Prairie View A&M University

Prairie View A&M University of houston

File:Pvamuseal.png
Motto	Prairie View Produces Productive People
Type	Public, HBCU
Established	1876
Endowment	$34 million
President	Dr. George C. Wright
Academic staff	422
Students	8,608
Location	Prairie View , Texas , United States
Colors	Purple and Gold
Nickname	Panthers
Affiliations	Southwestern Athletic Conference - West Division
Website	www.pvamu.edu

Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas (Northwest of Houston) and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools. PVAMU is one of Texas' land grant universities.

History

Founded in 1876, Prairie View A&M University is the second oldest state-sponsored institution of higher education in Texas.

In 1876, the Fifteenth Texas Legislature, consistent with terms of the federal Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, which provided public lands for the establishment of colleges, authorized an "Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Benefit of Colored Youth" as part of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University). Governor Richard Hubbard appointed a three-man commission, including Ashbel Smith, a long-time supporter of public education. The Commissioners bought Alta Vista Plantation, near Hempstead in Waller County, Texas for $15,000, and turned the school over to the A&M board. Texas A&M President Thomas S. Gathright selected L. W. Minor of Mississippi as the first principal, and on March 11, 1878, eight young African-American men enrolled in the short-lived Alta Vista Agricultural College. They were charged tuition of $130 which included nine months of instruction, board, and one uniform. In 1879, as the institution was struggling to find resources to continue, Governor Oran Roberts suggested closing the college. But Barnas Sears, an agent for the Peabody Fund, persuaded the Sixteenth Texas Legislature to issue charters two normal schools for the training of teachers, one of which would be called Prairie View Normal Institute. The Texas A&M College board met at Hempstead in August 1879, and established thirteen elementary and secondary subjects, and founded the coeducational institution. Women were housed in the plantation house called Kirby Hall (no longer exists), and boys were housed in a combination chapel-dormitory called Pickett Hall. Among the first faculty appointed to the new normal school was E. H. Anderson. In 1882, a strong storm damaged Pickett Hall. This came at the same time as state funds ran out. State Comptroller William M. Brown refused to continue paying the school's debts from the state's university fund, so Governor Roberts had to solicit money from merchants. E. H. Anderson died in 1885, and his brother L. C. Anderson became the principal of Prairie View. A longstanding dispute as to the mission of the school was resolved in 1887 when the legislature added an agricultural and mechanical department, thus returning the college to its original mission. Historian Dr. George Wolfok wrote, Prairie View, A Study In Public Conscience 1962) “Prairie View is an institution—a public institution. But an institution is an empty thing without the beating hearts and yearning souls of mortal men. And down the seventy-five years of Prairie View’s existence, men have lived and dreamed here until every blade of grass and every rock, in that wise primordial way in which the primitive earth knows and cares, has joined the choir invisible to bless their memory. For every man whose foot has touched this hallowed soil, has found a spirit, and has broadened and deepened it until what started out as an ambitionless meandering stream has become a purposeful river upon whose tide, now turbulent, now tranquil, floats the destiny of countless human hopes and dreams.”

In 1945, the name of the institution was changed from Prairie View Normal and Industrial College to Prairie View University, and the school was authorized to offer, "as need arises," all courses offered at the University of Texas. In 1947, the Texas Legislature changed the name to Prairie View A&M College of Texas and provided that "courses be offered in agriculture, the mechanics arts, engineering, and the natural sciences connected therewith, together with any other courses authorized at Prairie View at the time of passage of this act, all of which shall be equivalent to those offered at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas at Bryan." On August 27, 1973, the name of the institution was changed to Prairie View A&M University, and its status as an independent unit of the Texas A&M University System was confirmed.

In 1981, the Texas Legislature acknowledged the University's rich tradition of service and identified various statewide needs which the University should address including the assistance of students of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to realize their full potential, and assistance of small and medium-sized communities and businesses in their growth and development.

