Texas Tech University Archives
Below are historical tidbits on the establishment and growth of Texas Tech University.

I.  Establishment, II.  Campus Maps, Buildings and Structures, III.  Techsan Articles & La Ventana, IV.  Who's Who, V.  Horn Professors, VI.  Board of Regents, VII.  Texas Tech Songs and Traditions, VIII.  Enrollment and Graduation Information, IX.  Texas Tech Firsts, and X.  Chronology of TTU Departments and Degrees

I.  Establishment of TTU

Texas Senate Bill [often referred to as the "School Charter"]
Senate Bill No. 103 provided for the establishment of a “State college west of the 98th meridian and north of the 29th parallel,” thereby setting the ground work for the creation of Texas Technological College. Among the purposes of the college was to provide a “co-educational college giving thorough instruction in technology and textile engineering from which a student may reach the highest degree of education.”

See also Alumni, Former Staff and Faculty Interviews for more on Texas Tech history

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A timeline for the early history of Texas Tech:

  • November 11, 1925 - the laying of the cornerstone of the Administration Building
  • September 22, 1925 - President Paul Whitfield Horn and his wife held a reception for faculty at their residence
  • September 28-29, 1925 - entrance exams were held
  • September 29-30, 1925 - Registration for classes
  • September 30, 1925 - Formal opening exercises were held in front of the Administration Building at 4 p.m.
  • October 1, 1925 - First convocation held at 10 a.m. The college hymn, "O College Mother, Beautiful," was first sung. Classes began starting at 8 am.
  • October 3, 1925 - the first football game, Texas Tech vs McMurray, was held at 4 p.m. The final score was Tech 0, McMurray College 0.
  • October 3, 1925 - President Paul Whitfield Horn and his wife held a reception for students and faculty to meet one another.
  • October 3, 1925 - the first issue of The Toreador, the college's newspaper, was published. This issue, along with others, is now available for viewing online.
  • October 4, 1925 - Rev. R. Thomsen gave the opening sermon to the students and a union from all the Lubbock churches in the Livestock Judging Pavilion.
  • October 9, 1925 - Tech played its second football game, this time against Austin College. Final score Tech 3, Austin College 3.
  • October 13, 1925 - Lubbock churches held receptions for students of their respective denominations.
  • By the time of publication of the October 1925 Bulletin, 914 students were enrolled.
  • November 25, 1925 - First bonfire at a "pep meeting"
  • 1926 - Tech received accreditation by the Association of Texas Colleges and the Texas Education Agency (formerly State Department of Educations)
  • April 17, 1926 - the first All-College Dance was held on the rooftop garden of Cheri Casa Home for Boys. Programs of some of the Cheri Casa events can be viewed here.
  • May 30, 1927 - Mary Dale Buckner became Texas Tech graduate at the college's first commencement ceremony in the college gymnasium.
  • 1928 - Tech received accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
  • June 1929 - the first class graduated who had completed all four years of coursework at Texas Tech
  • 1934 - the first men's dormitory No. 1 (West Hall) and the first women's dormitory (Doak Hall) opened.
  • May 8, 1940 - The first annual "Texas Tech Day" was observed by chapters of the Ex-Students Association
  • October 18, 1940 - Tech celebrated its first official Western Day.
  • 1945 - Tech received accreditation by the American Association of University Women
  • 1947 - Tech received accreditation by the American Association of Universities
  • 1960 - Tech received accreditation by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
  • 1960 - the Atchiston, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway donated a locomotive bell to the Saddle Tramps  which was to be known as Saddle Tramp Spirit Bell No. 1 which would be used primarily at football games. (Tex Talks, May, 1960)
  • 1962 - the traditional green color of the freshmen beanie with red lettering, often referred to as the "Slime Cap" or "Fish Cap," is changed to alternating red and black with a black bill. (Tex Talks, October, 1962)
  • 1972 - The Board of Regents supported an administrative ruling prohibiting the use of Memorial Circle and adjoining quadrangles for the Carol of Lights program. This was in response to a series of US Federal Appellate Court decisions  on the use of designated areas for specific uses (For Your Information newsletter, vol. 3 no. 11 and 12, Dec. 6, 1972).

