Latino Presence at Texas State University-San Marcos: Celebrating 100 Years

The 100 years of Latino Presence celebration began on September 15, 2006 with a reception, exhibit, and 44-page booklet showcasing the history of Latinos on campus.  A committee of faculty, staff, and students researched the current Latino/a presence at Texas State by looking back 100 years to 1906 when the first Latinos joined the student body, according to Dr. Ron Brown's history of the university, Up the Hill, Down the Years. 

The historical booklet now preserves the research for the archives and serves as a significant tool to recruit faculty and students, and thus help with the university's goal of achieving HSI status. According to the spring 2004 Institutional Research enrollment data, the university currently has 3,927 Latino undergraduate and 480 graduate students.

The keynote speaker for the opening event was Dr. Raymund Paredes, Texas Commissioner of Higher Education.  Other major events during the month-long celebration included a Latino history symposium, Tejano Leadership in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas, and the culminating dinner, silent auction, and entertainment scholarship fundraiser, Fiesta de Cien Años, on October 14, 2006. 

Latino Presence Celebration Committee and Sponsors