From 1917 to 1965, what is now the University of Texas at Arlington was a member of the Texas A&M University System. In March 1917, it was organized as Grubbs Vocational College (GVC), a junior college that was a branch campus of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (AMC), which later became Texas A&M University. Open only to white students, the curriculum at GVC centered around the agricultural, industrial, and mechanical trades. In May 1923, the college was renamed North Texas Agricultural College (NTAC) due to the rapid expansion of its liberal arts curriculum, the fact that it was no longer just a vocational institution, and quickly growing enrollment. During the Great Depression and World War II, NTAC survived major declines in enrollment and multiple attempts by the state government to close it. Beginning in 1937, there was a movement in Arlington to elevate NTAC to four-year college status, but this goal would not be realized for more than two decades. Student life during the NTAC era was vibrant, although there was a cultural split between the students who lived on campus and those who commuted for classes. In September 1949, the college was renamed Arlington State College (ASC), in part because agriculture was no longer a major course of study. During the 1950s, it was the largest state junior college in the Southwest, and it grew to be the 5th largest state-supported college or university in Texas by 1959. During the 1950s, enrollment in courses in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering grew substantially. The college ended its agriculture program altogether in 1957. Between 1950 and 1965, ASC conducted a major building campaign that built 18 new buildings on campus for $14.225 million. On April 27, 1959, Texas governor Price Daniel signed a bill making ASC a four-year college. After the addition of junior-level courses in fall 1959 and senior-level courses in fall 1960, ASC awarded its first 23 bachelor's degrees in 1961. In response to a legal challenge to its segregationist admissions policy, ASC announced its racial integration in July 1962 and admitted its first African American students in September. ASC experienced growing disillusionment with the Texas A&M University System. ASC supporters believed that Texas A&M subjugated ASC's interests, was too rigid in administrative style, and did not invest adequately in the Arlington college, as it was growing quickly. ASC lobbied for separation from A&M, and ultimately, admission into the University of Texas System, which occurred when Texas governor John Connally signed Senate Bill 401 into law on April 23, 1965. Athletics at ASC were dominated by the football team, which won back-to-back Junior Rose Bowls in 1956 and 1957, bringing the college national recognition for the first time. ASC also created a men's swimming program during the mid-1960s that featured Doug Russell, a collegiate national champion who would go on to win a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. (en)
From 1917 to 1965, what is now the University of Texas at Arlington was a member of the Texas A&M University System. In March 1917, it was organized as Grubbs Vocational College (GVC), a junior college that was a branch campus of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (AMC), which later became Texas A&M University. Open only to white students, the curriculum at GVC centered around the agricultural, industrial, and mechanical trades. (en)