West Texas A&M University history

But in 1914, a fire accidentally started by a workman destroyed the single administration building that contained classrooms, the laboratory and library.

Later, in 1916, a new Administration Building opened.

The first four-year college degrees were granted in 1919.

The school changed its name to West Texas State Teachers College in 1923.

In 1949, the school again changed its name, this time to West Texas State College.

The first black student to graduate was Helen Neal in 1962.

The school had a long-term connection with T. Boone Pickens, who was appointed to its board of regents in 1969.

The college radio station KWTS began broadcasting in 1972.

In 1986, WT President Ed Roach was the subject of protests and calls for his resignation over the amount of money spent on the campus' Presidential House.

In 1987, he pledged a $1.5 million matching gift to endow its business school, which was named in his honor.

He continued to chair its board until its merger with the Texas A&M system in 1990.

President Thompson was appointed chancellor of the Texas A&M University System in 1994 and Russell C. Long became the new president.

On December 1, 2004, the then-President Russell C. Long acknowledged the error and agreed to remove Pickens' name.

In January 2009, the university began its first comprehensive campaign to raise $35 million for scholarships, faculty/program support, and capital projects.

WTAMU has been ranked as a first Tier university by United States News and World Report since 2012.

Football at WTAMU also has boasted many winning seasons during O’Brien’s tenure, including a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2013.

The Share your Pride campaign ended in August 2014 and raised more than $50 million.

In 2017, the business school was named the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business in recognition of the largest gift ($80 million) received by the university in its history.