Texas A&M is one of the top public universities in the United States. It is also one of the only public universities to have a full-time Volunteer Corps of Cadets. Texas A&M also stands out as a land, sea and space grant institution, reflecting the wide range of ongoing research projects taking place at the university. In 2009, U.S. News and World Report ranked Texas A&M as 64th among national universities and 23rd among public universities. The school also consistently ranks in the top ten among public schools for enrollment of National Merit Scholars. Students, alumni and faculty of the university are known as "Aggies." The official school greeting is "howdy."
The Morrill Act of 1862 facilitated the founding of Texas A&M, then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A.M.C.). It was the first public institution of higher learning in Texas. The Morrill Act provided land grants to colleges that sought to focus on agricultural and mechanical arts, but without excluding science, the classics and military tactics. The first classes opened on October 4, 1876 with 40 students and six faculty. Mandatory participation in the Corps of Cadets helped enrollment to grow until 1883, when the University of Texas opened in Austin. In 1891, Texas A.M.C. president and respected Confederate Brigadier General Lawrence Sullivan Ross saved the school from near closure by making dramatic improvements to the school and increasing enrollment.
In the twentieth century, Texas A&M saw rapid expansion. During World War I, Texas A&M had the highest percentage of graduates enlisted in military service. After World War I, Texas A&M rose to national prominence for its agriculture, engineering and military science curriculum. During World War II, Texas A&M produced more military officers than the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy combined. From 1960 to 1970, Major General James Earl Rudder facilitated the transition of the school from agricultural and mechanical college to national university. The school desegregated, began to admit women and Corps of Cadets membership became voluntary. Texas A.M.C. was renamed Texas A&M University. The A&M was retained as a symbol of the school's history.
Texas A&M University has an enrollment of more than 48,000 students from all 50 states as well as 130 countries, though 86 percent of the student population is from Texas. The Dwight College of Engineering has the largest number of students, representing around 20 percent of the entire student body. The next largest schools are the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Other divisions of Texas A&M include the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, and the Colleges of Architecture, Science, Geosciences, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Texas A&M's College Station campus is one of the largest in the nation, spanning 5,200 acres, plus 50 acres for Research Park. In 2000, the Bryan-College Station metropolitan region had a total population of more than 37,000. The Texas A&M campus is bisected by a Union Pacific railroad track. The main campus lies on the east side of the tracks, including dormitories, dining halls and campus support facilities. Research facilities, political science and economics buildings and the Health Science center are on the west side of the tracks. Texas A&M has also participated in research projects at home and abroad. The university owns international facilities in Mexico and Italy, as well as branch campuses in Qatar.
Texas A&M has many unique traditions. The Aggie Ring is an annual ritual that dates back to 1909. It began as a bonfire ritual for small piles of trash, but then it evolved into structures as high as 109 feet. The university ended the bonfire tradition in 1999 for safety reasons. However, students continue the tradition off-campus. Texas A&M also has several traditions to remember deceased students and alumni. Muster began on April 21, 1922. Modern muster rituals have also been held worldwide, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Silver Taps is a monthly ritual to honor students who have passed away that month. There is a 21-gun salute, followed by the band playing the song Taps. Flags fly at half-mast. Most of these traditions are designed to promote loyalty and school spirit.