Prairie View A&M University facts for kids

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Prairie View A&M University

Former names	Alta Vista Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth (1876–1879) Prairie View State Normal School (1879–1899) Prairie View State Normal & Industrial College (1899–1945) Prairie View University (1945–1947) Prairie View A&M College of Texas (1947–1973)
Motto	Prairie View Produces Productive People.
Type	Public historically black land-grant university
Established	1876
Parent institution	Texas A&M University System
Academic affiliations	TMCF
Endowment	$148.5 million
President	Tomikia P. LeGrande, Ed.D.
Academic staff	486 full-time and 80 part-time
Students	9,415 (fall 2023)
Location	Prairie View, Texas , U.S.
Campus	Rural, 1,440 acres (5.8 km²)
Colors	Purple and gold
Nickname	The Hill, Panthers & Lady Panthers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – SWAC
Mascot	Black Panther

Prairie View A&M University (often called PVAMU or PV) is a public university in Prairie View, Texas. It is known as a historically black college or university (HBCU). This means it was founded to provide higher education for African Americans. It is also a land-grant university, which means it received land from the government to focus on agriculture and mechanical arts.

PVAMU was started in 1876. It is one of the oldest public colleges in Texas. The university offers many different study programs. Students can earn bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. PVAMU is the largest HBCU in Texas. It is also the third largest HBCU in the entire United States. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System.

Prairie View A&M has 18 sports teams. They are known as the "Prairie View A&M Panthers." The teams compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. They are also part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Prairie View A&M is the only original member still in this conference.

History of Prairie View A&M

An early photo of the campus around 1876

Prairie View A&M University was first called Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth. It was created in 1876, after the American Civil War. During this time, laws in Texas said that white and Black children should go to separate schools. However, the laws also said that both groups should have good schools.

Two important political leaders, Matthew Gaines and William H. Holland, helped create the college. They were both formerly enslaved people. Their work made Prairie View A&M the first state-supported college for African Americans in Texas.

The college was built on the old Alta Vista Plantation. It was part of the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University). This was done to follow a federal law called the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act. This law gave public land to states to create colleges.

Name Changes Over Time

The university's name changed several times over the years.

In 1945, it became Prairie View University. It was allowed to offer many of the same courses as the University of Texas.
In 1947, the name changed to Prairie View A&M College of Texas. It was set up to offer courses in farming, engineering, and science. These courses were meant to be as good as those at Texas A&M.
Finally, in 1973, the name became Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical University, or Prairie View A&M University.

The entrance to the Prairie View A&M campus

Important Milestones

In 1984, voters in Texas approved a change to how the Permanent University Fund worked. This fund helps support universities. The change meant Prairie View A&M University would also get money from this fund. This helped the university become even better.

In 2000, the Governor of Texas signed a plan to make Prairie View A&M available to all Texans. This plan added new programs and buildings. It also made sure that the university's mission statement welcomed everyone.

In 2020, a kind person named MacKenzie Scott gave $50 million to Prairie View A&M. This was the largest gift the university had ever received. It was also one of the biggest gifts ever given to an HBCU.

In 2021, Prairie View A&M earned a special R2 classification. This means it is a "Doctoral University" with "High Research Activity." Only a few HBCUs have this status. This shows that PVAMU does a lot of important research.

Academic Programs at PVAMU

U.S. university rankings

USNWR National University	395-435
Washington Monthly National University	173

Prairie View A&M University offers many different study programs. These programs are organized into various colleges and schools:

School of Architecture
College of Agriculture and Human Sciences
Marvin and June Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences
College of Business
Whitlow R. Green College of Education
Roy G. Perry College of Engineering
College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology
College of Nursing
School of Public and Allied Health
Office of Graduate Studies

The Don K. Clark building (left) and Agriculture & Business building (right)

Special Programs

In 2004, Prairie View A&M started the Texas Undergraduate Medical Academy (UMA). This program helps talented students get ready for medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary school. UMA's goal is to help more minority students enter the medical field. It also helps address the shortage of healthcare workers in Texas.

The university also has a special honors program. This program is for students who are very strong academically.

Prairie View A&M is often recognized for producing many African-American architects and engineers. It is also known for awarding the second-highest number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) degrees in the Texas A&M University System.

