, the university released a second reading list, consisting of 70 recommended titles, both fiction and non-fiction in 2014.

Art Gallery, Library, and Digital Resources

John B. Coleman Library offers reading and research resources to PVAMU students and the surrounding area. The library holds over 370,000 Volumes, including over 700 print periodicals, close to 4,000 media materials, and provides access to 85 full-text databases across all academic disciplines. The library’s extensive databases provide access to over 42,000 electronic periodicals and over 30,000 electronic books.

The library’s Special Collection and Archives houses unique, rare, and historic collections, including the Tatum Collection, the Interscholastic League Papers and Awards, the Cooperative Extension Papers & photographs. The library serves as a "partial" Federal Document Depository and holds close to 2,500 government documents.

The John B. Coleman Fourth Floor Art Gallery was founded in 2004, with the goal of providing cultural enrichment to the Prairie View A&M University community through exhibitions, collections, and programming. The gallery showcases a diverse range of work by artists of color and creative visionaries from myriad cultural backgrounds. Showcased artists include: Ted Ellis, Ronney Stevens, Ava Cosey, and Carolyn Crump.

Research Centers

PVAMU is home to research centers in diverse areas of study:

College of Agriculture and Human Science

College of Architecture

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Engineering

College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology

College of Business

College of Nursing

Undergraduate Medical Academy

Campus

The university sits on a 1,440-acre (5.8 km²) campus in Prairie View, Texas and is 47.4 miles (76.3 km) northwest of downtown Houston. The rural campus is often affectionately referred to as "The Hill" because it rests on a hill in the region.

With dedicated facilities for academics, administration, local community, student services, campus life, athletics, agriculture study, and research; PVAMU provides state-of-the-art resources for its students and surrounding area.

Academic Facilities

Seventeen academic buildings are dedicated to various fields of study.

Administration and Local Community Services

Nine on-campus facilities are dedicated to administration and local community services; including a Recreation Center, Elementary School, Police Station, and US Post Office. The campus also houses Transportation, Retail Center, Bowling Center, and Panther Plaza.

Student Life

PVAMU dedicates a number of spaces and buildings to maintaining quality of life on campus; including the New Student Park, Owens-Franklin Health Center, William H. Holland and Matthew Gaines Student Park, Willie A. Tempton, Sr. Memorial Student Center, Laundromat, Johnson-Phillip All Faiths Chapel, and the John B. Coleman Library.

Historical Markers and National Historical Register

Historical markers include Alumni Hall, L.O. Evans Faculty and Staff Dormitory, The First Administration Building, Holley Hall, C.W. Luckie Hall, the Prairie View Hospital, the Prairie View Training School/Rosenwald School, the President’s House.

Locations

PVAMU’s NW Houston Center was established in 1980, when the original office of the Civil Rights Texas Plan assigned PVAMU the responsibility for satisfying the higher education needs of the citizens of Texas, especially in the NW Houston Corridor.

The NW Houston Center is located at 9449 Grant Rd. in Houston, TX, has 52,000 square feet of classroom, meeting, and student service space, and is a fully functional extension of the PVAMU main campus.

International Affairs

The office of International Affairs offers study abroad programs in Paris, China, Namibia, Spain, Belize, South Africa, South Korea, Namibia, and Ghana-to name a few. .

Affiliated Media

Student Media

Community and Economic Development

PVAMU's Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) gives practical, research-based knowledge to small farm producers, families, aspiring entrepreneurs, and youth in 35 Texas counties. The CEP is a network of professional educators and more than 4,000 volunteers.

Demographics

As of Fall 2014 the university enrolled 6,932 undergraduate students, 1,265 students in masters programs, and 146 in doctorate programs. 5,111 (61%) of the undergraduate students were female and 3,232 (39%) were male. As of Fall 2014, of the 8,343 students enrolled, 6,958 (83%) were African-American, non-Hispanic; 267 (3%) were white, non-Hispanic; 420 (5%) were Hispanic; 234 (3%) were Asian; 33 were Native American or Alaska natives; 6 were Hawaiian; 144 (2%) were multiracial; 237 (3%) were "international;" and the ethnicity of 44 (1%) was unknown or unreported. The percentage of African-Americans had dropped from 86% in fall 2010 and the percentage of Hispanic and international students had increased slightly. 7,682 (92%) of the students were from Texas, 456 (5%) were from other states, and 205 (2%) were from other countries.

Housing

In 1998 ACC was awarded the contract to develop, build, and manage a student housing property at PVAMU. Both student residence housing properties at PVAMU are owned and operated by American Campus Communities. Freshmen students on campus may reside in the University College community. Upperclassmen may live in apartment style living in University Village (phases I, II, III, VI, and VII). The first of these apartment buildings was built in 1995.

University College opened in 2000. As of the fall of 2001, 40% of on-campus students lived at University College and the remaining 60% lived at University Village.

