Texas State University–San Marcos
From Wikipedia, the free 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 |
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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. In 1979, the university purchased the former San Marcos Baptist Academy, located adjacent to the original campus 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 2006 was 27,503, compared to an opening enrollment in 1899 of 303. Texas State has an active Greek System, with over 30 different fraternities and sororities.
[edit] Athletics
The school's official mascot is Boko the Bobcat, 2006 mascot of the year, with sports teams competing in NCAA Division 1 and NCAA Division 1 AA for football. The Texas State Bobcats made it to the semi-finals round in playoffs in the 2005 football season after winning the Southland Conference title. Texas State's historical rival is Sam Houston State University.
[edit] Student Media
Texas State's FM radio station, KTSW, broadcasts at 89.9 MHz and provides sports coverage of Texas State athletics as well as an eclectic mix of music. The KTSW website provides live streaming of broadcasts and the Texas State television channel employs KTSW broadcasts as background music. KTSW has its offices located in Old Main, the most iconic building on the campus. Along with a radio station, The University Star is an award-winning newspaper, which publishes three days a week. Along with a publication distributed around campus and the San Marcos community, the Star maintains an up to date website for news as well as a video component.
[edit] 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 U.S. President alumnus. Other notable alumni of Texas State include:
- Country singer George Strait
- Evangelical Christian activist Beth Moore
- Film director Thomas Carter
- Actor/filmmaker Richard Jones
- Actor G.W. Bailey
- Actor Powers Boothe
- Actress Tracy Scoggins
- Columnist Heloise
- NBA basketball player Jeff Foster
- Writer Tomás Rivera
- Professional wrestlers Shawn Michaels and Lance Hoyt
- NFL football player Frederick Evans
- CFL football player Barrick Nealy, former Bobcat quarterback
- MLB baseball player Scott Linebrink, San Diego Padres
- Charles Austin Gold Medalist High Jump 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. 1991 world champion. The 190 cm Austin cleared 2.39m (7 ft 10) on his final jump (an Olympic record at the time).
[edit] External links
- Texas State University–San Marcos
- Official Texas State athletics site
- The University Star
- KTSW 89.9FM
| Texas State University System |
|---|
| Angelo State • Lamar • Lamar Institute of Technology • Lamar State–Orange • Lamar State–Port Arthur • Sam Houston • Sul Ross • Texas State |
