164 years of the Morrill Act. President Abraham Lincoln’s signature in 1862 launched a new era of land‑grant universities committed to agriculture, engineering and service. In 1876, that national vision reached Texas when Texas A&M University, then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, became the state’s first public institution of higher learning. Texas A&M stands today because of this history, and its legacy continues to shape the way Aggies learn, lead and serve as a force for good in our communities.