The president of Texas A&M University is the

chief officer A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

of the academic administration of

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

College Station College station or College Station may refer to: Transportation *College station (MetroLink), a St. Louis light rail station in Saint Clair County, Illinois, United States *College station (PNR), a Philippine National Railways station in Los Baño ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Forty-one people—thirty-nine men and two women—have held this office, including those who were in the position when it was named Chairman of the Faculty between 1883-1890, and those who held the position in an acting or interim capacity. As of December 12, 2023,

Mark A. Welsh III Mark Anthony Welsh III (born January 26, 1953) is Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and a retired United States Air Force four-star general. Prior to his current role, he served as Chief of Staff of ...

is the 27th president of Texas A&M University. Welsh was serving as the dean of the

Bush School of Government and Public Service The Bush School of Government and Public Service is an undergraduate and graduate college of Texas A&M University founded in 1997 under former US President George H. W. Bush's philosophy that "public service is a noble calling." Since then, the ...

before he was appointed as acting president by Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp on July 21, following the resignation of M. Katherine Banks. Welsh became interim president on July 30. Later, on November 17, 2023, Welsh was named the sole finalist for the position of President of Texas A&M University, after a unanimous vote by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. __TOC__

Early history

On October 4, 1876, on the recommendation of former

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

president

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

after he had declined the position, Thomas Sanford Gathright became the first president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (the future Texas A&M University). At the inauguration of the college, Gathright stated to those assembled

To the full success of the college, I can promise the best efforts of my colleagues in the faculty, as I pledge my own. They may not be the proper men to work out success, and may be called to give place to others. I may not be suited to my place, and may retire; still this great work, in which all the people of this good state are interested, must go on and must succeed.

Following an investigation into the college’s adherence to the

Morrill Act of 1862 The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or se ...

, he was fired on November 21, 1879, by the Board of Directors. As a land-grant college under the Morrill Act, the curriculum at A&M College was meant to focus on agricultural and mechanical studies, and to teach military tactics. Gathright had personally favored the classical studies and disliked the military procedures. He also did not get along with some members of the faculty. Gathright's administration also faced the burden of organizing the college, an undefined curriculum, a shortage of student housing, and enrollment difficulties.

Presidents

The list of Texas A&M University presidents includes the previous presidents, and Chairmen of the Faculty of the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas. It also includes those that served in an acting or interim capacity.

References

External links

Past Presidents of Texas A&M University

* Presidents Texas Aandm Texas education-related lists {{TAMU-stub