For 150 years, the disciplines that define the College of Arts and Sciences have been at the heart of Texas A&M's mission, driving discovery, expanding understanding and preparing generations of leaders to shape the future.

Message from the Dean

"Over the past 150 years, humanity has transformed its understanding of the universe, life, society and culture. We have uncovered the building blocks of matter, traced the history of civilizations, explored the complexity of human behavior, expanded our understanding of language and meaning, and opened new frontiers of knowledge once thought beyond reach. Through every era of change, Arts & Sciences has prepared generations of students not only to inherit the world's knowledge, but to advance it."



"When Texas A&M University opened its doors in 1876, its mission was to provide a broad education for the people of Texas, fulfilling the mandate of the Morrill Act of 1862 as one of the nation’s newly established land-grant colleges. The legislation called for education in agriculture and the mechanic arts alongside scientific and classical studies — laying the foundation for an academic tradition that would bring together the sciences, arts, and humanities.

The School of Arts and Sciences was formally established in 1924, but the subjects taught in the new school had been offered since the university’s founding. As President Dr. Thomas O. Walton put it on the semi-centennial of the university in 1926: “It is not sufficient for the engineer to know how to weld a piece of steel, to calculate the strength of materials…or for the agriculturalist to know how to judge a cow, horse or mule…[They] must also be prepared to meet men and women in other walks of life upon a common intellectual plane.” In 1965, the School of Arts and Sciences was divided into three colleges (Geosciences, Liberal Arts, and Science) as part of General James Earl Rudder’s wide-ranging reforms. Decades later, the disciplines were reunited with the launch of the College of Arts and Sciences in fall 2022.

Today, the college continues a tradition that began with the university itself, bringing together the sciences, humanities, and social sciences to educate students, advance knowledge, and shape the future. As it looks to the next 150 years, the college is committed to challenging what is known, exploring what is possible, and developing the ideas and innovations that will define what comes next."

- Dr. Angela Hudson, History Department Head



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Sesquicentennial Stories

Even after 150 years, our story is still being written. The ones below (some new and some from our archives) have been selected to provide a distinct portrait of the College of Arts and Sciences – from the beginning and into the future. 
 
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