the G.I. Bill to fund their education; however, enrollment stagnated in the following decade.
=== University era ===
In 1948, the state legislature established the Texas A&M College Station campus as the flagship of a new system of universities, the Texas A&M University System. Its goal was to serve as the lead institution to foster the evolution of a statewide educational, research and service system.
On July 1, 1959, Major General James Earl Rudder, class of 1932, became the 16th president of the college. In 1963, with the backing of State Senator William T. "Bill" Moore, the 58th Legislature of Texas approved Rudder's proposal for a substantial expansion of the college. Over the coming years, Texas A&M augmented and upgraded its physical plant and facilities, and diversified and expanded its student body by admitting women and minorities. Membership in the Corps of Cadets also became voluntary from the start of the fall semester of 1963. Initially, the decision to admit women made the student body very …
