Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University is a historically black university in Houston, Texas, USA. The university was established on March 3 1947 by the Texas Legislature and it was initially named Texas State University for Negroes. Prior becoming a state university, Texas Southern University was owned by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and had been known as Houston College for Negroes.

Texas Southern University's school colors are maroon and gray and the school nickname is the Tigers. Texas Southern sports teams participate in NCAA Division I-A (I-AA for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

History

In February 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American man, applied to The University of Texas School of Law. He was denied admission because of his race, and subsequently filed suit. (See Sweatt v. Painter.) At the time, there was no “separate but equal” law school for African Americans, and the Texas trial court, instead of granting Sweatt a writ of mandamus, continued the case for six months allowing the state time to create a law school only for blacks. As a result, Texas Southern University was established under Senate Bill 140 by the Fiftieth Texas Legislature on March 3 1947 as a state university to be located in Houston. Originally named Texas State University for Negroes, the school was established to serve African Americans in Texas and offer them fields of study comparable to that available to white Texans. The state took over the HISD-run Houston College for Negroes as a basis for the new university. At the time, Houston College had one permanent building, but, more importantly, an existing faculty, and students. The school was charged with teaching "pharmacy, dentistry, arts and sciences, journalism education, literature, law, medicine, and other professional courses," and further stipulated that "these courses shall be equivalent to those offered at other institutions of this type supported by the State of Texas."

Campus

The university currently sits on a 150 acre (0.6 km²) campus in Third Ward and enrolls almost 10,000 students.

The university is currently compromised of eight schools and colleges:the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the College of Education, the College of Continuing Education, the School of Technology, the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, and the Graduate School. The Thurgood Marshall School of Law is one of the four public law schools in Texas.

Athletics

The University of Texas offers a wide variety of men's and women's varsity sports. The Texas Southern University Tiger athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I-AA Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Varsity Sports

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.

Rivalries

TSU's best known rival is Prairie View A&M.

Athletic Facilities

Notable alumni

Yolanda Adams, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the U.S. House
Congressman Mickey Leland, U.S. House
Congressman Craig Washington, U.S. House
Michael Strahan, Defensive End for the New York Giants
Don Narcisse, Former Saskatchewan Roughriders Wide Receiver (1987-1999) / CFL Legend
Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia
Lloyd Wells, first black full-time professional football scout (Kansas City Chiefs, American Football League)

External links

Historically black universities and colleges in the U.S. | Houston, Texas | Texas Southern University | Universities and colleges in Houston

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