Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU or PV) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

historically black Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

land-grant university A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...

Prairie View, Texas Prairie View is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States, situated on the northwestern edge of the metropolitan area. The population was 8,184 at the 2020 census. Prairie View A&M University, the second-oldest public university in Texas, i ...

, United States. Founded in 1876, it is one of Texas's two

land-grant universities A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Morrill Acts of 1862 and ...

and the second oldest public institution of higher learning in the state. It offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master's degrees and four doctoral degree programs through eight colleges and the School of Architecture. PVAMU is the largest HBCU in the state of Texas and the third largest HBCU in the United States. PVAMU is a member of the

Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is a state university system in Texas and is one of the state's seven independent university systems. The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States, with a ...

and

Thurgood Marshall College Fund The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is a non-profit organization that supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 55 member-schools that include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), medical school ...

. Prairie View A&M fields 18 intercollegiate sports team, commonly known by their Prairie View A&M Panthers nickname. Prairie View A&M competes in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) Division I and the

Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United St ...

(SWAC). Prairie View A&M is the only charter member remaining in the conference.

History

The university was established as Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth The Sixteenth Legislature April 19, 1879 by Article 7 of the Texas Constitution of 1876, created near the end of the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In that year, State Senator Matthew Gaines and State Representative William H. Holland – both former slaves who became leading political figures – crafted legislation for the creation of a state-supported "Agricultural and Mechanical" college. In the article, the constitution stated that "Separate schools shall be provided for the white and colored children, and impartial provisions shall be made for both." The legislation made Prairie A&M the first state supported institution of higher learning for African Americans in Texas. In an effort to comply with these constitutional provisions, the

Fifteenth Texas Legislature The 15th Texas Legislature met from April 18 to August 21, 1876, in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1875. Sessions *15th Regular session: April 18 – Au ...

, consistent with terms of the federal

Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally owned land, often obtained from Native American tribes through treaty, cessi ...

– which provided public lands for the establishment of colleges – authorized the "Alta Vista Agriculture and Mechanical College for the Benefit of Colored Youth" as part of the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (now

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

). It was established on the former Alta Vista Plantation. 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." And finally in 1973, the legislature changed the name of the institution to Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University (Prairie View A&M University). WelcomePV

In 1983, the Texas Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to restructure the

Permanent University Fund The Permanent University Fund (PUF) is a sovereign wealth fund created by the State of Texas to fund public higher education within the state. A portion of the returns from the PUF are annually directed towards the Available University Fund (AUF ...

(PUF) to include Prairie View A&M University as a beneficiary of its proceeds. The 1983 amendment also dedicated the university to more enhancements 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 2000, the Governor of Texas signed the Priority Plan, an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to establish Prairie View A&M University as an educational asset accessible by all Texans. The Priority Plan mandates creation of many new educational programs and facilities. 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. In December 2020, philanthropist

MacKenzie Scott MacKenzie Scott ( Tuttle, formerly Bezos; born April 7, 1970) is an American novelist, philanthropist, co-founder of Amazon, and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos. As of May 2025, she has a net worth of US$35.9 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionair ...

donated $50 million to Prairie View A&M. The donation is the largest single gift in its history and one of the largest ever to a

HBCU Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

. In 2021, Prairie View A&M attained the R2

Carnegie Classification The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, or simply the Carnegie Classification, is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. It was created in 1970 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Adv ...

(Doctoral University; High Research Activity). Prairie View A&M is one of only 11 HBCUs to be granted R2 status and one of only four Texas A&M University System members in this category.

