Born out of the struggle for equality, Texas Southern University was formally established by the 50th Texas Legislature on March 3, 1947. Founded as the Texas State University for Negroes and given its current moniker in 1951, the University's primary mission was to establish a creditable college for African American students.

After its inception, Texas Southern University was the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to house a law school—the Thurgood Marshall School of Law—and was also the first state-supported institution in the city of Houston. Moreover, during its founding years, the University’s original admissions standards rivaled those of other state-supported schools such as the University of Texas. Its pioneering spirit and high standards of excellence continues today.

Source* Texas Southern University, www.tsu.edu