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
Academics
College 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 Veterinary Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life 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 toughlooking corps drill
sergeant and is
considered one of the
many images
representing Texas
A&M's long standing
military history.
12th Man
The 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
 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.
“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
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."