Prairie View A&M University - Prairie View, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 05.285 W 095° 59.346
15R E 211897 N 3332316
In 1876, the Texas Legislature established the 1st higher learning institution for blacks in Texas here. A new act of the legislature (1879) created the Prairie View Normal & Industrial Training School, which became Prairie View A&M University.
Waymark Code: WM16F00
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2022
Views: 1
Historical Marker:
Authorized by the Texas legislature in 1876, the "Agricultural and Mechanical College for Colored Youth" was Texas' second state-supported institution of higher learning. As a land grant college, it occupied a 1434-acre former slave plantation. Organized by the Texas A&M Board of Directors, Prairie View has remained a part of the Texas A&M system.
The first eight students enrolled on March 11, 1878, but low enrollment caused the school to close. The following year the "Prairie View Normal Institute" was organized with emphasis on preparing teachers in trade and agricultural subjects. A coeducational college, Prairie View's enrollment of 16 soon reached 60. In ten years, industrial training was added to the curriculum. Intercollegiate athletics began in 1904. By 1931 the campus boasted 31 main buildings and 50 cottages.
In 1934 the Southern Association of Schools granted a class "A" rating. In 1947 the institution became "Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College". Integrated during the 1960s, the name changed to "Prairie View A&M University" in 1973. The University's motto is "Prairie View produces productive people".
University Website
"Through its’ eight colleges and schools, PVAMU boasts more than 70-degree programs, including engineering, natural sciences, business, the arts, nursing, and criminal and juvenile justice. Students seeking rewarding and challenging experiences outside of the classroom can do so through our study-abroad programs that focus on building global leaders through cultural training, the arts, and service-learning projects."