Historical Publications on Texas Tech now digitized:

Several departmental biographies and historical overviews have been written, including:

Early TTU Footage

Tech promo film narrated by Tech graduate Clint Formby, 1947 (links to YouTube; 5:08 minutes long). The December 4, 1948 issue of The Toreador has an article on the front page about a Tech movie called "Futures Unlimited" in which Clint Formby serves as a narrator. This film on YouTube must be the same one as the $5000 one described in the Toreador article, which was financed by the Tech Chamber of Commerce and the Student Council. At the 0:54 mark Formby states "born only in 1925, Tech has already left its babyhood and is in its years of adolescence. Before it are growth and progress, and before it lies its maturity... it's unlimited future."

II.  Campus Maps, Buildings and Structures

From it's original construction in 1924 until the present, Texas Tech University has gone through several construction booms. The original site consisted of 2,000 acres. Today, Texas Tech has one of the largest campuses in the United States, with several satellite campuses located throughout the State of Texas.

Campus Maps

Several Texas Tech campus maps have been digitized to show the progression and expansion of the university and are accessible here.

Campus Buildings and Structures
There are two ways to learn more about TTU buildings and structures- look over an index of Board of Regents Minutes citations or read related trivia.  Also, there is information on the TTU Public Art Collection pieces and artists available here [Texas Tech Today online articles].

In 1925, the only buildings available at the opening of the college were the following structures:  the first unit of the Administration Building, the first unit of the Home Economics Building, the Textile Engineering Building, the Cafeteria, the President's Residence, the Stock Judging Pavilion, the Poultry Plant, and the Dairy Barn/Farm.

As no dormitories were yet available on campus in 1925, supervised boarding houses were made available along Broadway. Those north of Broadway were designated for men and those south of Broadway for women. Costs ranged between $30-40 per month and the women's housing fell under the jurisdiction of the Dean of Women. The men's housing fell under the authority of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

The 1925-1926 programs and invitations for events at the Cheri Casa Home for Boys, located at 2406-2408 Main Street, and the Quick Dormitory Home for Boys, located at 9th Street and Avenue X, have been digitized from the Cole Scrapbook and can be viewed here.

Another interesting fact about Texas Tech was the Acre Project, established when the college first opened in 1925. "Each student attending the Texas Technological College during the year 1925-1926, who so desires, will have one acre of ground set apart for his cultivation during the year. No charge will be made for rental, nor for whatever water may be needed for irrigation purposes. He will have free the expert advice of members of the agricultural faculty. These acres may be planted in onions, cantaloupes, watermelons, or other crops, requiring a high degree of intensive cultivation. In many instances as much as one thousand dollars has been cleared from one such acre, under similar conditions." [excerpt from a TTU bulletin entitled, "Preliminary Announcement of Course of Study 1925-1926."] Details on the project can be found on pages 40-41 of the publication, The Opening of a New Institution.

In regards to the architecture of Texas Tech, a Spanish Renaissance style is used to unify the campus appearance. In the 10/15/49 Board of Directors' meeting minutes, the Board, after approving the recommendations of the Building Committee, directed the Committee to inform builders "that plans for new construction to be prepared by them shall conform in every respect to the type of architecture of the present buildings on the campus."

III.  Texas Techsan Retrospective Articles and La Ventana

For over 25 years, staff members of the Southwest Collection have written articles on Texas Tech historical subjects and themes for the university's alumni magazine, The Texas Techsan.  These articles appeared under the title of Texas Tech Retrospective Articles.  As these articles cover many of the important subjects and tradition of the university, they have been digitized and placed online.  Click here to view the articles.  An index of the Texas Techsan for 1950-1951 is available here.

The La Ventana, Texas Tech's yearbook, has been digitized and is now available online.  Click here to view.

IV.  Who's Who in Administration

A common patron question is in regards to who are administrative Heads of Texas Tech University departments and colleges, as well as who are members of the Board of Regents.  Here's a link to see a list of these important TTU Who's Who.

V.  Horn Professors

To be designated a Horn Professor is the highest honor received by a Texas Tech faculty member.  Here's a link to the listing of Texas Tech University Horn Professors.

