Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M or AAMU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Alabama, United States, a part of Huntsville. Founded in 1875 as a state-run "normal school", it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District, also known as Normal Hill College Historic District, has 28 buildings and four structures listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places. Alabama A&M's athletic teams, known as the Bulldogs, compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

History

thumb|right|[[William Hooper Councill]]

Teacher and schoolmaster William Hooper Councill won approval for his plan for the Huntsville State Normal School for Negroes, established by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in 1875. The school opened on May 1, 1875, at a church on Eustis Street, with instruction for 61 teaching students overseen by Principal Councill, assisted by Rev. Alfred Hunt. By 1878, the state appropriation increased from $1,000 to $2,000 and the school expanded its enrollment and curriculum.

  • College of Business and Public Affairs
  • College of Education, Humanities, and Behavioral Sciences
  • College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences
  • School of Graduate Studies

Faculty

  • 19:1 student-faculty ratio
  • Fewer than 20 students in 41 percent of courses
  • 42 percent first-time college students
  • Middle 50th percentile on ACT: 14–19 The system employs more than 800 faculty, professional educators, and staff members operating in offices in each of Alabama's 67 counties and in nine urban centers covering the major regions of the state. In conjunction with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, the system also staffs six extension and research centers located in the state's principal geographic regions.

Student life

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|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of fall 2023

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! Race and ethnicity

! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total

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| Black

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| Hispanic

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| International student

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| Two or more races

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| Unknown

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| White

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! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity

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| Low-income

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| Affluent

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Student activities

The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development (OSALD) has oversight of and provides assistance to several student-led organizations:

  • Programs and Activities Council
  • Student Government Association
  • National Pan-Hellenic Council
  • Social Greek Council
  • Student Publications

Marching Maroon & White

alt=AAMU Marching Maroon and White Band logo|thumb|The Marching Maroon & White

The Marching Maroon & White is the official marching band of Alabama A&M University. It has over 280 members. The band has performed in the Rose Parade and made numerous appearances in the Honda Battle of the Bands. In 2023, the Marching Maroon & White made history, becoming the first HBCU band to lead the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Marching Maroon & White has two auxiliaries, the Dancin' Divas (danceline), and the Fabulous flags (color guard).

Alabama A&M University Choir

The Alabama A&M University Choir became the first choir from a historically black college and university to be invited to attend the American Choral Festival in Germany. On Thursday, January 21, 2010, the choir performed a concert at the Alabama Music Educators Association Annual Conference. This was a historical event because the choir was the first choir from a historically black college and university in the state to perform at that conference. In 2014, the choir was invited by the Distinguished Concerts International of New York to be presented in concert at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Other student organizations

  • AAMU Cheerleaders
  • AAMU Gospel Choir
  • AAMU Royal Court
  • Sigma Tau Epsilon professional fraternity Rho chapter
  • Phi Beta Lambda business fraternity, Xi Xi chapter
  • Eta Kappa Tau Engineering and Technology fraternity – Alpha chapter
  • Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Pi Epsilon chapter
  • Nu Rho Sigma fine arts fraternity, Alpha Alpha chapter
  • Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity for women, Theta Zeta chapter
  • Tau Beta Sigma honorary band sorority, Theta Iota chapter
  • Voluptuous Bulldog Beauties (VBB)-Women's Plus Size Organization, and Dance Team
  • AAMU Southern Belles
  • The Collegiate 100 Black Men of America
  • Student Government Association
  • AAMU Democrats
  • AAMU University Choir
  • M.A.N.U.P "Men of America Nurturing and Ushering Progress"
  • Marketing Club
  • Math Club
  • MBA Association
  • Poetry Club
  • Ward Modeling Troop, Incorporated
  • House Arrest Two Championship Dance Team Incorporated
  • Trendsetters Fashion Club
  • Alima Dance Company
  • Student Health Alliance
  • P.O.W.E.R. (Placing Opportunities Within Everyone's Reach) Mentor Program
  • Forestry club/Fire Dawgs

Athletics

Alabama A&M's sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly I-AA for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Alabama A&M's colors are maroon and white and their mascot is the Bulldog. The Alabama A&M Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate basketball, football, baseball, golf, tennis and track & field along with women's intercollegiate tennis, basketball, soccer, track, cross country, bowling, volleyball and softball. Also offered are men's and women's swimming clubs. The football team's home games are played at Louis Crews Stadium. Both men's and women's basketball home games are played in Alabama A&M Events Center." Prior to joining the SWAC, Alabama A&M competed in the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1941 to 1998. While in the SIAC, Alabama A&M won 11 conference championships in women's volleyball, seven conference championships in football, seven in cross-country, nine in men's basketball, two in women's basketball, and two in baseball.

Notable athletes include Pro Football Hall of Famer and 4-time Super Bowl Champion John Stallworth, NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion Robert Mathis, two-time NFL Pro Bowler Howard Ballard, Olympic Gold Medalist Jearl Miles Clark, Andre Brick Haley, Desmond Cambridge, Obie Trotter, and Mickell Gladness. Cambridge currently holds the NCAA single season steals record. Trotter is 4th all-time single season steals, and Gladness is 2nd all-time in blocks in a season. Gladness set an NCAA Division I single game record with 16 blocks against Texas Southern on February 24, 2007. No other player in Division I history has even recorded 15 blocks in a single game.

Media

Alabama A&M University is the licensee for National Public Radio affiliate station WJAB 90.9, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week on campus. WJAB airs various public affairs programming, as well as live coverage of Bulldog athletic events.

Notable alumni

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File:William Hooper Councill.jpg|

File:John Stallworth - 2019 01.jpg|

File:Rev. Joseph Lowery.jpg|

File:Robert Mathis.jpg|

File:Jearl Miles-Clark Sydney 2000.jpg|

File:Ruben Studdard 2.jpg|

File:Don Calloway.JPG|

File:Vivian Malone registering.jpg|

File:Frank Kearse 2015.jpg|

File:Mandela Barnes Headshot.jpg|

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Police department

The Alabama A&M University Department of Public Safety (DPS) is AAMU's campus police.

See also

  • List of land-grant universities
  • List of forestry universities and colleges
  • List of agricultural universities and colleges
  • List of engineering schools
  • List of systems engineering universities
  • List of business schools in the United States
  • Magic City Classic
  • WJAB 90.9 FM Radio

Notes

References

Further reading

  1. Morrison, Richard David. History of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University: 1875–1992. Huntsville, Ala. : Liberal Arts Press, c1994.
  5. Saintjones, Jerome. (2011) Normal Index Online. Alabama A&M University. Normal, Alabama.
  • Athletics website