This is designed to provide visitors to texas a m an understanding of what we are all about. It explains its history and some of the traditions that we have. Texas a m was opened on october fourth, 1876. Unfortunately they did not have the student population that day to start classes. 6, 1876, 2 days later, it opened its door to 40 students. From that point to today where we are not only the Largest University in the state of texas but we started that year is the Largest University in the united states. We have approximately 60,000 students on campus of which 2300 of those were members of the corps of cadets. From 1876 for the next 24 years, and am had to texas a m had to struggle in order to maintain. It was not until the former governor of the state of texas came here in 1890 that the university took off. At that point, his reputation allowed the mothers and fathers of the state of texas to want to actually send their sons here to the university. Because it was established under the morrill act of 1862, a m was an allmale military institution. The first thing he did was provide public lands to the states in order to find higher education. Part of the act required that universities provide not only but the sciences that most universities at the time were teaching but to focus on the agricultural and Mechanical Engineering portions of education. In addition to that required universities to provide training and tactics, military tactics. Became what it was back in 1876, a landgrant college provided a corps of cadets to provide chemical education along with military tactics. 1960 four, and it became a coed university. Women were allowed to come and in 1965 the corps of cadets became an option. You were no longer required to be a member. Joined, the first women the corps of cadets and it florists ever since. Todays population is 22 are female. We have 20 come from out of state. We have a long tradition of attracting young men and women who come here to serve their country either in the public or private sector. When i was thinking about where i wanted to go to college i was originally thinking about North Carolina state. My older sister went here and she said i had to come down and check out the culture of a ident and the environment. I followed her down here. She took me two and a m Football Game and i understood what she meant about a m being a family. I went to a smaller high school where everyone was focused on personal development, making good grades, getting into whatever college they wanted to go to. It was very strange for me to understand how a university could be a family. Coming here and seeing the traditions at a m example five by silver taps, specifically those traditions reflect the core values here which is Selfless Service and that drew me here and resonated with me and how i can develop myself and serve my community here and once i leave a m in a global aspect. I am always looking for a challenge. I thought about going out for an Athletic Team and then i saw that the corps offered another challenge that is much more mental. It was a great opportunity to understand what you are getting yourself into. Want to did not commission into the military, but i realized that the opportunity that presented for reaching their full potential. What i would like to do is spend a few minutes talking to you about what is an aggie mustard. Mustard, was originally called Senior Senate day was the day that texas made its independence back in 1836. What they used to do is the cadets would go down and they would reenact battles and get them off of the campus for military training that i talked about a a little bit earlier. In 1942 at the start of world war ii, this is where aggie mustard gained its significance. In april andemost may of 1942, there were the defenders on the philippine islands. General moreland was a member of the class of 1908. Before the island felt, he had one of his officers who was also an aggie, he had him do a roll of those that were there on the island and that is what they did. He sent that back so people would know that there were still alive and safe on the island. Was afforded that back to the united states, the island fell and they became prisoners of war to the japanese. In 1946, after the island had been repatriated and won back over, the aggies held their first muster there at the entrance to the tunnel. You can see that right here, the 1946 muster. The individuals in that hotel are all military for the most part. Those are aggies have come back to rededicate themselves and to answer for their comrades that were lost during the war. Another significant piece and for me personally having the opportunity to go to the island and take some of the cadets there on one of our International Excursions was to have been able to go into the tunnels and see exactly how their headquarters was set up. And the photo in the top lefthand corner of the display shows at the headquarters tunnel there and while youve got the individual standing there, if you went there today, it would look exactly like that without the individual sitting there. They are almost ghostlike in my mind. They represent those aggies we lost not only during the war but those that we lost in service throughout. Since then, aggie musters are held every year on april 21. The biggest muster is held here and student run event. In 1946 again we had general Dwight Eisenhower was our muster speaker and he did the muster here in 1946. Tradition is such a broad true traditions will point you back to your core values. Some of the biggest traditions they have started as corps traditions and has evolved and developed. Some of those include the 12 men. In 1922, a former football athlete during the postseason, he transitioned into basketball. During the first half of a game, they realized they had so many injuries that they did not know if they could feel the full team. So they brought him out of the stands and orders satisfy the requirement. She did not actually play but it was the idea that i will be ready to serve my community, serve my team, and my school in whatever capacity they need. That is where we get the 12 men. What we found is that the 12 man is not just in athletics and being ready to participate, but across the community it is about Selfless Service. How can you be of service to someone else . My first week here, i had no idea where my classes were. A girl took the time to take me all the way across campus. She did not just tell me to look at a map, she actually escorted me there. That is how you see the 12 men, that Selfless Service, and how can i help you exemplified in that day today aspect. Another tradition is silver taps. Muster is once a month on the first tuesday of every month. We will honor the aggies who have passed away that month. We gather in the academic plaza and volunteer. The company has a firing squad a 21hey prefer perform gun salute. It is a great way of paying respect to the fallen aggies. Coming here is the best of both worlds because you do have the cadet aspect that you would get at a military college. But you also get to see the other side of it. You get both worlds. It does mean that sometimes it is going to be harder because you see that you do not have to wake up early every morning if you are just a general population student here at a m. Gois more rewarding when you through it and the opportunity to develop yourself as a leader is not present in any other organization here on campus quite like that corp. You can watch this and other programs on the histories of programs across the country. This is announcer you are watching American History tv. Every weekend, explore our nations past. Americas Television Companies and brought you today by your television providers. Each week, American History tv visits museums and historic places. Up next, a visit to the National Building museum to learn about architecture of an asylum, st. Elizabeths, 1852 to 2017. Known as the Government Hospital for the insane when it opened, it had a view of washington, d. C. At its peak in 1960, st. Elizabeths had almost 8,000 patients and covered 300 acres. It is still open today. In
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