In 1983, the Texas Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to restructure the Permanent University Fund to include Prairie View A&M University as a beneficiary of its proceeds. The Permanent University Fund is a perpetual endowment fund originally established in the Constitution of 1876 for the sole benefit of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas. The 1983 amendment also dedicated the University to enhancement as an "institution of the first class" under the governing board of the Texas A&M University System. The constitutional amendment was approved by the voters on November 6, 1984.

In January 1985, the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System responded to the 1984 Constitutional Amendment by stating its intention that Prairie View A&M University become "an institution nationally recognized in its areas of education and research." The Board also resolved that the University receive its share of the Available University Fund, as previously agreed to by Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.

In October 2000, the Governor of Texas signed the Priority Plan, an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to make Prairie View A&M University an educational asset accessible by all Texans. The Priority Plan mandates creation of many new educational programs, including graduate degrees in engineering and education, and facilities like the state-of-the-art Don Clark Juvenile Justice and Psychology building. It also requires removing language from the Institutional Mission Statement which might give the impression of excluding any Texan from attending Prairie View A&M University.

Academics

The university offers academic programs through the following administrative units:

• College of Agriculture and Human Sciences
• School of Architecture
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Education
• Roy G. Perry College of Engineering
• College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology
• College of Nursing:*Graduate School

Demographics

The university enrolls 6,324 undergraduate students and 1,758 graduate students who come from all 50 U.S. states and several countries throughout the world. Currently 56% of the students are female, and 44% are male.

Campus

The university sits on a 1,440-acre (5.8 km²) campus in Prairie View, Texas and is 47.4 miles (76.3 km) from the city hall of Houston, Texas.

Students may live in campus housing owned by American Campus Communities. Freshmen students on campus may reside in the University College community. Upperclassmen may live in apartment style living either in University Village Phase I, II, or III. Phase III has an academic standard (3.0 GPA). The first of these apartment buildings was built in 1995.

Traditions

Prairie View A&M's traditions are deeply rooted in its heritage as Texas's second oldest university and its heritage as a historically black University. One of the premier traditions is marked by student gatherings at the Abner Davis Memorial and fountain. Abner Davis, a member of the varsity football team, met with an accident in a game with Texas college in Tyler on November 4, 1927. Davis sustained a broken neck in tackling a Texas College player. He tackled low, and the player’s knee struck his head at the base of the neck. Abner was paralyzed from his neck and shoulders down and passed away after an illness of seven or eight days. Abner’s classmates and the supervisor of the class erected a monument and plaque in his memory in the middle of the campus. Today, students and faculty still gather at the memorial to commemorate important activities on campus.

Honor’s Week is designated for students who have achieved outstanding accomplishments during the school year. Recognition for scholarship, student leadership, citizenship and athletic prowess are among the achievements recognized. The week culminates in a special convocation. Founder’s Day is celebrated annually by the Prairie View A&M University community on March 11. Although the 15th Legislature passed an act to establish the University on Aug. 14, 1876, the University did not open its doors until March 11, 1878. In 2006, PVAMU celebrated its 130-year anniversary. Homecoming . . . a time for welcome and celebration . . . a time to reflect on the traditions and heritage of a great University. . . a time for the return of “Loyal Panthers” to their alma mater to embrace the current University administration, faculty, staff, students, families and friends. The focal points of this week are the football game, homecoming University family. Springfest is held each year during the spring semester after the mid-semester examination period. A variety of cultural and social events are held throughout the week for students, staff and faculty. Highlights of the week’s activities are the Greek step show and “after party.”

=THE Gold Members Club

The Gold Members Club is the official fan club of Prairie View A&M University. We support our University in every athletic and academic endeavor available, through a true demonstration of Panther Spirit. We exist to enhance the experience of the Prairie View Man and Woman during their tenure here at Prairie View A&M University. We uphold the principles of Unity, Pride, Productivity, and Tradition. Striving to keep the PV Panther Spirit strong, the Gold Members Club will spread the good news of Prairie View A&M University, and represent the ideal Prairie View Man and Woman by promoting healthy spiritual, mental, and physical development.

