College Spotlight

History

• The first public university in Texas, the school opened in 1876.

• Originally, education consisted of agricultural and military techniques.

• In the 1960s, A&M began allowing girls to attend.

• The letters "A&M", stand for "Agricultural and Mechanical",

• The school's students, alumni, and sports teams are known as "Aggies".

Location: College Station, TX

• 94 Miles from Humble and Kingwood

• About 2 hours by car

• Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was the first freshmen to win the Heisman Trophy (awarded to the #1 college football player) last Sunday.

• He is from Kerrville, TX

• His nickname is “Johnny Football”

“Choosing (Texas A&M) was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life.” Johnny Manziel

AcademicsCollege of Architecture College of Geosciences

Mays Business School College of Liberal Arts

College of Education and Human Development

College of Science

Dwight Look College of Engineering

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Mascot• Reveille is a Collie.• A sophomore is the "mascot corporal" and takes care of her.• Reveille goes with the mascot corporal everywhere, including to class and on

dates.• Texas A&M maintains a cemetery on campus where all of the past Reveilles are

buried.

Ol’ Sarge• Texas A&M also has an

unofficial mascot, Ol' Sarge, who is displayed only in drawings.

• Ol' Sarge is a tough-looking corps drill sergeant and is considered one of the many images representing Texas A&M's long standing military history.

12th ManThe 12th Man tradition began in 1922. In a close game, so many players were injured that the coach worried that he wouldn’t have enough players to finish the game. So he called into the Aggie stands for E. King Gill. Gill put on the uniform of an injured player and stood on the sidelines to await his turn. Although he did not actually play in the game, his readiness to play symbolized the willingness of all Aggies to support their team to the point of actually entering the game.

"I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me.“-E. King Gill

“I believe the 12th Man is one of the greatest traditions in all of college football. Forty thousand

students standing not as fans, but as members of our team.” Johnny Manziel

Aggie football fans call themselves the 12th Man, meaning they are there to support the 11 players on the field.

The entire student body stands throughout the game. 

At the end of the Aggie War Hymn, fans sway back and forth, causing the upper deck of the stadium to move.

Yell Leaders

• Texas A&M doesn’t have cheerleaders. They have yell leaders.

• Yell leaders are always boys.• Instead of pep rallies, they hold

Midnight Yell the night before the game to practice the yells they will do during the game.

• The type of yell for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors is different.

“Gig ‘em Aggies• Rather than end a conversation with "goodbye", many

conversations between Aggies end with "gig 'em", usually accompanied by a thumbs up.

• This tradition began at a 1930 Midnight Yell Practice held before the football game against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. In an attempt to excite the crowd, Pinky Downs, a 1906 Texas A&M graduate, asked "What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?"Using a term for frog hunting, he answered his own question, "Gig 'em, Aggies!"

• For emphasis, he made a fist with the thumb extended.

Hand Signal

Aggie Ring

• One of the greatest moments in the life of any Aggie is the day they receive their Aggie Ring.

• Aggies around the world recognize each other when they see the ring and greet each other as friends.

• The ring is not given, it must be earned by hard work.• Civil engineering graduate Patrick Brand ('81) became the first to send an

Aggie Ring into space when his father, Vance D. Brand, carried it as commander of Space Shuttle Columbia.

Sul Ross Statue

• Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross became president of the A&M in 1891 at the end of his term as governor.

• His efforts to keep the college open while governor are legendary.

• The statue of Ross or "Sully”, is one of the most special monuments on campus.

• Many students leave pennies at the base of Sully, hoping it will bring good luck when taking exams.

• “Howdy" is the official greeting of Texas A&M. • The university is known for its welcoming attitude and for

making sure no one who visits the campus feels like a stranger.• While the exact origin of this tradition is not known, "Howdy"

has come to be a tradition that sets Texas A&M apart as one of the friendliest campuses in the world, where all are welcome.

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

• Texas A&M started out as a military college and everyone had to be in the corps of cadets.

• Not everyone has to be in the corps anymore, but it is still one of the largest university organizations in the U.S.

• The corps is known as the “Keeper of the Spirit” of Texas A&M.

• They have to follow many rules.

Senior Boots• Senior members of the Corps of Cadets wear leather boots.• To assist in removing their boots, seniors are allowed to yell

"I need a fish!" at which point all available freshmen in the senior's outfit will race—and sometimes fight—to help.

• Senior boots cost nearly $1,200!

Texas A&M Fightin’ Aggie Band• Largest Military

Marching band in the world!

• All members must have high school band experience

• There is very little space between each band member when marching!

• The ones in boots are seniors.

Alumni

• Mrs. Youngblood’s son-in-law, Corey Nichols

• Mrs. Stanley’s husband Charlie has a master’s degree from A&M

• Mrs. Lockhart’s brother, Boone, is currently a junior and her grandfather and father graduated from TAMU as well as many of her cousins and her aunt

• Mrs. Munchrath has an Aggie brother in-law and sis-in-law

• Mrs. Horry’s son Jud graduated from A & M of Galveston with a maritime business degree. His wife, Megan, is attending A & M of Corpus Christi for her degree.

Texas Governor Rick Perry is an Aggie.

Sources and Extras• www.tamu.edu• Wikipedia• http://corps.tamu.edu/ (short video about the corps)• Watch the reaction at A&M when Johnny Manziel won the

Heisman here: http://youtu.be/pdP62ZYztbQ• A video about Johnny Manziel made by A&M Athletics:

http://youtu.be/hjJ7HPfrIvY• Another great video (a professional) about the Aggie Spirit:

http://youtu.be/tVC7lylxb1E

An Aggie ordered a pizza and the clerk asked if he should cut it in six or twelve pieces.

"Six, please," said the Aggie. "I could never eat twelve pieces."