"In a real sense there has been a University of Texas System since the beginning of The University of Texas on September 15, 1883. At that time the main university at Austin and the Medical Branch at Galveston were under the authority of the Board of Regents. Over the years, other branches and components were added to the system."
- Donald W. Whisenhunt, The Encyclopedia of Texas Colleges and Universities, 1986"The University of Texas System was established gradually."
- Margaret C. Berry, The University of Texas: A Pictorial Account of its First Century, 1980
In the Texas Constitution of 1876, Article VII provided that "The Legislature shall, as soon as practicable, establish, organize, and provide for the maintenance, support, and direction of a university of the first class, to be located by a vote of the people of this State, and styled ‘The University of Texas’..." The Legislature vested the governance of the University in the Board of Regents of The University of Texas.
In 1881, the 17th Legislature passed an act stating:
That there be established in this State, at such location as may be determined by a vote of the people, an institution of learning, which shall be called and known as The University of Texas. The medical department of the university shall be located, if so determined by a vote of the people, at a different point from the university proper, and as a branch thereof; and the question of the location of said department shall be submitted to the people and voted on separately from the propositions for the location of the main university.
By vote of the people September 6, 1881, the Main University was located in Austin and the Medical Branch in Galveston.
In 1913, the Legislature created the Texas School of Mines and Metallurgy in El Paso and placed it under the control of the Board of Regents; in 1919, the 36th Legislature renamed the school, The College of Mines and Metallurgy, and it became a branch of The University of Texas. In 1941, the Texas State Cancer Hospital (now The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center) became a part of the University by act of the 47th Legislature.
This was followed in 1943, by act of the 48th Legislature, by the addition of the Dental Branch in Houston, and in 1949, the Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Thus, from early days, the University was envisioned as a statewide system of higher education. Succeeding legislatures have added other institutions, building The University of Texas System to its present scope of 14 components.
Key Dates
|
1876 |
The Texas Constitution was adopted. "The Legislature shall as soon as practicable, establish, organize, and provide for the maintenance, support, and direction of a university of the first class, to be located by a vote of the people of this State, and styled "The University of Texas." |
|
1881 |
Enabling Legislation was passed. "Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that there be established in this State, at such locality as may be determined by a vote of the people, an institution of learning, which shall be known as The University of Texas. The medical department of the university shall be located, if so determined by a vote of the people, at a different point from the university proper, and as a branch thereof; and the question of the location of said department shall be submitted to the people and voted separately from the propositions for the location of the main university. |
|
1882 |
Texas voters select locations for the main university (Austin) and the medical branch (Galveston). |
|
1882 |
Cornerstone for Old Main laid. (Old Main Building at the medical branch at Galveston.) |
|
1883 |
Classes begin at UT Austin on September 15, 1883, with 221 students (163 men, 58 women), and eight male faculty. |
|
1884 |
First commencement is held in Austin on June 14, 1884. |
|
1891 |
The Galveston medical branch campus opens. |
|
1913 |
The institution now known as UT El Paso is created as the Texas School of Mines and Metallurgy, and became a part of the UT System in 1919. (In 1949, its name was changed to Texas Western College which remained until 1967 when its name was again changed to The University of Texas at El Paso.) |
|
1923 |
Santa Rita No. 1 stikes oil. The first oil royalty payment to the Permanent University Fund was made on August 24, 1923 in the amount of $516.53. |
|
1941 |
The institution now known as UT MD Anderson Cancer Center is created by the Legislature under the authority of the Board of Regents. |
|
1943 |
The UT Dental Branch in Houston comes under the authority of the Board of Regents. (Now part of the UT Health Science Ctr. - Houston) |
|
1948 |
The University of Texas Postgraduate School of Medicine was established in Houston. (Now part of the UT Health Science Ctr. - Houston) |
|
1949 |
The institution now known as The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center accepted for administration by the Board of Regents. |
|
1950 |
The Office of Chancellor is created by the Board of Regents. James Pinckney Hart is appointed chancellor. |
|
1954 |
Logan Wilson is named acting chancellor. (Wilson also serves as president of UT Austin from 1953 to 1960.) |
|
1954 |
Later that year, the Regents abolish the position of chancellor. |
|
1959 |
The Legislature creates the South Texas Medical School (now part of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio). |
|
1960 |
The Regents re-establish the position of chancellor. Logan Wilson (still president of UT Austin) is reappointed as chancellor. |
|
1961 |
Harry H. Ransom is named chancellor. He serves until 1970. He also holds the office of president of UT Austin from 1960 to 1961. From 1963 to 1967 there is no office of president at UT Austin. As chancellor during these years, Ransom is the CAO of the Austin campus. |
|
1963 |
The Legislature creates the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (now part of the UT Health Science Center - Houston). |
|
1965 |
The institution now known as UT Arlington is transferred to UT from the Texas A&M system. |
|
1967 |
The Legislature changes the names of institutions within the UT System, giving them uniform designations. |
|
1967 |
The Legislature creates the UT School of Public Health in Houston (now part of the UT Health Science Center - Houston). |
|
1969 |
The Legislature creates the UT Medical School at Houston (now part of the UT Health Science Center - Houston). |
|
1969 |
The Legislature creates the UT Dental School at San Antonio (now part of the UT Health Science Center - San Antonio). |
|
1969 |
UT Dallas is established by the Legislature. |
|
1969 |
UT Permian Basin is established by the Legislature. |
|
1969 |
UT San Antonio is established by the Legislature. |
|
1971 |
Charles A. LeMaistre is appointed chancellor. He serves until 1978. |
|
1972 |
The Board of Regents reorganizes the biomedical units in Dallas, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio into four health science centers. |
|
1972 |
The UT Health Science Center at Houston is established by the Board of Regents through consolidation of several other UT entities. |
|
1972 |
The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio is established by the Board of Regents through consolidation of several other entities. |
|
1977 |
The UT Health Center at Tyler joins the UT System. |
|
1978 |
E. Donald Walker is named chancellor. He serves until 1984. |
|
1979 |
The institution now known as UT Tyler joins the UT System. |
|
1984 |
Voters approve a constitutional amendment extending use of Permanent University Fund Bonds to all institutions then in the UT or A&M systems. |
|
1984 |
Hans Mark is named chancellor. He serves until 1992. |
|
1989 |
UT Pan American joins the UT System. |
|
1991 |
UT Brownsville joins the UT System. |
|
1992 |
William H. Cunningham is named chancellor. He serves until 2000. |
|
1999 |
Voters approve a constitutional amendment that allows the modernization of the investment and spending policies of the Permanent University Fund. |
|
2000 |
R.D. Burck is named interim chancellor on June 1, 2000, and named permanent chancellor on December 6, 2000. He serves until 2002. |
|
2002 |
Mark G. Yudof is named chancellor on June 21, 2002. He serves until 2008. |
|
2008 |
Kenneth I. Shine is named interim Chancellor on April 1, 2008. |
|
2009 |
Francisco G. Cigarroa is named chancellor on January 9, 2009. |
|
2014 |
William H. McRaven is named chancellor on July 29, 2014. |
|
2015 |
UTRGV joins the UT System. UT Pan American closes and UT Brownsville maintains an administrative function for the upcoming year. |
|
2018
|
Larry Faulkner is named Chancellor ad interim on May 18, 2018. |
| 2018 | James B. Milliken is named Chancellor on August 27, 2018 |