Academics

Prairie View A&M University offers academic programs through the following administrative units: * School of Architecture PVClarkBus

* College of Agriculture and Human Sciences * Marvin and June Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences * College of Business * Whitlow R. Green College of Education * Roy G. Perry College of Engineering * College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology * College of Nursing *School of Public and Allied Health * Office of Graduate Studies Prairie View A&M established the Texas Undergraduate Medical Academy (UMA) in 2004 which is a highly selective and rigorous pre-medical program designed to uniquely prepare academically talented undergraduates for success in

medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

, dental,

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

, or

veterinary Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both ...

school. UMA began due to a Texas legislative mandate in 2003 and is state funded with a mission to increase minority representation in the medical field and redress statewide healthcare professional shortages. Prairie View A&M established a highly selective honors program for academically exceptional undergraduates who meet the specified criteria. Prairie View A&M is consistently recognized as one of the top institutions in the country for producing the highest number of African-American architects and engineers by ''Diverse Issues in Higher Education''. Prairie View A&M annually awards the second most

STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...

degrees in the Texas A&M University System. Prairie View A&M academic programs are accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees app ...

and each college within the university holds additional accreditation or certifications. For 2023, '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Prairie View A&M #331-440 in National Universities, #154 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie), #169-227 in Top Public Schools, #26 in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (tie), #196-212 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and #293 in Nursing. PVLib

John B. Coleman Library

The John B. Coleman Library is the main library on campus. It is a five-story, 150,000 square foot building completed in 1988. The library provides several services to assist students and is home to over 370,000 Volumes, including over 700 print periodicals, and close to 4,000 media materials. The library is also home to an art gallery and a vast collection of historic and special archives.

Campuses

Prairie View A&M has over 50 buildings on its main campus in Prairie View, Texas which is northwest of

Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45 ...

. The campus is often referred to as "The Hill" because it rests on a hill in the region. The campus is also often described as one of the most beautiful in Texas. Prairie View A&M has two smaller branch campuses in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

with the Northwest Houston Center and the College of Nursing in the

Texas Medical Center The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is a List of neighborhoods in Houston, neighborhood in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. It is immediately south of the Houston Museum District, Museum District and west of Texas State Highway 288. Over 6 ...

. The branch campuses offer several degree programs.

Demographics

In spring 2022, the university enrolled 7,624 undergraduate students and 889 graduate students. 67% of students identify as female and 33% male. 88% of students are Texas residents. Outside Texas, the top three states of origin for students were California (131), Louisiana (130), and Illinois (62). Outside the U.S., the top three countries of origin for international students were Nigeria (62), Equatorial Guinea (25), and India (16).

Student life

Housing

In 1998,

American Campus Communities American Campus Communities, Inc. (ACC) is the largest developer, owner and manager of student housing communities in the United States. It is headquartered in Bee Cave, Texas, with an Austin postal address. - Compare with thcity limits map of ...

(ACC) was awarded the contract to develop, build, and manage a student housing property at PVAMU. Both student residence housing properties at PVAMU are owned and operated by ACC. Freshmen students on campus may reside in the University College community. Upperclassmen may live in apartment style living in University Village (phases I, II, III, VI, and VII). The first of these apartment buildings was built in 1995. The University Square, completed in October 2017, is the newest student housing facility on campus with 466 beds available for juniors, seniors, and graduate students. About 50% of PVAMU undergraduate students live on campus. Previous buildings that formerly housed students include Alexander Hall, Banks Hall, Buchanan Hall, Collins Hall, Drew Hall, L. O. Evans Hall, Fuller Hall, Holley Hall, and Suarez Hall. Suarez Hall was already closed in 1996. In 1997 Alexander Hall, Buchanan Hall, and Collins Hall had closed. In 1998 Holley Hall had closed. In 2000 Drew Hall, Evans Hall, and Fuller Hall had closed. During the same year, Alexander, Buchanan, and Holley had been demolished. In 2001 Banks Hall had closed.

Student organizations

PVAMU is home to over 150 honorary, professional, special interest, and Greek organizations established on campus. Since 1982, the Student Government Association (SGA) has been the highest ranking student organization on campus and official voice of the student body to the University Administration, as well as all internal and external organizations.

