Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University

Alabama A&M University

Motto	Service is Sovereignty
Type	Public, HBCU Land grant
Established	1875
Endowment	$43 million
President	Andrew Hugine, Jr.
Undergraduates	4,210[1]
Postgraduates	1,123[1]
Location	Normal, Alabama, U.S. 34°47′05″N 86°34′12″W / 34.784643°N 86.569950°W / 34.784643; -86.569950Coordinates: 34°47′05″N 86°34′12″W / 34.784643°N 86.569950°W / 34.784643; -86.569950
Campus	Suburban, 880 acres (3.6 km2)
Colors	Maroon and White
Athletics	NCAA Division I FCS Southwestern Athletic Conference
Nickname	Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs
Mascot	Butch
Affiliations	APLU ORAU ACES
Website	www.aamu.edu

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (more commonly Alabama A&M or AAMU) is a public, historically black, land-grant university located in Normal, Alabama, United States.^[2][3] AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in the 1870s as a normal school, it took its present name in 1969. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District, also known as Normal Hill College Historic District, has 28 buildings and 4 structures, listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places.

History

William Hooper Councill Statue

Alabama A&M was originally established by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in 1873 as the State Normal School and University for the Education of the Colored Teachers and Students. Peyton Finley introduced twin bills in the State Board of Education for the establishment of four normal schools for whites and blacks in 1875.

By 1878, the state appropriation increased to $2,000 and the school changed its name to the State Normal and Industrial School. Industrial training began in 1883. In 1885 the name was changed to State Normal and Industrial School of Huntsville.

By 1890, the students numbered 300, with 11 teachers, the school site became known as Normal, Alabama, and a post office was established. Students were called "Normalites." In 1891, the school was designated as a land-grant college through legislative enactment February 13 and received funds as a land-grant college under the terms of the Morrill Act of 1890.

In 1896 the name was changed to The State Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes.

In 1919, the school became the State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute for Negroes, and in 1948 it was renamed the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1939, the State Board of Education granted authority to offer course work on the senior college level. In 1949, the name changed to Alabama A&M College. AAMU became fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1963.

In June 1969, the school adopted its current name. In July 1996, the Board of Trustees appointed Dr. John T. Gibson as the university’s ninth president and the one who would ultimately lead the institution into the new millennium. A native of Montgomery, Ala., and a graduate of Tuskegee University and the University of Colorado-Boulder, Gibson immediately began implementation of his ambitious "eight-step plan".

The Gibson administration saw the construction of the West Campus Complex, the erection of the 21,000-seat Louis Crews Stadium, the renovations of key buildings and the moving of athletic programs to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The long-awaited School of Engineering and Technology facility was built in 2002, and the Ph.D. program in Reading and Literacy was established.

Campus

Alabama A&M Campus, also known as "The Hill."

On May 1, 1875, the school opened with a state appropriation of $1,000, 61 pupils, and two teachers at its first location on Clinton Street in Huntsville. In 1881, the school was moved to first school-owned property on West Clinton Street (the land upon which the Von Braun Center is presently located) known as the "Dement Place." The property on West Clinton Street was deeded to the State of Alabama by trustees in 1884.

In 1885, the state appropriations were increased to $4,000 and a building erected for industrial training through $1,000 grant from the Slater Fund.

On September 30, 1891 the present site of 182.73 acres (739,000 m²) was purchased. The school expanded to include agriculture and home economics and Palmer Hall (named for State Superintendent Solomon Palmer) and (Governor Thomas) Seay Hall were built with student labor.

The first library on the campus was built with funds from the Carnegie Foundation in 1904 for $12,000, and was named for its benefactor, Andrew Carnegie. In the 1940s, it was remodeled at a cost of $70,000 and provided additional book stacks and reading rooms. The library was two stories tall, and with a little over 4,000 square feet (370 m²); it served several purposes and housed the offices of the President, Business Manager and Treasurer, Home and Farm Demonstration Agents, the U.S. Post Office at Normal, and on the second floor, living quarters for male faculty.

In 2002 the latest renovation saw the LRC become a 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m²) structure now housing over 400,000 volumes, digital research sources and other student oriented services.

In 1911, McCormick (Hospital) Hall and Councill Domestic Science Building were erected and Bibb Graves Hall was constructed in 1929. The university hired the noted Olmsted Brothers firm in 1927 to design a master plan for the campus. The firm continued to oversee campus planning and landscape architecture until 1959.^[6]

In 1994, the Mamie Labon Foster Student Living/Learning Complex erected. Groundbreaking was held for new School of Business facility in 1995 and stadium and residence hall construction began. In 2001, earth work began on new School of Engineering and Technology, library renovations underway and the athletic complex was expanded. The Engineering and Technology building construction was completed in 2002 and opened for classes in January 2003. The Learning Resources Center renovations were completed in 2002 . The renovation added over 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²), an interactive Distance Learning Auditorium, conference, study and class rooms, lounges, and computer lab. The entire campus is served by the Bulldog Transit shuttle bus system.