Athletics

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Athletics logo

Prairie View A&M University offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs. Prairie View A&M University has an outstanding tradition of athletics.

Men's and women's athletics teams are nicknamed the Panthers, and the team colors are purple and gold. Prairie View A&M is a charter member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), and is a member of the West Division of the SWAC in sports where the conference is divided. Prairie View competes in NCAA Division I in all varsity sports; in football, the Panthers play in the Division I FCS.

Men's varsity sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and track and field. Women's varsity sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Football

The first football coach at Prairie View was H.B. Hucles, who began in 1924. Before Hucles's arrival at Prairie View, the school played two games without a coach on record: a 1907 7-0 win against a team from Wylie, Texas and a 1920 7-6 loss to Tuskegee University.

Prairie View's most recognized and celebrated coach was William "Billy" Nicks. Nicks was head coach in 1945-47, assistant coach in 1948-51, and head coach again in 1952-65. His record for 17 years was 127-39-8. He led the Panthers to 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and 5 black college national championships. Nicks was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Coach Nicks was named the American Football Coaches Association’s recipient of the Trailblazer Award. The award was presented posthumously at the AFCA Kickoff Luncheon on Monday, January 7 at the 2008 AFCA Convention in Anaheim, California.

The Prairie View A & M Football team won Black college national championship titles in 1953, 1954, 1958, 1963, and 1964. Notable football players that have achieved success in the National Football League (NFL) are National Football Hall of Fame Inductee Kenny Houston and Otis Taylor, who won a World Championship with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969. On a small note of significance, Charlie "Choo Choo" Brackins, who played from 1952-1955, was the first HBCU alumnus to play quarterback in the NFL.

The team lost 80 consecutive games in 1989-98, almost doubling Columbia University's 44 straight losses between 1983-1988.

On November 10, 2007, it clinched its first winning season since 1976 with a 30-27 victory over traditional power Jackson State University under coach Henry Frazier, III.

On November 14, 2009, it clinched its first SWAC Western Division Championship by defeating Alcorn State. The next weekend would see the Panthers go undefeated in the SWAC by defeating Arkansas Pine Bluff and securing a 8-1 record, their only loss during the season to New Mexico State. They finished the season by winning the SWAC Championship on December 12, defeating Eastern Division Champion Alabama A&M 30-24 in the SWAC Championship Game. They exit the 2009 SWAC football campaign with an unblemished 9-0 SWAC conference record. They were led by their quarterback 6'4' 225 pound, swift footed KJ Black who led all quarterbacks in the SWAC with an outstanding passer effiency rating of 168.1 their SWAC 2nd leading rusher in Donald Babers that averages 5.2 yards per carry.

Women's basketball

The women's basketball team received national attention in 2005 with the naming of Cynthia Cooper as the head basketball coach. Cooper, a two-time WNBA MVP, led the Lady Panthers to the school's first ever SWAC title and NCAA Tournament berth in her second season as coach.

Women's outdoor track & field

The Lady Panther's Track and Field teams accumulated an unprecedented string of championships both indoor and outdoor. From 1965 to 1991 the Lady Panther's claimed 8 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) outdoor titles and 2 indoor titles; won national titles in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and the U.S. Track and Field Federation; won 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) cross country titles, nine indoor titles and five outdoor SWAC titles in track and field. In total the Lady Panther's won 23 SWAC championships

Coach Barbara Jacket was named SWAC Coach of the Year on 23 occasions and NAIA Coach of the Year five times and Jacket tutored 57 All-Americans. As coach of the 1992 U.S. Women's Olympic Track Team during the Olympics which ran from July 25-August 9 in Barcelona, Spain, Ms. Jacket had the enviable task of coaching such greats as long jumper Jackie Joyner-Kersee and sprinters Gwen Torrance, Gail Devers, and Evelyn Ashford. The Women's team won overall 4 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, and 3 Bronze Medals more than any team since 1956. She was the second Black female to coach an Olympic team

Baseball

The Prairie View A&M Panther baseball team captured its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in the school's history and won back-to-back SWAC titles in 2006 and 2007. During the last five years, Prairie View A&M has made four consecutive appearances in the SWAC’s title game, finishing as the conference’s runner-up in 2005 and 2008.