Photographs of various Texas Tech faculty, administrators, Board of Regent members, and coaches have been digitized and are available for online viewing here.

VI.  Board of Regents

The TTU Board of Regents, formerly known as the Board of Directors, oversees the university's growth, governance and maintenance.  It is composed of nine members chosen by the governor.

The Board of Directors/Board of Regents Meeting Minutes and Indexes to the Minutes are currently being digitized and are available here.  The meeting minutes from 1999-2010 are available on the TTU Reports website. 

Although the meeting minutes for years previous to 1999 are currently not online, an index of attachments to these meetings is available.  It is arranged chronologically.

VII.  Texas Tech Songs and Traditions

Below is a list of songs associated with Texas Tech
  • 1925 - "O, College Mother, Beautiful" (College Hymn) by Dr. Paul Whitfield Horn, 1st President of Texas Tech
  • 1926 - "Tech Spirit Songs"
  • 1927 - "Texas Tech" by W. R. Waghorne
  • 1930 - "The Matador Song" by R. C. Marshall, music by Harry Lemaire
  • 1937 - "Fight Raiders Fight" by Carroll McMath, music from Three Days Fantasia-Overture by Adolph Lotter
  • 1944 - "Fight on for Texas Tech" and "Texas Tech Has Got to Win" by Thornton Allen
  • 1942 - "Red Raiders" by Fred Waring; the song was recorded by the Tech Band and chorus in 1950

The 1926 Texas Technological College Song Book included the songs below:

  • "O, College Mother, Beautiful" (College Hymn)
  • "Glory to Alma Mater"
  • "The Tech of Texas State"
  • "Anvil Chorus"
  • "The Soldier's Chorus"
  • "Hail! Hail! The Tech's All Here!"
  • "Matador Song"
  • "Good Morning"
  • "Our Girls"
  • "My Bonnie"
  • "Good Night"
  • "Farmer Leidigh Had a Farm"
  • "Spanish Cavalier"
  • "Funicule, Funicula"
  • "Bingo"
  • "Jingle Bells"
  • "Texas!" by W. R. Waghorne, 1924
  • "Star Spangled Banner"
  • "Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean"
  • "America"
  • "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
  • "Onward, Christian Soldiers"

Texas Tech Traditions:

History of the "Guns Up" Tradition at Texas Tech was written by L. Glenn Dippel in 1998 -- see U 23.6 Sports Information collection. Dippel is credited with coming up with the hand sign.

The first Monday in May of each year is officially "Texas Tech Day" [Board of Directors' Policy Statements, August 22, 1964]

Other Texas Tech traditions can be found here on TTU's main website. Another tradition at Tech is class gifts by the graduating senior class. Here are some of these gifts:

  • 1943 - funds were later used to help purchase a scoreboard for the athletic field (BOR 8/14/48)
  • 1948 - bronze name plates for campus buildings (BOD 7/7/48)

VIII.  Enrollment and Graduation Information

Institutional Research and Information Management collections and compiles statistical information on the university, including enrollment, graduation rates and degrees given.  The reports are now available online and go back to the beginning of the university.  Click here for to view these stats. 

The Fact Books are a compilation of statistics on TTU's student profile and include information on student enrollment, degrees, credit hours, test scores, location distribution, majors, ethnicity, gender and age.

The first student to register for classes in 1925 was Irwin Coleman.

IX.  Texas Tech Firsts [University Highlights]

Below are some miscellaneous facts about milestones "firsts" at Texas Tech. Whenever possible, sources have been cited.

Educational Milestones:

Ph.D.'s were first offered beginning in the 1950-1951 academic year, with the Chemistry, English and History departments the first to do so. Later, Psychology and Education began offering Ph.D. degrees. (Memorandum from Office of the Academic Vice President, 12-21-60)

Mrs. Lucille Sugar Graves is noted in her oral history interview (1974) as being the first African American student at Texas Tech. She came to Tech with a bachelor's degree and was working on her master's degree in the summer of 1961. It was Mrs. Graves's persistent petitioning for entrance into the college that paved the way for other African Americans to attend Texas Tech.

Canon Clements was the first Texas Tech student to receive a Rhodes Scholarship in 1935.

