Thomas S. Gathright takes charge of new A&M College

On this day in 1876, on the recommendation of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis, Thomas S. Gathright became the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (the future Texas A&M University). On the same day, the initial class of 106 students began to attend classes. In the fall of 2000, with 44,026 students, Texas A&M University was the fourth-largest university in the nation.