SENATE RESOLUTION 948--COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY FOR 150 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES

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Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Recognition
Chamber: Senate
Date: September 30, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

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Bills and resolutions: S.Res. 948 (119th Congress)

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SENATE RESOLUTION 948—COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING TEXAS A&M

UNIVERSITY FOR 150 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE

UNITED STATES

Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

S. Res. 948

Whereas President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Land-

Grant Agricultural and Mechanical College Act of 1862 (7

U.S.C. 301 et seq.) (commonly known as and referred to in

this preamble as the “Morrill Land-Grant Act”), granting

public lands to the States to fund colleges for the benefit

of agriculture, mechanic arts, and military tactics and,

thereby establishing a system of land-grant universities in

the United States;

Whereas the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas

(AMC) was chartered on April 17, 1871, under the Morrill

Land-Grant Act by the Texas Legislature, making it the first

public institution of higher education in the State of Texas;

Whereas, on October 4, 1876, the AMC, founded as a military

institution grounded in discipline, leadership, and

camaraderie, held its inaugural day of classes with 6

students and 6 faculty members;

Whereas Major Robert P.W. Morris, a Virginia Military

Institute graduate, was among the first 6 faculty members and

served as the Corps of Cadets' first commandant;

Whereas, in 1887, the Scott Volunteers, renamed the Ross

Volunteers in 1890, were established as a cadet drill team

and would later serve as the official honor guard of the

governor of Texas, making the company the oldest of its kind

in Texas;

Whereas, in 1890, Lawrence Sullivan Ross, former governor

of Texas, was appointed President of AMC;

Whereas, in 1894, the nationally acclaimed Fightin' Texas

Aggie Band, known for its precision military marching

formations, was formed;

Whereas, in 1917, the AMC offered its campus facilities and

equipment for war training and was the first college in the

United States to do so;

Whereas, during World War I, approximately 49 percent of

all AMC graduates (referred to in this preamble as

“Aggies”) were in military service;

Whereas, during World War I, more than 2,000 Aggies served

and more than 70 Aggies made the ultimate sacrifice in

service to the United States;

Whereas, during World War II, more than 20,000 Aggies

entered the Armed Forces of the United States, and the entire

senior class of 1943 mobilized directly into service;

Whereas, during World War II, the AMC produced more than

14,000 Aggies who served as officers and 29 Aggies who

reached the rank of general, contributing more officers to

the Armed Forces than the United States Military Academy and

the United States Naval Academy combined;

Whereas, during World War II, Aggies fought in every major

theater of the war, including the D-Day invasion, the Battle

of the Bulge, and the Pacific campaign, and were among the

liberators of Nazi concentration camps;

Whereas, on April 21, 1946, 128 Aggie veterans of World War

II returned to Corregidor Island to honor fallen comrades by

reading aloud the names of the 27 Aggies, and thereby

established the way Aggie Muster is observed today, serving

as an enduring example of loyalty and remembrance;

Whereas AMC's contributions to World War I and World War II

fundamentally shaped the university's culture, traditions,

and identity as a leading military and land-grant

institution;

Whereas the Fish Drill Team, formed in 1947 by 36 freshmen

as a competitive rifle drill squad within the AMC Corps of

Cadets that promotes unity and military precision, is now

integral to the university's mission to develop leaders of

character dedicated to serving the greater good;

Whereas, in 1950, the Liberty Bell replica given to Texas

was presented to AMC to honor the university's extraordinary

military service and sacrifice;

Whereas, on April 21, 1951, the Memorial Student Center was

dedicated in honor of students killed during military service

to the United States;

Whereas James Earl Rudder, who graduated from AMC in 1932,

became a United States Army Major General known for leading

the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day, and in 1959, he was

appointed President of the university;

Whereas, on February 24, 1962, the Texas Maritime Academy,

one of only 6 maritime academies in the United States, was

established to give cadets practical experience in

seamanship, navigation, and engineering operations;

Whereas, in 1963, under President Rudder's leadership, the

university opened enrollment to African American students and

began admitting women on a limited basis;

Whereas, in 1963, the Texas Legislature renamed the

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas as Texas A&M

University, maintaining a symbolic link to the school's past;

Whereas, in 1964, the first African American freshmen

joined the Corps of Cadets;

Whereas, in 1965, participation in the Texas A&M University

Corps of Cadets was made voluntary, while the Corps continued

to embody the university's commitment to spirit and

traditions;

Whereas, in 1968, the Mitchell Campus at Texas A&M

University at Galveston was established on 100 acres on

Pelican Island that was donated by George P. Mitchell, who

graduated from AMC in 1940;

Whereas, in 1971, the Texas Maritime Academy was

incorporated into the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime

Resources, later renamed the Moody College of Marine Sciences

and Maritime Resources;

Whereas, in 1972, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps

was established at Texas A&M University, making the Corps of

Cadets open to all branches of the Armed Forces;

Whereas, in 1973, Parsons Mounted Cavalry, named after

former Corps Commandant Colonel Thomas R. Parsons, who

graduated from AMC in 1949, was founded as the only

collegiate mounted cavalry unit in the United States;

Whereas, in 1974, the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets

began admitting women into the Corps, with 51 women joining

the all-female outfit W-1;

Whereas, in 1981, the Texas Legislature officially renamed

the Moody College as Texas A&M University at Galveston;

