East Texas State University

East Texas State University. (Texas A&M University - Commerce). , Educator William L. Mayo (1861-1917) established East Texas Normal College in Cooper (16 mi. NE) in 1889 as a private school to train teachers. After an 1894 fire destroyed the single college building, Mayo moved his institution to Commerce, where it reopened that September. The college's most famous early graduate was Sam Rayburn, who served as Speaker of the United States House Of Representatives in the mid-20th century., In 1917, the Texas State Legislature agreed to purchase the college from the Mayo family, and Randolph Binnion became president of East Texas State Normal College. He oversaw expansion of the facilities on the campus, but the administration of president James G. Gee (from 1947 until 1966) witnessed even more growth with the return of World War II veterans to the college campus. The scope of education broadened beyond teacher training, and the school became known as East Texas State University in 1965. A merger with the A&M system in 1996 led to a new name for the historic institution , Texas A&M University - Commerce., The university has conferred more than 90,000 degrees in a variety of undergraduate and graduate fields. An important part of Texas educational history, Texas A&M - Commerce remains a significant institution of higher learning.