Freshman Beanies
Popular in the first half of the 20th century, freshman beanies signaled newbies on campus. While the beanies might have elicited a little razzing, they also fostered pride and assistance from upperclassmen.
25 for 125
Objects past and present illustrate TXST's history and culture
Texas Wild Rice
An endangered species, this aquatic perennial grass grows only in the upper two miles of the San Marcos River. The San Marcos Springs are crucial for Texas wild rice, which relies on the high level of carbon dioxide in spring water.
Lonesome Dove Clapperboard
Located on the seventh floor of Alkek Library, The Wittliff Collection’s Lonesome Dove permanent exhibition displays costumes, props, scripts, photos, and other materials from the production archives of the beloved Western.
Higher Education Act Signature Desk
LBJ returned to his alma mater on November 8, 1965, to sign the Higher Education Act, a landmark law expanding access to higher education with new financial aid programs. You can see the desk used for the signature ceremony at the LBJ Museum in San Marcos.
Class Rings
Class rings have been a tradition since TXST’s earliest days, as evidenced by this 1918 CLASS RING that’s part of Alkek Library’s Special Collections and Archives. These days, TXST’s Ring Celebration invites graduates to plunge their rings into a fountain of San Marcos River water, connecting them with the spirit of the river.
Spanish Colonial Tile Work
The colorful tiles found in Taylor-Murphy, Commons, Beretta, Flowers, and Centennial halls date to a 1940s effort to renovate campus buildings in a Spanish Colonial style. The ceramic and pressed-concrete tiles feature “Hispano Moresque” designs evocative of the Southwest.
Challenge Coin
President Kelly Damphousse introduced the commencement tradition of handing out challenge coins to graduates in 2023. “Challenge coins are not only a token of achievement,” he says, “they’re a reminder that you are a part of something greater than yourself."
Bobcat Plane
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a Bobcat! Starting in Fall 2024, TXST offers a bachelor of applied arts and science with a concentration in aviation science—including a chance to fly the fixed-wing single engine Bobcat-decorated Cessna.
Manske Roll
A local favorite since the 1940s, the decadent Manske Roll at Gil’s Broiler in downtown San Marcos has fueled many a study night over the decades. Rumor has it LBJ had the gooey cinnamon rolls shipped to the White House during his presidency.
Original Strutters Uniform
The Strutters first took the field in 1960, entertaining halftime audiences at Bobcat football games with their elaborate choreography. The Strutters have performed in 26 countries, two presidential inauguration parades, and for numerous pro sporting events.
At the 2018 Homecoming game, the TXST Strutters wore re-creations of their original uniforms. This game marked TXST’s first SWT throwback football game, starting an annual tradition.
Old Main Spire
With its Victorian Gothic architecture, the 1903 Old Main building is known for its many eye-catching accents. Among the most visible are the roof spires. A 1993–94 restoration project returned the roof to its original style.
Spring Lake Projectile Point
At the Meadows Center, a display of projectile points represents the continual habitation of the San Marcos Springs through Indigenous people’s darts and arrows. The Clovis points are the oldest, dating to the Paleoindian period some 13,000 years ago.
School of Nusing Labyrinth
School of Nursing administrators incorporated this brick labyrinth into the school’s entry plaza on the Round Rock Campus to promote mental health through the design’s calming aesthetic.
Soap Box Derby Car
Imagine careening downhill in a small wooden car with a crowd cheering you on and a stack of haybales up ahead (just in case). The Soap Box Derby has been one of TXST’s most exciting Homecoming traditions since 1967.
Aquarena Springs Souvenir Stein
During its heyday as Texas’ largest tourist attraction, Aquarena Springs featured underwater performances with mermaids and Ralph the swimming pig. The amusement park closed in 1996, and the lake is now home to the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Katherine Anne Porter House
The late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Katherine Anne Porter grew up in Kyle before leaving Texas for a globe-trotting career that produced multiple heralded works. Her restored 1880 childhood home is now TXST’s Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center.
La Relación
Behold one of the world’s rarest books—a 1555 edition of La Relación—at The Wittliff Collections. Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca wrote this account of his incredible journey across Texas that started with a shipwreck at Galveston in 1528.
Guitarrón
The School of Music boasts a proud tradition of mariachi performance and educating mariachi music teachers. Catch a show by student ensembles Mariachi Lince de Oro or Mariachi Nueva Generación to see a Bobcat playing a traditional acoustic bass guitar known as a guitarrón.
Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Part of the College of Science and Engineering, the high-vacuum Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) multi-chamber cluster is a cutting-edge tool used to grow crystalline thin films that are employed in making semiconductors.
Campus Rec Paddleboard
Standup paddleboarding is a great way to experience the San Marcos River. With paddleboards—and tubes, canoes, kayaks, and snorkel sets—available for rent from the Outdoor Center at Sewell Park, there’s no excuse for just lounging on the shore.
1982 Bobcat Helmet
“Pack the Wack!” The playing field at UFCU Stadium is named for Jim Wacker, coach of the Bobcats from 1979 to 1982. Wacker compiled a 42–8 record and led the Bobcats to back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 1981 and ’82.
Ceremonial Mace
Made of cherrywood with gold-plated brass accents, the current TXST Ceremonial Mace (left) symbolizes the nobility of education in commencement ceremonies with its engravings of “auctoritas,” “gravitas,” “humanitas,” and “veritas.”
Buck Winn’s Flowers Hall bas-relief
Artist Buck Winn used over 22 tons of concrete to create the four-story bas-relief sculpture adorning Flowers Hall. Also featuring glass and mosaic brick, the 1958 work depicts students in pursuit of theater, music, art, and science.
University Camp
Located on the Blanco River in Wimberley, University Camp offers an escape for swimming, hiking, camping, lodging, and basking in the Hill Country sun. The 126-acre property is open to TXST students, alums, faculty, staff, and retirees by reservation.
Freeman Ranch
Golden-cheeked warblers have been Hill Country residents since long before TXST took over the Freeman Center, a 3,500-acre ranch where the endangered songbirds nest.
Located about six miles northwest of campus, the ranch has hosted education, research, and habitat conservation activities since 1985.