University profile

Students

• From 44 states and 11 foreign countries
• 5333 undergraduates and 1,123 graduate students, (Fall 2014).^[7]
• 42 percent first-time college students
• Middle 50th percentile on ACT: 17–18
• 93 student clubs and organizations
• 75 percent student participation in community service projects

Faculty

• 20:1 student-faculty ratio
• Fewer than 40 students in 86 percent of courses
• 348 faculty members across all undergraduate, graduate and professional programs

Academics

• 41 Baccalaureate, 23 Master’s, 1 EdS and 4 doctoral degrees offered.
• Degrees conferred: BA, BGS, BS, BSCE, BSEE, BSET, BSME, EdS, MBA, MEd, MEng, MS, MSW, MURP, PhD.
• Honors Program available for academically exceptional undergraduate students.

Colleges, Schools and Departments

Facilities

The AAMU Student Health and Wellness Center opened during Fall of 2010.

• The J.F. Drake Memorial Learning Resources Center (LRC) houses approximately 256,884 volumes, 2,200 journals and is a partial depository for government documents. The University Archives located on the third floor has a collection of documents, records, correspondence and photographs related to AAMU.
• The State Black Archives Research Center and Museum, a part of the LRC, is housed in the James H. Wilson Building, a national registered historical structure.
• The AAMU Small Business Development Center provides free counseling to small businesses in seven counties. Client services also include workshops, a business planning resource room, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Supportive Services.
• The Agribition Center is designed to host almost any kind of event, including trade shows and agricultural events.
• Louis Crews Stadium is home of the AAMU’s Bulldogs football team. The multi-purpose stadium seats 21,000 and is the sixth largest stadium in Alabama.
• The Student Health and Wellness Center is staffed with full-time licensed health care professionals. It offers gynecological services, limited dermatology services, nutrition services, sports medicine, and psychological and counseling services.

Student life

Student Government Association

Alabama A&M University's Student Government Association is the overall student governing body and is responsible for many of the activities and programs designed and executed by students for students. It is composed of 2 main sections, the executive board of ten (10) elected officers and a 28-member council that is elected by the respective classes and includes each class president. Each of the ten executive board officers are required to do fifteen office hours per week. All students enrolled at Alabama A&M University are members of the student body and are entitled to representation by a governed body.

Student activities

The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development (OSALD) provides services, programs and co-curricular experiences that provide students with opportunities to develop skills, improve leadership competencies, and enrich their college experience. OSALD has oversight of and provides assistance to several student-led organizations:

• Programs and Activities Council
• Student Government Association
• National Pan-Hellenic Council
• Social Greek Council
• Student Publications

Other student organizations

Alabama A&M University Choir

In May 2008, the Alabama A&M University Choir was slated to participate in the American Choral Music Festival in Leipzig, Germany. In 2007, the choir became the first HBCU choir to be invited to attend the American Choral Festival in Germany. On Thursday, January 21, 2010 the choir performed a historical concert at the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) Annual Conference. This was a historical event because the choir was the first HBCU Choir in the state to perform at that conference. In 2014, the choir was invited by the Distinguished Concerts International of New York (DCINY)to be presented in concert at the Lincoln Center in New York, NY.

Telecommunications program

In 2008, Telecommunications students played an active role on campus. Katherine Mitchell and Alexandria Jackson created the A&M's news show Hump Day. In 2009, Brandon Blevins and Brandon "Wizeman" Lewis created a series of Alabama A&M University short films including Ebony Fire, Tone of Demise 2 and Matters of the Heart.

Athletics

Fans and alumni watch Alabama A&M's football team during Homecoming 2014.

Alabama A&M's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly I-AA for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Alabama A&M's colors are maroon and white and their mascot is the Bulldog. The Alabama A&M Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate basketball, football, baseball, cross country, golf, tennis and track & field along with women's intercollegiate tennis, basketball, soccer, track, cross country, bowling, volleyball and softball. Also offered are men's and women's swimming clubs. The football team's home games are played at Louis Crews Stadium. Both men's and women's basketball home games are played in Elmore Gymnasium, affectionately known by fans as "The Dog House."^[9]

Media

Alabama A&M University is the licensee for National Public Radio affiliate station WJAB 90.9, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week on campus.^[10]

Alumni Chapters By Region

Notable alumni

Education

Politics, Law, Government and Public Service

Athletics

Music and Art

Religion

Civil Rights

See also

• WJAB 90.9 FM Radio
• Alabama Cooperative Extension System
• List of forestry universities and colleges

References

Additional reading

1. Morrison, Richard David. History of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University: 1875–1992. Huntsville, Ala. : Liberal Arts Press, c1994.
2. ^ "Results". Archived from the original on 11 December 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2005. 
3. ^ "Historically Black Colleges and Universities". Archived from the original on 10 December 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2005. 
4. ^ "WJAB Jazz & Blues!!". Archived from the original on 8 November 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2005. 

Saintjones, Jerome. (2011) Normal Index Online. Alabama A&M University. Normal, AL

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alabama A&M University.

• Official website