All of Prairie View A&M's programs are officially approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Each college within the university also has its own special approvals.

U.S. News & World Report is a well-known ranking system for universities. For 2023, it ranked Prairie View A&M highly among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It also recognized the university for its engineering and nursing programs.

John B. Coleman Library

The John B. Coleman Library

The John B. Coleman Library is the main library at Prairie View A&M. It is a large, five-story building. The library has over 370,000 books and many other learning materials. It also has an art gallery and a big collection of historical documents. The library offers many services to help students with their studies.

PVAMU Campuses

Prairie View A&M's main campus is in Prairie View, Texas. It is about 48.8 miles (78.5 km) northwest of Downtown Houston. The campus has over 50 buildings and covers 1,440 acres (5.8 km2). People often call the campus "The Hill" because it sits on a hill. Many describe it as one of the most beautiful campuses in Texas.

PVAMU also has two smaller campuses in Houston. These are the Northwest Houston Center and the College of Nursing. The College of Nursing is located in the Texas Medical Center. These smaller campuses offer different degree programs.

Student Life at PVAMU

Housing Options

About half of the undergraduate students at PVAMU live on campus. Freshmen often live in the University College community. Older students can live in apartment-style housing in University Village. The newest student housing building is University Square, which opened in 2017. It has 466 beds for juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Student Organizations

Prairie View A&M has more than 150 student groups. These include honor societies, professional clubs, and Greek organizations (fraternities and sororities). The Student Government Association (SGA) is the most important student group. It represents the students to the university leaders.

Student Activities

Athletics

Prairie View A&M University has many sports programs. Both men's and women's teams are called the Panthers. Their team colors are purple and gold. PVAMU is a founding member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). They play in NCAA Division I for all sports. Their football team plays in Division I FCS.

Prairie View's biggest sports rivals are Texas Southern University and Grambling State University.

Football

Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field

In 2016, Prairie View A&M finished building a new football stadium and athletic facility. This modern facility cost $60 million. It can hold up to 15,000 people. There are plans to make it even bigger, holding up to 30,000 people. In 2018, a generous person named Aaron "General" Walker donated $25 million to Panther Stadium.

Men's Basketball

Byron Smith coaching the men's basketball team in 2020

All home basketball games are played in the William Nicks Building. This building was built in the early 1960s. It has been updated many times and can hold about 6,500 people.

Baseball

In 2014, Prairie View A&M opened its newly renovated baseball stadium. It was named after former Panthers baseball coach, John W. Tankersley. The stadium has seating for 512 fans. It also has new concession stands, restrooms, and a press box. The Panthers won their first two games in the new stadium.

Marching Storm

The Marching Storm performing during halftime of the 2019 State Fair Classic

Prairie View A&M's marching band is called the Marching Storm. It has almost 300 members. The band has achieved many great things. They have performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They also performed at a U.S. presidential inauguration and the Tournament of Roses Parade. In 2022, the band was featured in a TV show called "March" on The CW Network.

Black Foxes

The Black Foxes are the dance team that performs with the Marching Storm band. They have between 15 and 25 members.

Twirling Thunder

The Twirling Thunder is the color guard team. They perform with the band and use flags and other equipment. They usually have 20 to 25 members.

Famous People from PVAMU

Many successful people have attended Prairie View A&M University. Here are just a few:

Zelmo Beaty (1962) – A famous basketball player in the NBA and ABA.
Julius W. Becton, Jr. (1960) – A U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former head of FEMA.
Charles Brown (1942) – A blues musician and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Emanuel Cleaver (1972) – A member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (2005) – A former WNBA player and Hall of Famer.
Terry Ellis (1990) – A singer and member of the R&B group En Vogue.
Ken Houston (1966) – A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Loni Love (1991) – A comedian, actress, and TV show host.
Frederick D. Patterson – The founder of the United Negro College Fund.
Inez Beverly Prosser (1913) – The first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology.
Mr. T (attended) – An actor famous for playing B. A. Baracus in The A-Team.
Otis Taylor – A former NFL wide receiver and Hall of Famer.
Calvin Waller (1959) – A U.S. Army General who served in the Persian Gulf War.
Craig Washington (1966) – A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.