Brief History of Texas Wesleyan

• Polytechnic College or the predecessor to Texas Wesleyan was founded in 1890 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the US at the time. from 1784 until 1939 with over 4.4 million members during its time.

  • Note: Polytechnic means "many arts and sciences"

• The college opened its doors to students in September 1891 with a few faculty and 111 eager students.

• Polytechnic College was changed to Texas Woman's College in 1914, transitioning to a women's only education center. 

• The College had to close in 1931 for a few years because of the financial strain of the Great Depression

• A collaboration with the Texas Wesleyan Academy of Austin created the Co-ed Texas Wesleyan College in 1935 that we all know today.

• The school reached new heights of education during this period such as:

  • Adding a graduate program in Education in the 1970s.

  • Adding a Nurse Anesthesia program in the 1980s.

• The name was finally changed to Texas Wesleyan University in 1989 to recognize the growth the school has had within its programs and its commitment to education.

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And with that, a 130-year recap is done!

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Below is Wille the Ram, the mascot of Texas Wesleyan. Ain't he a cutie?