SenateS.Res. 948119th Congress
A resolution 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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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 948 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 948
Commending and congratulating Texas A&M University for 150 years of
service to the State of Texas and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30, 2026
Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commending and congratulating Texas A&M University for 150 years of
service to the State of Texas and the United States.
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
(C) the president of Texas A&M University, Dr.
Susan Ballabina.
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