CORPUS CHRISTI’S ISLAND UNIVERSITY, PART 1
In the Fall of 1973, the “University of Corpus Christi” became “Texas A&I at Corpus Christi”. A total of 963 students began junior, senior, and graduate classes at the newly named school. The Baptist General Convention had relinquished control of UCC to the state after founding and operating the school for 25 years. As an upper level institution, Corpus Christi students would no longer have to travel to Kingsville or other cities to obtain graduate degrees. I was one of those who chose to enroll in graduate classes at A&I-CC in the Fall of 1974. I received my Masters degree from the new school in July of 1976.
The university’s President during the A&I years was Dr. Whitney D. Halliday. But, the new name of the school would not last long. In 1977, the “University System of South Texas” was created. It included Texas A&I branches in Kingsville, Laredo, and Corpus Christi. The Corpus Christi branch would change its name to “Corpus Christi State University” with Dr. Alan Sugg as its President.
CCSU would remain an upper level institution. By 1980, enrollment had grown to 2,700 students. Twenty-six undergraduate degree programs were offered along with 10 programs leading to Masters degrees. CCSU quickly gained state and national recognition for its Nursing, Education, and Business Programs. The university continued to grow physically as well. By 1983, six new, permanent buildings were added to the seven erected during the UCC years.
The biggest change to Corpus Christi’s “Island University” would come in 1989, when the school would become part of the Texas A&M University system. On September 1, 1993, Corpus Christi State University would officially become Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. And in 1994, Freshmen and Sophomore students were welcomed back to the newly named campus. One of the last reminders of the original University of Corpus Christi disappeared when the “Tarpie the Tarpon”, mascot of the old UCC, was replaced in 2003 with “Izzy the Islander”. Student athletic teams are now known as “The Islanders”.
By the early 2000’s, future growth of A&M-CC was in jeopardy because of the limited space on Ward Island. Most of the usable space had been taken by university buildings and facilities. A solution to the problem came in 2008 when the City of Corpus Christi donated 156 acres of land to the university. A portion of the donated land at Ennis Joslin Road and Nile became the home of the university’s “Momentum Sports Complex” in 2011.
An adjacent portion, once home to three baseball leagues and a kickball league, became the site of “Momentum Village”, a seven-acre student housing complex for up to 500 students. In 2019, TAMU-CC purchased the old J.C. Penny building on Chaparral in downtown Corpus Christi. Acquisition of the 77,000-square-foot structure, built in 1947, gives the university a presence in the heart of the city. After renovations, a portion of the building will be used to house the university’s extensive historical archives collections.
Today, undergraduate and graduate enrollment at TAMU-CC has grown to over 12,500 students. The University houses the papers of Civil Rights icon, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, historian Dan Kilgore, and the Charles von Blucher Family, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi offers over 85 academic programs, leading to Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral degrees. In addition to traditional areas of study, the university has evolved into a major research institution. Major research centers include the Center for Coastal Studies,the Harte Research Institute, and the Conrad Blucher Institute. TAMU-CC is recognized as one of only 135 college institutions listed as an “R-2 High Research Activity” campus by the Carnegie Commission. The university was recently awarded over $38 million in research grants. The university also recently broke ground on an $81 million “Arts and Media” building on the main island campus. The 85,000-square-foot building will showcase Music, Theater, and Dance programs. Under the leadership of university President, Dr. Kelly Miller, Texas A&M-CC continues to grow and thrive as a first class institution and one of the Coastal Bend’s greatest assets.
After my retirement as a CCISD teacher for 33 years, I accepted a job as a Student Teacher Supervisor at TAMU-CC in 2007. I worked for the university for five years and very much consider myself a proud “Islander”.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.