Sam Houston State University
Encyclopedia
Sam Houston State University (known as SHSU or Sam) was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located in Huntsville
, Texas
. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the State of Texas. It is named for one of Texas's founding fathers and greatest hero, Sam Houston
, who made his home
in the city. SHSU is part of the Texas State University System
and has an enrollment of more than 17,600 students. The institution was the first institution classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education within the Texas State University System. The university launced its first capital campaign in March 2006 with a $50 million goal and closed the campaign's books on August 31, 2010, with $61.2 million in commitments. The university has more than 102,000 living, addressable alumni and an active Alumni Association holding 165 meeetings and events annually.
on April 21, 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute's dedicated goal was to train teachers for the public schools of Texas—the first of its kind in the southwestern United States
. On October 10 of the same year, the first class of 110 students and four faculty commenced instruction on the site of what had once been the campus of Austin College
. The original building, Austin Hall, was constructed in 1851 and is the oldest university building west of the Mississippi still in operation. Peabody Memorial Library was the first free-standing library and was constructed in 1901 with funds provided by the George Peabody Foundation, and it is still in use as a venue for special university events.
When the university first opened, students received a certification to teach in the state's elementary and secondary schools, but after 1919, the university began to award bachelor's degrees. In 1936, the school awarded its first post-baccalaureate degree.
The university celebrated its 125th year of operation in 2004.
In 2011 the university stated that it plans to open the Northwest Houston Campus on the property of Lone Star College-University Park in unincorporated
Harris County
.
In 2007, a proposal was briefly considered to change the school's name to Texas State University – Sam Houston (intending to associate the campus more with the Texas State University System
of which it is a member). However, in April, 2007, Texas House Bill 1418 passed without objection in the Texas Legislature; which prevents the Texas State University System’s Board of Regents from changing the university's name.
The campus stood in for the fictional Austin University in the motion picture The Life of David Gale
.
The College of Criminal Justice includes the headquarters of the Texas Forensic Science Commission
.
Additionally, the university enrolls more than 350 students in the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College. Programs within criminal justice
are frequently mentioned as being among the top three programs in the nation. The university's College of Business Administration also has the only accredited Banking program in the U.S. and the only Professional Golf Management program in Texas. History and Mathematics are nationally regarded programs. The Theater and Dance programs are ranked among the nation's best and are housed in the state-of-the-art James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.
The university boasts one of the oldest speech and debate programs in the nation. The team, which has existed since the late 1800s, brought home five International Public Debate Association
national titles during the 2009–2010 season.
The university has further embraced technology, offering both bachelor's and master's degrees via distance learning in several areas, including history
and criminal justice
.
Currently (as of 12/2008 and 10/2009), the university offers:
Sam Houston State's colors are orange
and white
and their nickname is the Bearkats. Sam Houston State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Championship Subdivision for football
) in the Southland Conference
. SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin State University
and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other. Texas State University–San Marcos
is also another rival (currently also in the Southland Conference
, but moving to the WAC
starting in the 2012-2013 academic year.)
, a costumed mascot, who has entertained and led crowds in cheers during sporting events since 1959.
, a student-run radio (90.5 FM) and television (cable channel 7) station, broadcasting news, sports, and entertainment programming for the campus and community. "The Houstonian" is the student-published twice-weekly campus newspaper. Broadcast studios and offices for all three media are located within the Dan Rather
Communication Building.
The Alcalde was the university's annual yearbook, published from 1910–1998 and 2003–2006; it was named in honor of Texas Governor Oran Roberts
whose nickname was "The Old Alcalde
."
Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the State of Texas. It is named for one of Texas's founding fathers and greatest hero, Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, who made his home
Woodland (Huntsville, Texas)
Woodland, in Huntsville, Texas, was the residence of Sam Houston from 1847 to 1859. The clapboard-over-log house is on the grounds of Sam Houston State University, and is part of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum.-External links:*...
in the city. SHSU is part of the Texas State University System
Texas State University System
The Texas State University System was created in 1911 to oversee the state's normal schools. Since its creation it has broadened its focus and comprises institutions of many different scopes. It is the oldest multi-system University System in Texas...
and has an enrollment of more than 17,600 students. The institution was the first institution classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education within the Texas State University System. The university launced its first capital campaign in March 2006 with a $50 million goal and closed the campaign's books on August 31, 2010, with $61.2 million in commitments. The university has more than 102,000 living, addressable alumni and an active Alumni Association holding 165 meeetings and events annually.
History
Created by legislation signed by Governor Oran M. RobertsOran M. Roberts
Oran Milo Roberts , was the 17th Governor of Texas from January 21, 1879 to January 16, 1883. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Roberts County, Texas, is named after him....
on April 21, 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute's dedicated goal was to train teachers for the public schools of Texas—the first of its kind in the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. On October 10 of the same year, the first class of 110 students and four faculty commenced instruction on the site of what had once been the campus of Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
. The original building, Austin Hall, was constructed in 1851 and is the oldest university building west of the Mississippi still in operation. Peabody Memorial Library was the first free-standing library and was constructed in 1901 with funds provided by the George Peabody Foundation, and it is still in use as a venue for special university events.