Student activities

Athletics

Prairie View A&M University offers a wide variety of varsity and intramural sports programs. Men's and women's athletic teams are nicknamed the Panthers and the team colors are purple and gold. Prairie View A&M is a charter member of the

(SWAC), and is a member of the West Division. Prairie View competes in NCAA Division I in all varsity sports; in football, the Panthers play in the

Division I FCS The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Sponsored by the National Collegiate ...

. Prairie View's most notable rivals are

Texas Southern University Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Houston. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund an ...

and

Grambling State University Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana, United States. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African ...

Football

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

2016, Prairie View A&M completed the first phase of construction on its $60 million football stadium and athletic field house. The state-of-the-art facility is 55,000 square feet and holds up to 15,000 people. The final phase of construction will increase capacity to 30,000 people. In fall 2018, Aaron "General" Walker donated $25 million to Panther stadium. A statue is soon to be built.

Men's basketball

All home basketball games are held in the William Nicks Building which was built in the early 1960s. The building has gone through several renovations since its inception and holds approximately 6,500 people.

Baseball

Prior to a double header against the

Texas Southern Tigers The Texas Southern Tigers represent Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, in intercollegiate athletics. They field sixteen teams including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field; women's-only bowling, socce ...

, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the renovated baseball stadium on April 26, 2014. Along with the opening, the stadium was formally dedicated to former Panthers baseball coach, John W. Tankersley. The renovated stadium features seating for 512 including 192 chair backed seats, new concession stand, new restrooms, press box, and bricked dugouts. The stadium is also Wi-Fi enabled. The Panthers dedicated the stadium sweeping the double header winning 9–0 and 7–4.

Marching Storm

Prairie View A&M's marching band is officially known as the Marching Storm and has close to 300 active members. Some of the band accomplishments include performing at the

Super Bowl XLV halftime show The Super Bowl XLV halftime show took place on February 6, 2011, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas as part of Super Bowl XLV. The Black Eyed Peas headlined and performed a medley of their songs, with Slash and Usher making guest appearances. ...

, the

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...

, a U.S. presidential inauguration, the

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

, the

Honda Battle of the Bands The Honda Battle of the Bands (sometimes abbreviated The Honda or HBOB) is an annual marching band exhibition in the United States which features performances by bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Sponsored by the Am ...

, the

Houston Rodeo The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003, with the ex ...

, the grand opening of the

NRG Stadium NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...

, and at a 2004

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

game with

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

. The band made an appearance on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

in 2011. In 2022, the band starred in a TV docuseries entitled "March" on

The CW Network The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial terrestrial television, broadcast television television network, network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. Th ...

. From 1984 to 2009 the marching band was directed by George Edwards.

Black Foxes

The Black Foxes are the 15–25 member danceline that accompanies the band.

Twirling Thunder

The Twirling Thunder are the 20-25 member

color guard In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is highly prestigious, and the mil ...

that performs with the band.

Prairie View Trail Ride Association

Every year since 1957, the Prairie View Trail Ride Association have done a

trail ride Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and i ...

from

Hempstead, Texas Hempstead is a city in and the county seat of Waller County, Texas, United States. It is part of the metropolitan area. History On December 29, 1856, Richard Rodgers Peebles and James W. McDade organized the Hempstead Town Company to sell lots ...

, to Houston to attend the

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003, with the ex ...

. This ride contributes to keep alive the history and the continued existence of Black cowboys and cowgirls in Texas.

Notable alumni

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prairie View AandM University Universities and colleges established in 1876 Land-grant universities and colleges Texas A&M University System Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Public universities and colleges in Texas Education in Waller County, Texas Buildings and structures in Waller County, Texas 1876 establishments in Texas Historically black universities and colleges in Texas

History

Academics

John B. Coleman Library

Campuses

Demographics

Student life

Housing

Student organizations

Student activities

Athletics

Football

Men's basketball

Baseball

Marching Storm

Black Foxes

Twirling Thunder

Prairie View Trail Ride Association

Notable alumni

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links