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- The history of East Texas State College (ETSC) comprises the history of the university now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce from its renaming as East Texas State College by the Texas Legislature in 1957 (in recognition of the school's expansion beyond its original scope of teacher education) to its renaming as East Texas State University by Governor John Connally in 1965. The ETSC era witnessed substantial growth of both student enrollment (from approximately 3,100 students in 1958–59 to 6,810 in fall 1965) and the college's physical plant (a new library, student center, and multiple dormitories were built, and by 1966 the value of the school's buildings exceeded $22 million). Academic developments during this period were also significant, including the establishment of an honors program in 1961, the authorization to grant doctorates in English and education from 1962, and a continued increase in the percentage of ETSC professors holding Ph.D.s (reaching 58% in 1966, compared to roughly 45% in 1957). ETSC notably integrated on June 6, 1964 when ordered to do so by the Board of Regents, and Velma Waters became the first African American undergraduate student at ETSC, while Charles Garwin became the first African American graduate student and the first to graduate (in January 1966). Homecoming and intramural sports were popular student activities during the ETSC era, while the school's intercollegiate athletics teams continued to have success, especially in men's golf, men's tennis, and men's track and field. Students were still subject to the principle of in loco parentis and its related curfews, dress codes, and strict enforcement of regulations, although they also enjoyed activities ranging from fads and pranks to officially condoned events such as Kappa Delta Pi's spelling bee and an antebellum-themed "Old South Week". 1959 alone also witnessed the lifting of a long-standing ban on national fraternities and sororities and the establishment of the Forum Arts Program that brought "distinguished speakers and cultural attractions" to campus. (en)
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- The history of East Texas State College (ETSC) comprises the history of the university now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce from its renaming as East Texas State College by the Texas Legislature in 1957 (in recognition of the school's expansion beyond its original scope of teacher education) to its renaming as East Texas State University by Governor John Connally in 1965. The ETSC era witnessed substantial growth of both student enrollment (from approximately 3,100 students in 1958–59 to 6,810 in fall 1965) and the college's physical plant (a new library, student center, and multiple dormitories were built, and by 1966 the value of the school's buildings exceeded $22 million). Academic developments during this period were also significant, including the establishment of an honors pro (en)
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