School Name Changes
Authorized by the Texas legislature in 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School opened its doors in 1903. Over the years, we've broadened our scope and changed our name a few times as well:
- 1918: Southwest Texas State Normal College
- 1923: Southwest Texas State Teachers College
- 1959: Southwest Texas State College
- 1969: Southwest Texas State University
- 2003: Texas State University-San Marcos
- 2013: Texas State University
Sources for basic information about Texas State
Looking for basic information about campus? Start here! There are a wide variety of resources that provide information about overall University history - many of which are available online.
The links below provide an overview of the history and culture of Texas State University.
- Fifty Years of Teacher Education: A Brief History of Southwest Texas State Teachers College, San Marcos, Texas, 1901-1951The first of three official published histories about Texas State, written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the date that the City of San Marcos donated the land upon which the school was built.
- Beacon on the Hill: Southwest Texas State University, 1903-1978The second official history was written to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the opening of the school in the fall of 1903.
- Up the Hill, Down the Years: A Century in the Life of the College in San Marcos, Southwest Texas State University, 1899-1999The third and most recent official history of the university was written to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Texas Legislature's Senate Bill 260 that allowed for the creation of the school. Links to most of the photos used in the book are also available at this site.
- Southwest Texas State Teachers College: A Documentary History, Volume 1This is a 1939 thesis by Ruby Henderson. Topics include early history of teacher training in Texas, establishing the normal school, faculty listing, the laboratory school, management of the college, and matters regarding enrollment and graduates.
A Texas State of Mind by Call Number: Alkek Oversize, Floor 6 LD5313.5 .T49 2011ISBN: 1933896736Publication Date: 2011100th anniversary history of the Texas State University System. (Board of Regents)
Other Historical Resources
There are a number of other historical resources available beyond the Texas State campus that may be useful when conducting research. This is a short list of select sites that have information related to Hays County, San Marcos, and our campus.
- San Marcos Daily Record This link opens in a new windowDigitized microfilm with full page images of the local newspaper. Digitization includes text recognition in order to search by keyword, 1890s-2020
- Handbook of Texas This link opens in a new windowTexas history, geography, culture, people, cities & counties, institutions, and events. Covers entire history of Texas from the indigenous Native Americans and the Prehistoric Era to the the present.
- Handbook of Texas Women This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia of women who have shaped the history of Texas, at home, across the state, nationally, and abroad. 19th century to present.
