History of the University

Since our founding in 1899, Texas State University has been focused on empowering our students through education to create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

Authorized by the Texas Legislature and approved by Gov. Joseph D. Sayers on May 10, 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School opened its doors in 1903. TXST’s name would change six times over the decades, reflecting its expanding mission and its transformation from a teacher-preparation institution to a nationally recognized research university.

The university’s two campuses currently offer programs not only in the College of Education, but also in the College of Applied Arts, the McCoy College of Business, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Health Professions, the Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Science and Engineering. The Graduate College advances intellectual growth through specialized graduate education, preparing leaders in the professions and in research at the master’s and doctoral levels.

As Texas State’s student population has grown — from 303 in 1903 to more than 44,000 in 2025 — it is now the fourth largest public university in the state.

Texas State's San Marcos Campus is located in a Hill Country community about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Its home on the banks of the San Marcos River provides recreational, leisure, and research activities for students throughout the year.

Overlooking the San Marcos Campus from Chautauqua Hill and serving as a landmark since 1903 is Old Main, a red-gabled Victorian building restored to its original grandeur. In 1979, after adding a number of classroom buildings and residence halls on campus, Texas State purchased the former San Marcos Baptist Academy, increasing the size of the campus by 50%. In 1981, South Texas entrepreneur Harry M. Freeman donated a 3,500-acre ranch to Texas State to be held in perpetual trust as the Harold M. Freeman Educational Foundation. The working ranch is used as a laboratory for students in agriculture, animal science, anthropology, biology, and a variety of other academic disciplines.

In 1990, the university opened the seven-story Albert B. Alkek Library. The building, conveniently located in the center of campus, is named for the noted Texas rancher, oil man, and educational philanthropist who died in 1995.

Texas State acquired one of the most unique ecosystems in the world in 1994 when it purchased the former Aquarena Springs resort and theme park. The purchase allowed Texas State to serve as steward of the headwaters of the San Marcos River, preserving and protecting one of the oldest continuously inhabited spots in North America for future generations of Texans. Now called The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the property is the site of a wide variety of educational and research pursuits. The Meadows Center is home to seven endangered species of plants and animals that exist nowhere else in the world.

In 1996, TXST expanded its services to the Williamson County area by establishing the Round Rock Higher Education Center. Texas State University’s Round Rock Campus has been serving Williamson County ever since, and it’s continuing to grow to meet the needs of Central Texas well into the future. The RRC offers dozens of undergraduate and graduate degree programs — with more to come — in everything from communications, criminal justice, and education to health professions, management, and marketing.

Texas State became part of the Texas State University System in 1911. The System, governed by a nine-member Board of Regents, also includes Lamar University, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College–Orange, Lamar State College–Port Arthur, Sam Houston State University, and Sul Ross State University. The first president of Texas State was Mr. Thomas G. Harris, who served from 1903 to 1911. He was followed by Dr. Cecil Eugene Evans, 1911–1942; Dr. John Garland Flowers, 1942–1964; Dr. James H. McCrocklin, 1964–1969; Dr. Billy Mac Jones, 1969–1974; Dr. Lee H. Smith, 1974–1981; Mr. Robert L. Hardesty, 1981–1989; Dr. Jerome Supple, 1989–2002; Dr. Denise M. Trauth, 2002–2022; and Dr. Kelly Damphousse, 2022–present.