Previous buildings that formerly housed students include Alexander Hall, Banks Hall, Buchanan Hall, Collins Hall, Drew Hall, L. O. Evans Hall, Fuller Hall, Holley Hall, and Suarez Hall. Suarez Hall was already closed in 1996. In 1997 Alexander Hall, Buchanan Hall, and Collins Hall had closed. In 1998 Holley Hall had closed. In 2000 Drew Hall, Evans Hall, and Fuller Hall had closed. During the same year, Alexander, Buchanan, and Holley had been demolished. In 2001 Banks Hall had closed.

University College

Geared toward freshmen, this program assists students in the transition to higher education. University College is both a living and learning community; this is a student-centered network specially designed to support students' intellectual and social development. Both academic and residential resources are provided, including an advisement program, academic enhancement classes, and co-curricular activities; giving students the support they need to thrive in a college setting.

Division of Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs consists of the following departments:

Special Programs

Students Participating in Transcending Knowledge (S.P.I.T Knowledge), President's Lecture Series, and Royce West Symposium, Founder's Day and Honors Convocation, Hatitude, Women's History Month, International Festival, Hispanic Heritage Month.

S.P.I.T. Knowledge

Students Participating in Transcendent Knowledge is a lecture series that brings a diverse selection of speakers to inform and inspire students. All lectures are open to the public. Recent speakers have included spokesperson Sybrina Fulton, violinist Josh Vietti, gospel singer Erica Campbell, former NFL running back and mixed martial artists Herschel Walker, and Little Rock Nine social change student Minnijean Brown Trickey.

Dining

PVAMU offers six dining locations on campus:

Campus Transportation

The Office of Transportation offers an on-campus shuttle service, off-campus shuttle service, transportation to local bus stations, airports, and a bi-monthly shopping shuttle. Students can also fill out Special Run Request Forms for customized transportation needs.

Recreational Facilities

Recreational Facilities include the Student Recreation Center. The center includes an indoor pool, climbing wall, group exercise studios, wellness suite, cooking demonstration kitchen, game room, cardio equipment, weight room, activity courts for badminton, volleyball and basketball, indoor track and stretching area, and outdoor intramural and Club Sports fields.

Traditions

Many of Prairie View A&M's traditions are deeply rooted in its heritage as Texas's second oldest (Paul Quinn College was established in 1872) historically black university.

Some PVAMU traditions include Pointing to the Hill, Not Walking on the Grass, PV-UKNO Chant, the PV Shuffle, Alumni Pinning Ceremony, PV Man & PV Woman, Homecoming, SpringFest, Summer Lake Nights, tailgating, humpday, Pantherland day, Humanitarian Award, legacy students, Miss PVAMU Scholarship Pageant, and Mister PVAMU Scholarship Pageant.

Honda Campus All Star Challenge

The Prairie View Honda Campus All Challenge (HCASC) team won the National Championship in 2010 and 2015. The winning team in 2015 included Joseph Dowell, Captain, a senior from Killeen, Brannon Billings, a senior from Austin, Eric Johnston, a sophomore from Boerne, and Chayse Lavallais, a freshman from Houston, with Herbert Thomas, Career Placement Coordinator as the coach and Shahryar Syed, an Institutional Representative. The HCASC academic challenge and quiz bowl is the country’s answer to March Madness where academic excellence and quick intellectual wit is on display. The road to the final four begins in the fall from a field of 78 and narrowed down to the Great 48 of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Regional tournaments are held throughout the year with qualifying teams advancing. The PVAMU team is a charter member of the program which began in 1989 with Frederick V. Roberts, then Director of Student Activities at the university as the founding coach 1989-1996.

Athletics

Prairie View A&M University offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs.

Men's and women's athletic teams are nicknamed the Panthers and the team colors are purple and gold. Prairie View A&M is a charter member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), and is a member of the West Division. Prairie View competes in NCAA Division I in all varsity sports; in football, the Panthers play in the Division I FCS.

Prairie View's most notable rivals are Texas Southern University and Grambling State University.

Men's varsity sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and track and field. Women's varsity sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Football

In summer 2016, Prairie View A&M completed the first phase of construction on its $60 million football stadium and athletic field house. The state-of-the-art facility is 55,000 square feet and holds up to 15,000 people. The second phase of construction will increase capacity to 30,000 people.

PVAMU annual football classics include the Labor Day Classic versus Texas Southern and the State Fair Classic in Dallas versus the Grambling State Tigers.

Women's basketball

The women's basketball team received national attention in 2005 with the naming of Cynthia Cooper as the head basketball coach. Cooper, a two-time WNBA MVP, led the Lady Panthers to the school's first ever SWAC title and NCAA Tournament berth in her second season as coach. Dawn Brown is the current women's coach. The Lady Panthers won the SWAC Tournament and NCAA berth for four consecutive years (2010-2014).