Graduation Milestones:

  • Mary Dale Buckner won the drawing to become the first graduate from Texas Technological College. Buckner graduated with a bachelor's degree in English on May 30, 1927.
  • The first master's degrees were awarded in 1928 to Horace Bailey Carroll in history, R. W. Matthews in education and Walter Irwin Wilkins in sociology.
  • Laura Song, a native from Korea, was the first oriental student to graduate from Texas Tech on June 5, 1933. She received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Home Economics. (June 15, 1933 issue of the Toreador)
  • Carl Bechtold was the first industrial engineering graduate in 1938. (Toreador, February 17, 1940)
  • Estus C. Polk, who majored in English, earned the first Ph.D. at Texas Tech in 1952. (Texas Techsan article, September 1952)
  • Ophelia Powell-Malone was the first African-American to receive a B.A. degree from Texas Tech in 1964. A short bio on her can be found on the MentorTech page.
  • James Clark Huff became the first Tech graduate to complete his entire degree requirements in the School of Arts and Sciences with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. (Tex Talks, August, 1965)
  • Reagan Harrison Beene Jr. and Eldred Donald Merkl were the first graduates of a Ph.D. program in engineering in 1965. (Tex Talks, August, 1965)
  • Stella Crockett Courtney oral history interview(2010) - first non-transfer African American student to graduate from Texas Tech University.
  • Rosemary Pledger received the first Ph.D. degree of Business Administration in Business Education from Texas Tech on June 1, 1968.
  • Dr. Hortense W. Dixon, who majored in Higher Education and minored in Home Economics, was the first African-American to graduate with a doctorate from Texas Tech University. She graduated in August, 1970, and then went on to become an associate professor of Home Economics at Texas Southern University. (TTU Press Release 5-9-15-70)

Other University Milestones:

  • Greek-letter fraternity and sororities were allowed at Texas Tech beginning on June 21, 1952.
  • The all-male era of the Texas Technological band ended in the fall of 1941 when a few females wanted to be majorettes. However, a campus rule was invoked against girls participating as majorettes until after World War II. (TTU Press Release 6-6-23-69)
  • Maria Alejandrina Hevia was an international student from Brazil who attended Texas Tech in 1935. She may be the earliest cited Hispanic student to attend the university. She only attended one year and did not graduate from Texas Tech. (June 15, 1933 and January 22, 1938 issues of the Toreador)
  • In February 1967, Danny Hardaway became the first African-American athlete at Texas Tech to receive an athletic scholarship and he was a charter member of the university's first black student organization.

Early Student Organizations:
A listing of some of the earliest Texas Tech student organizations is slowly being compiled and available here.

X. Chronology of TTU Departments and Degrees

Below is information on the development of departments and colleges and the degrees they awarded.
  • 1923 -- On February 10th, Governor Pat Neff signed legislation authorizing the establishment of a new college in West Texas
  • 1925 -- 4 co-ordinate colleges: The College of Liberal Arts, the College of Household Economics [later called Home Economics], the College of Agriculture, and the College of Engineering. All were four year course systems.
  • 1925 -- first classes held at Texas Technological College in September for first year freshman and sophomores
  • 1925 -- The College of Liberal Arts offered a A. B. degree, while the other three colleges offered a B. S. degree
  • 1926 -- starting in September, classes held at Texas Technological College for junior classes
  • 1927 -- starting in September, classes held at Texas Technological College for senior classes
  • 1928 -- the first master's degrees were given to three Tech students.
  • 1933 -- the first Law class was organized at Tech
  • 1935 -- the Graduate School is inaugurated
  • 1942 -- the School of Business Administration is inaugurated
  • 1949 -- the Graduate Council expresses concern that Tech is "making a very poor showing as to the number of our graduate students" and recommends three recommendations, including offering a Doctor's degree (BOD 1/15/49)
  • 1949 -- approved conferring of degrees for emergency purposes at the conclusion of each fall semester (BOD 12/10/49 #357)
  • 1952 -- the first Ph.D. was awarded [for a photo, see Heritage Club Photograph Collection #E178]
  • 1964 -- approval for the Law School was received
  • 1967 -- the Law School was inaugurated

Click here to view a chronology of TTU departments/colleges and degrees awarded

 
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