Centennial
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 9, 2017
STEPHENVILLE, Texas—Tarleton State University in 2017 celebrates its 100th anniversary as a founding member of the Texas A&M University System with a yearlong slate of activities honoring the people and events responsible for creating one of the fastest growing schools in the nation.
The Texas Legislature approved the partnership on Feb. 20, 1917, following a 3½-year effort by supporters to raise money to purchase 500 acres northeast of Stephenville for use as a college farm and to restore the endowment left by the university’s namesake, John Tarleton, to its original level. The money and land, plus the school’s campus, were donated to the state in exchange for Tarleton’s acceptance by Texas A&M College.
“Our century-long relationship has been a match made in academic heaven,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “Joining the System made it possible for Tarleton to establish its nationally recognized agricultural programs and, by nurturing academic opportunities in Killeen, Tarleton played a role in establishing Texas A&M University-Central Texas as well as new centers in Fort Worth, Midlothian and Waco.”
The Texas A&M University System—one of the largest networks of higher education in the nation—is home to 11 universities and seven state agencies, educating more than 140,000 students and making more than 22 million additional educational contacts annually through service and outreach programs.
“As we celebrate our 100-year affiliation with the Texas A&M University System, we not only look back on our unique heritage, but look forward with momentum and pride to continuing John Tarleton’s dream for an institution where students have access to an affordable, high-quality education that improves their lives and communities,” explained Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio. “We value our history and tradition, and our future as the premier student-focused university in Texas and beyond.”
Tarleton, a member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven educational experience marked by academic innovation and exemplary service, and dedicated to transforming students into tomorrow’s professional leaders. With campuses in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and online, Tarleton engages with its communities to provide real-world learning experiences and to address societal needs while maintaining its core values of integrity, leadership, tradition, civility, excellence and service.
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Contact:
Harry Battson, Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Communications
254-968-1620
[email protected]
