Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University (known as SHSU or Sam) was founded in 1879 and is the third oldest public institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. It is located 70 miles north of Houston in the hills, lakes, and forests region of East Texas in Huntsville. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the State of Texas. The school is named for one of Texas's founding fathers, Sam Houston, who made his home in the city. SHSU is part of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 17,600 students. It was the first institution classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education within the Texas State University System. While education continues to be the most popular major among students at the university, SHSU is also well known for its criminal justice program. Created by legislation signed by Governor Oran M. Roberts on April 21, 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute's dedicated goal was to train teachers for the public schools of Texas—the first of its kind in the southwestern United States.