Facts
- Founded in 1879 and named after Texas' greatest hero, General Sam Houston
- Enrollment of approximately 16,416
- Carnegie Graduate Instructional Program Classification: Doctoral,
professional dominant - 79 undergraduate degree programs, 54 masters' programs, and 5 doctoral programs in Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership, Counselor Education, Clinical Psychology, and Reading
- 72% of the faculty members hold doctoral or terminal degrees
- Five colleges within the university: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Education, and Humanities and Social Sciences
- Enrolled 73% of students in The Woodlands University Center campus
- Capital project, construction, renovation, and improvement program totals more than $250 million
- Has increasing admissions standards/above national average SATs
- A diverse student body with students from 53 countries
- NCAA Division I athletic program
- Historic Austin Hall is the oldest continuously-used state-owned higher education facility west of the Mississippi.
- Average class size of 31 students
- Faculty:student ratio of 1:20
- On-campus hotel
- Preprofessional programs ranging from predental to preveterinary medicine
- Nationally ranked Army ROTC program
- Leading intercollegiate rodeo program/club sports including rugby, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, trap and skeet, outdoor adventure and more
- Student-operated cable television station and radio station and student-published newspaper
- Planetarium and observatory
- Beautiful 272-acre main campus
- Diverse recreational sports program open to students, faculty and staff with outdoor playing fields and pools, and indoor running track, racquetball, basketball, volleyball, aerobics, and weight rooms
- University is partner in new Raven Nest Golf Course
- Fully-staffed University Health Center
- 32 residence halls and apartments
- Every office, classroom and residence hall room is equipped with a high speed Internet connection
Location
Sam Houston State University is located in a small city of 34,500 residents between Houston and Dallas. Although only 70 miles from downtown Houston, Huntsville is surrounded by forests, lakes and ranch lands. The Huntsville State Park is nearby.
Each year, visitors from all over the state come to Huntsville, home and burial place of General Sam Houston, "Texas' Greatest Hero," and the General Sam Houston Folk Festival. Also, Huntsville's "Fair on the Square" offers a day of fun shopping and food in the historic downtown area. Downtown is home to antique stores, galleries, shops and museums.
Traditions
Bearkat
Sam Houston State University's athletic teams have been nicknamed "The Bearkats" since 1923 when the University's name was changed by the Texas State Legislature from Sam Houston Normal Institute to Sam Houston State Teachers College. (Prior to 1923, the varsity sports teams were nicknamed "The Normals").
It is doubtful those who coined the "Bearkat" nickname had a particular animal in mind. More likely, the name came from a popular local saying of the time, "tough as a Bearkat!" The late Reed Lindsey, who was a student/athlete in the 1920s and later retired as University registrar, once said that "it was a good fighting name of the time." Since the animal in the saying was thought more mythical than real, the spelling settled upon was "Bearkat."
In the late 1940s, then SHSU president Harmon Lowman attempted to change the SHSU mascot from Bearkats to "Ravens" (after General Sam Houston's Cherokee nickname). Mrs. Vernon Schuder reported that the alumni were polled, she voted for the raven but that "all those old Bearkats beat us out!"
A Sammy Bearkat mascot character, with the later addition of a Samantha, began appearing at SHSU sports events in 1959. Samantha is now retired.
School Logo & Wordmark
Sam Houston State University has adopted as its official logo an orange "SH." Where the seal is used for more formal presentations, the logo can be used in less formal applications. Sam Houston State University also has an official Wordmark. Detailed information on the "SH" logo and the Wordmark can be found on our "SH" Logo page.
School Seal
Sam Houston State University has adopted as its official seal a high-contrast image of the statue of General Sam Houston, which stands in front of Austin Hall on the north end of the campus Quadrangle.
Around the image in the seal are the words "Sam Houston State University," two stars, and the year in which Sam Houston Normal Institute was founded--1879.
School Motto
"The measure of a Life is its Service."
Alma Mater
as performed by the 2003 SHSU Bearkat Band.
This new first verse of the Sam Houston State University Alma Mater was commissioned by President Gaertner in honor of the university's 125th Anniversary in 2004. The new verse was endorsed by alumni, faculty, staff and student organizations and first sung publicly by composer, Dr. Allen R. Hightower III at the summer 2003 graduation ceremony.
Hail to Sam Houston, School we love best,
Mighty in battle, True to the test.
Bearkats so loyal, Ever we’ll be.
Orange and white Will lead us to victory!
Hail, Alma Mater Hats off to you,
Ever you'll find us Loyal and true;
Firm and undaunted Ever we'll be,
Here's to the school we love
Here's a toast to thee.
Bearkat Fight Song
as performed by the 2003 SHSU Bearkat Band.
Fight, Fight, you Bearkats!
Fight on through!
We're here in back of you!
You know again we're here to win,
so fight on to the end.
Fight Fight Fight
Loyal we'll ever be and true to SHSU
We'll fight and fight with all our might
for Sam Houston's Orange and White.