Marching band

Marching Storm leadership

Prof. George W. Edwards (1948–2009)	Director
Dr. Marget Sherrod	Majorette Director
Dr. William McQueen	Assistant Band Director
Prof. Larry Jones	Assistant Band Director
Mr. Mark Gordon	Assistant Band Director

The university's official marching band is referred to as the Marching Storm and supports the Delta Psi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity Inc. along with the Epsilon Psi chapter of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc.. Past performances include President George W. Bush’s 2001 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., the 2004 Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game, and the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase in Atlanta, Georgia.

The marching band traveled to the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and performed in the opening act in front of the grandstands for the world-wide television audience. In Summer 2009, the Marching Storm mourned the death of their leader, Professor George Edwards. Students affectionately referred to him as "Prof" and will forever be remembered in their hearts.

Blackk Foxxes

The Marching Storm is joined by the Black Foxxes, the university majorette line.

The McFunk B.O.X.

The McFunk B.O.X. is nickname for the drumline. "The B.O.X.", as they are affectionately called, was the first black collegiate showstyle drumline to debut a feature in the middle of a halftime show, beginning in the fall season of 1985.

Fraternities and sororities

All nine members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council are represented at PVAMU. Though not a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Kappa Kappa Psi a national Honorary Band Fraternity, was the first Greek organization to have a chapter on campus.

Notable alumni

Name	Class year	Notability	Reference(s)
Julius Wesley Becton, Jr.	1960	Lieutenant General US Army, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director, educator, and past president of PVAMU
J. Don Boney	1948	First President of the University of Houston–Downtown
Charlie 'Choo Choo' Brackins	1955	Former NFL quarterback, he was one of the first African-Americans quarterbacks, and was the first HBCU alumnus to play that position in the NFL
David L. Brewer III		retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy and former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Rev. Emanuel Cleaver II		U.S. House of Representatives, 5th District of Missouri
Cecil Cooper		5-time MLB All-Star, 17-year career with Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, former Houston Astros manager
Terry Ellis		vocalist and member of female R&B group En Vogue
Jermaine McGhee	2007	former NFL defensive lineman
Sidney A. McPhee		President of Middle Tennessee State University
Dewey Redman		jazz saxophonist
Frederick D. Patterson		founder of United Negro College Fund
Inez Beverly Prosser		the first African-American woman to receive a doctoral degree in psychology
Mr. T		actor (did not graduate)
Otis Taylor		member of 1969 World Champion Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame
Wendel Eckford		Ralph Bunche Distinguished Professor of History, Los Angeles City College, First African American to earn Ph.D. in history at the Claremont Graduate University, CA.
Craig Washington		former member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1989-1994 18th District, Texas
Dorrough		Rapper
DJ Premier		member of Gang Starr
Ken Houston		Member Pro Football Hall of Fame, 13 year career as strong safety with Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins
Charles Brown		Legendary Blues Recording Artist and member of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Dave Webster		Former American Football League All-Pro football player for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, Prairie View A&M University Hall of Fame inductee and one of the first blacks to play professional football in the American Football League.
Zelmo Beaty		Former professional basketball player with the St. Louis and later Atlanta Hawks (1962-1969; NBA), the Utah Stars (1969-1974; ABA), and the Los Angeles Lakers (1974-1975; NBA).
Craig Watkins		Dallas County, Texas district attorney; the first African American district attorney in Texas
Dr. Clement E. Glenn, Phd.		2010 Democratic candidate for Texas Governor
OG Ron C	1997	DJ/Record Exec,Co-Founder of Swishahouse Records creator of the F-Action Series
Sebastian Barrie		former NFL defensive lineman
Hise Austin		former NFL wide receiver

External links

• www.pvamu.edu Official web site
• tamus.edu The Texas A&M University System