Whereas, in 1984, Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug,

known as the Father of the Green Revolution, began teaching

and conducting research at Texas A&M University, underscoring

the university's global impact, cutting-edge research, and

academic excellence;

Whereas, in 1989, Texas A&M University is recognized as one

of the first land-, sea-, and space-grant universities in the

nation;

Whereas, on November 6, 1997, former United States

President George H.W. Bush dedicated the George H.W. Bush

Presidential Library and Museum to Texas A&M University's

campus because of the university's strong culture of

tradition, duty, and public service;

Whereas, in 1999, the Texas A&M Health Science Center was

founded to organize and unify health-related academic

programs into one comprehensive health institution, and now

serves as an interdisciplinary and collaborative community

dedicated to improving health and quality of life;

Whereas, in 2001, Texas A&M University became a member of

the Association of American Universities, an association of

leading research universities at the forefront of innovation,

scholarship, and solutions that contribute to scientific

progress, economic development, and national security;

Whereas, in 2002, Dr. Robert Gates became the 22nd

President of Texas A&M University, and in 2006 he was

appointed to serve as the 22nd United States Secretary of

Defense;

Whereas, in 2002, Texas A&M University was designated the

Military College of Texas by former Governor Rick Perry, who

graduated from Texas A&M University in 1972, in recognition

of the university's extensive history of military service,

officer training programs, and student organizations that

develop patriotic leaders;

Whereas, in August 2013, Texas A&M University acquired

Texas Wesleyan Law School, renamed the Texas A&M University

School of Law, which provides legal education that, as of the

date of this resolution, is ranked among the top-25

nationally and produces service-oriented lawyers;

Whereas, in 2017, the Higher Education Center at McAllen

was established, which empowers students to fulfill

individual career goals, enhances economic development of the

Rio Grande Valley, and supports a strong labor market;

Whereas, in 2021, Texas A&M University's Bush School of

Government and Public Service opened its Washington, DC,

teaching site, to offer graduate students from diverse

backgrounds a path to successful careers in national

security, diplomacy, and intelligence;

Whereas, as of the date of this resolution, Texas A&M

University has grown to host more than 81,300 students

participating in more than 410 programs of study across 17

colleges and schools, 3 branch campuses, a law school, and

specialized health science centers across Texas;

Whereas Texas A&M University offers more than 1,300 student

organizations, where students cultivate character grounded in

the Aggie Core Values;

Whereas Texas A&M University's oldest, largest, and most

recognizable student organization is the Corps of Cadets;

Whereas Texas A&M University holds a Senior Military

College (SMC) designation, has the largest uniformed student

body outside the United States service academies, and

consistently commissions more officers into the United States

Armed Forces than any other SMC;

Whereas Texas A&M University has established a learning

environment that prepares the next generation of leaders to

make a difference in the State of Texas, the United States,

and around the world (referred to in this preamble as “Aggie

leaders”);

Whereas notable Aggie leaders include 14 United States

Congressmen, 3 United States Cabinet Secretaries, 2

Governors, 2 International Heads of State, dozens of State

legislators, 3 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

astronauts, and 9 Medal of Honor recipients;

Whereas Texas A&M University ranks among the top research

institutions in the United States and, as of 2024, the

largest in Texas, with annual research expenditures of more

than $1,500,000,000, making Texas A&M University a leader in

discoveries in science, security, health, energy,

agriculture, and space;

Whereas quality academic and research experiences at Texas

A&M University are supported by The Texas A&M Foundation,

where The Foundation, founded in 1953 by 21 former students,

serves as the primary academic fundraiser for the university,

raising $412,000,000 in 2025 through collaboration with

former students, corporations, and supporters;

Whereas Texas A&M University, a proud member of the

Southeastern Conference, fields more than 650 student-

athletes across 20 National Collegiate Athletic Association

Division I men's and women's varsity teams and has earned 33

national championship titles, including recent championships

in women's volleyball and women's tennis;

Whereas the traditions surrounding Texas A&M Athletics,

including the 12th Man, Midnight Yell, and Kyle Field,

reflect the unity and school spirit of tens of thousands of

Aggie students, alumni, and fans;

Whereas Texas A&M Athletics is supported by the 12th Man

Foundation, which is a charitable organization founded in

1950 to raise funds for athletes returning from World War II

and has raised more than $47,000,000 for scholarships,

programs, and facilities in support of championship

athletics;

Whereas, since its founding in 1876, more than 653,000

students have graduated from Texas A&M University;

Whereas Texas A&M University is supported by The

Association of Former Students, which was formed in 1919 by a

coalition of alumni groups and serves to strengthen the

network of former students, promote the interests of Texas

A&M University, and serve the current student body, including

by raising $16,700,000 in 2025 and supporting 15 constituent

networks and 259 chartered clubs worldwide;

Whereas Texas A&M University is committed to honoring

tradition, promoting academic excellence, exemplifying

service, driving discovery and innovation, and cultivating

leadership for future generations; and

Whereas October 4, 2026, marks 150 years of service by

Texas A&M University to the State of Texas and the United

States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate

(1) commends and congratulates Texas A&M University for 150

years of service to the State of Texas and the United States;

(2) recognizes Texas A&M University's 150 years of service

and its impact as a force for good for the State of Texas and

the United States; and

(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate

transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to—

(A) the chairman of the Texas A&M University System Board

of Regents; Mr. Robert Albritton;

(B) the chancellor of the Texas A&M University, the

Honorable Glenn Hegar; and

Ballabina.

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