Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University, (known as SHSU and Sam, for short) founded in 1879, is a university located in Huntsville, Texas. It is the one of the oldest purpose-built institution for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the state of Texas and the southwestern United States. It is named for one of Texas' founding fathers, Sam Houston, who made his home in the city. The university is part of the Texas State University System and is a comprehensive, doctoral granting university enrolling approximately 15,300 undergraduate and graduate students.

History

Created by legislation signed by Governor Oran M. Roberts 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.

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 1923, the school was renamed the Sam Houston State Teachers College. In 1936, the school awarded its first post-baccalaureate degree. In 1965, the school was renamed, again, to Sam Houston State College, and, finally, to Sam Houston State University in 1969.

Academics

Ranked as a "doctoral intensive" university by the Carnegie Foundation.

Sam's programs in criminal justice are particularly strong given the school's long relationship with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, headquartered in Huntsville, and the local state prison. Recently, the Department of History and School of Music are experiencing growth, the later attracting performers to its reputable music education program. Additionally, many students choose to go to Sam because of its traditional academic strength, its education program.

Recently, the university has become a leader in distance education, offering both bachelor's and master's degrees via the web in several areas, including history and criminal justice.

Currently (as of mid-2005), the university offers:

84 undergraduate degree programs
47 masters' programs
4 doctoral programs (Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership, Counselor Education, and Clinical Psychology)

Academic subdivisions

Sam Houston State's academic departments and programs are organized into colleges. Colleges at Sam Houston State University are:

Athletics

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 (I-AA for football) in the Southland Conference. SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin State University and tensions between the two campuses can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other.

The Bearkats have had recent success with the men's and women's outdoor track teams capturing the Southland Conference titles in May 2005 at Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. As a whole, the Sam Houston State athletic department captured the Southland Conference Commissioner's Cup in 2005 and 2006 for all-around athletic department and topped the Southland Conference for all-academic recognition.

Sam Houston's Bearkat is represented by the mascot team of Sammy and Samantha Bearkat who entertain and lead crowds in cheers during sporting events. Sammy's two minute routine earned him a national championship of the mascots division at the 2005 United Spirit Association Collegiate National Championship.

Notable alumni

Dana Andrews - Hollywood actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1963 to 1965
Roger Creager - musician
Josh McCown - professional American football player for the Detroit Lions
Dan Rather - newscaster (1953, B.A. Journalism)
Thaksin Shinawatra - current caretaker Prime Minister of Thailand (1979, Ph.D. in Criminal Justice)
Steve Sparks - professional baseball player (1987)

Trivia

The Alcalde is the university's annual yearbook, published from 1910-1998 and 2003-present, was named in honor of Texas Governor Oran Roberts whose nickname was "The Old Alcalde."
Contrary to an underground joke, repeated by alumnus Dan Rather in his autobiography, The Camera Never Blinks (page 17), the school was never known as "Sam Houston Institute of Teaching."
"Houston," for whom the school is named, was the first word spoken on the moon.
The official colors of the university are orange (PMS code 021) and white, with reflex blue serving as an accent color.
The campus stood in for the fictional Austin University in the motion picture The Life of David Gale.

References

External links