When the university first opened, students received a certification to teach in the state's elementary and secondary schools, but after 1919, the university began to award bachelor's degrees. In 1936, the school awarded its first post-baccalaureate degree.
The university celebrated its 125th year of operation in 2004.
In 2011 the university stated that it plans to open the Northwest Houston Campus on the property of Lone Star College-University Park in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
.
Name Changes
Throughout the course of its history, Sam has undergone several name changes.- April 21, 1879, founded as Sam Houston Normal Institute
- 1923: Sam Houston State Teachers College
- 1965: Sam Houston State College
- 1969: Sam Houston State University
In 2007, a proposal was briefly considered to change the school's name to Texas State University – Sam Houston (intending to associate the campus more with the Texas State University System
Texas State University System
The Texas State University System was created in 1911 to oversee the state's normal schools. Since its creation it has broadened its focus and comprises institutions of many different scopes. It is the oldest multi-system University System in Texas...
of which it is a member). However, in April, 2007, Texas House Bill 1418 passed without objection in the Texas Legislature; which prevents the Texas State University System’s Board of Regents from changing the university's name.
Campus
Sam Houston State University sits on 272 acres (1.1 km²) in the central area of Huntsville, Texas. Recent construction of an expanded mall area of campus includes benches, tables, wireless internet, and more greenspace in the heart of campus. The mall area also includes two clock towers and a water fountain.The campus stood in for the fictional Austin University in the motion picture The Life of David Gale
The Life of David Gale
The Life of David Gale is a 2003 American drama film directed by Alan Parker and written by Charles Randolph.Kevin Spacey stars as the eponymous character, a college Professor and longtime activist against capital punishment who is sentenced to death for killing a fellow capital punishment opponent...
.
The College of Criminal Justice includes the headquarters of the Texas Forensic Science Commission
Texas Forensic Science Commission
The Texas Forensic Science Commission is a state agency of Texas, headquartered on the grounds of the College of Criminal Justice of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville...
.
Academics
Sam Houston State's academic departments and programs are organized into six colleges. Colleges at Sam Houston State University are:- College of Business Administration
- College of Criminal Justice
- College of Education
- College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- College of Sciences
Additionally, the university enrolls more than 350 students in the Elliott T. Bowers Honors College. Programs within criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
are frequently mentioned as being among the top three programs in the nation. The university's College of Business Administration also has the only accredited Banking program in the U.S. and the only Professional Golf Management program in Texas. History and Mathematics are nationally regarded programs. The Theater and Dance programs are ranked among the nation's best and are housed in the state-of-the-art James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.
The university boasts one of the oldest speech and debate programs in the nation. The team, which has existed since the late 1800s, brought home five International Public Debate Association
International Public Debate Association
The International Public Debate Association , inaugurated on 15 February 1997 at St. Mary's University, Texas in San Antonio, is a national debate league currently active in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Florida, and...
national titles during the 2009–2010 season.
The university has further embraced technology, offering both bachelor's and master's degrees via distance learning in several areas, including history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
.
Currently (as of 12/2008 and 10/2009), the university offers:
- Seventy-eight undergraduate degree programs
- Fifty-four masters' programs
- Six doctoral programs (Clinical Psychology, Counselor Education, Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership, Special Education, and Reading)
Athletics
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and their nickname is the Bearkats. Sam Houston State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Championship Subdivision for football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
) in the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
. SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other. Texas State University–San Marcos
Texas State University–San Marcos
Texas State University–San Marcos is a doctoral-granting university located in San Marcos, Texas...
is also another rival (currently also in the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, but moving to the WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
starting in the 2012-2013 academic year.)
Mascot
Sam Houston's Bearkat is represented by Sammy BearkatSammy Bearkat
Sammy Bearkat is the costumed mascot of Sam Houston State University, located in Huntsville, Texas. He is a popular attraction at many athletic events such as football and basketball, as well as various campus and community functions...
, a costumed mascot, who has entertained and led crowds in cheers during sporting events since 1959.
Campus media
The SHSU School of Mass Communication operates KSHUKSHU
KSHU and KSHU-TV are student-run non-commercial college radio and student television station operations located at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Broadcast and transmitter facilities are located within the Dan Rather Communication Building...
, a student-run radio (90.5 FM) and television (cable channel 7) station, broadcasting news, sports, and entertainment programming for the campus and community. "The Houstonian" is the student-published twice-weekly campus newspaper. Broadcast studios and offices for all three media are located within the Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
Communication Building.
The Alcalde was the university's annual yearbook, published from 1910–1998 and 2003–2006; it was named in honor of Texas Governor Oran Roberts
Oran M. Roberts
Oran Milo Roberts , was the 17th Governor of Texas from January 21, 1879 to January 16, 1883. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Roberts County, Texas, is named after him....
whose nickname was "The Old Alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
."
External links
- Sam Houston State University
- Sam Houston State University Athletics
- Today@Sam – Sam Houston State University News
- Sam Houston State University distance education
- Sam Houston State University Graduate Studies
- Sam Houston State University Newton Gresham Library
- Texas Military Veteran Video Oral Histories Digital Collection -- Newton Gresham Library
- Sam Houston State University Foreign Languages Department
- The Buildings of Sam Houston State University
- KSHU – 90.5 The Kat and Cable Channel 7
- The Houstonian