Women's outdoor track & field

The Lady Panther's Track and Field teams accumulated an unprecedented string of championships both indoor and outdoor. From 1965 to 1991 the Lady Panther's claimed 8 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) outdoor titles and 2 indoor titles; won national titles in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and the U.S. Track and Field Federation; won 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) cross country titles, nine indoor titles and five outdoor SWAC titles in track and field. In total the Lady Panther's won 23 SWAC championships

Coach Barbara Jacket was named SWAC Coach of the Year on 23 occasions and NAIA Coach of the Year five times and Jacket tutored 57 All-Americans. As coach of the 1992 U.S. Women's Olympic Track Team during the Olympics which ran from July 25 – August 9 in Barcelona, Spain, Ms. Jacket had the enviable task of coaching such greats as long jumper Jackie Joyner-Kersee and sprinters Gwen Torrance, Gail Devers, and Evelyn Ashford. The Women's team won overall 4 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, and 3 Bronze Medals more than any team since 1956. She was the second Black female to coach an Olympic team

Women's Bowling

In 2012, the Women’s Bowling Team of Prairie View A&M University—won its first SWAC Champions and National Tenpin Coaches Association Final National Poll 19th Place Overall—Cynthia Veney, Shanice Brown, LeJewelia Lewis, Alexis Holmes, Roonesia Newsom, Sharita Turner and Coach Glenn White. The team has since won the SWAC Championship in 2013 and 2015.

Baseball

The Prairie View A&M Panther baseball team captured its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in the school's history and won back-to-back SWAC titles in 2006 and 2007. During the last five years, Prairie View A&M has made four consecutive appearances in the SWAC’s title game, finishing as the conference’s runner-up in 2005 and 2008. Prairie View A&M recently captured its third SWAC title in 2012, defeating Mississippi Valley State University.

Prior to a double header against the Texas Southern Tigers, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the renovated baseball stadium on April 26, 2014. Along with the opening, the stadium was formally dedicated to former Panthers baseball coach, John W. Tankersley. The renovated stadium features seating for 512 including 192 chair backed seats, new concession stand, new restrooms, press box, and bricked dugouts. The stadium is also Wi-Fi enabled. The Panthers dedicated the stadium sweeping the double header winning 9-0 and 7-4.

Marching band

The university's official marching band is the Marching Storm and it is led by four drum majors. It supports the Delta Psi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity along with the Epsilon Psi chapter of Tau Beta Sigma honorary band sorority. During WWII the band's men enlisted in the military, and the Marching Storm became known as the "Co-eds", and was made up of exclusively female musicians. The "Co-eds" toured extensively throughout the US and the segregated south.

Past performances include President George W. Bush’s 2001 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., the 2004 Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game, the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase in Atlanta, Georgia and during the 2011 Super Bowl XLV halftime show with The Black eyed Pea's. The marching band traveled to the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and performed in the opening act in front of the grandstands for the worldwide television audience. In Summer 2009, the Marching Storm mourned the death of their leader, Professor George Edwards. Students affectionately referred to him as "Prof" and will forever be remembered in their hearts.

In 2012 the Marching Storm welcomed director Timmey Zachery. The Marching Storm was selected as the first halftime performance of the 2014 – 15 season for the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. By nationwide vote, the group played in the Honda Battle of the Bands 2016 invitation.

The Marching Storm is joined by the Black Foxes, the university majorette/dance line.

Prairie View Interscholastic League

In 1920, the Colored Teachers State Association of Texas and the Negro School Division of the State Department of Education organized the Texas Interscholastic League of Colored Schools, serving as the as the governing body for extra-curricular activities for Texas' African American high schools. In 1923, the league came under the authority of Prairie View A&M College, becoming the Prairie View Interscholastic League.

From 1920 to 1967, the Prairie View Interscholastic League played a leading role in providing resources for African American high school students in the arts, literature, athletics, and music, staging competitions in athletics, typing, declamation, music, and extemporaneous speaking, and hosting state state championship games in football, basketball, baseball, and track. At its peak, the PVIL enrolled 500 schools.

June 9, 1965, the UIL State Executive Committee validated the Legislative Council's decision to open league membership to all public schools; the PVIL began merging with the UIL at the start of the 1967-68 school year, disbanding at the end of the 1969 – 70 school year.

ROTC

Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force

Religious Life

The Johnson-Phillip All Faiths Chapel offers religious resources for students of all denominations.

Campus Organizations

All nine members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are represented at PVAMU. Though not a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Kappa Kappa Psi a national Honorary Band Fraternity, was the first Greek organization to have a chapter on campus. Sigma Lambda Gamma, a multicultural sorority, also has a chapter.

Student organizations There are more than 150 organizations registered at the university representing various interests to include academic, honor societies, volunteer causes, political, special interests, etc. These organizations make up the social, political and economical structure of the university. If an organization does not exist to match the student's interest, students are encouraged to form the organization.

Student groups include:

Governance

Prairie View A&M University is administrated by a number of governing bodies; the office of the president, faculty senate, and student government association.

Student Government

The PVAMU Student Government Association was founded in 1982, and is officially chartered to speak on behalf of the student body to the University Administration, and internal and external organizations.