Sam Houston State University

{{Short description|Public university in Huntsville, Texas, US}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox university | name = Sam Houston State University | image = SHSU seal.svg | image_upright = 0.6 | motto = "The measure of a Life is its Service" | established = {{start date and age|April 21, 1879}} | type = Public research university | accreditation = SACS | endowment = $191 million (FY2024) (SHSU only)<ref name=SHSUEndowment>As of August 31, 2024. {{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/reported-data/227881?year=2024&surveyNumber=6 |title=IPEDS - Sam Houston State University |date=January 6, 2026 |website=National Center for Education Statistics |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=January 6, 2026 }}</ref> $1.41 billion (FY2024) (system-wide)<ref name=NACUBO>As of June 30, 2024. {{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student |date=February 12, 2025 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 12, 2025 |format=XLSX |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212074654/https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |archive-date=February 12, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> | budget = $516 million (FY2026)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://docs.gato.txst.edu/766088/2026%20Consolidated%20Operating%20Budget.pdf |title=Operating Budget Fiscal Year 2026 |date=July 16, 2025 |website=Texas State University System |page=31 |access-date=January 7, 2026 }}</ref> | president = Alisa White | provost = Sumanth Yenduri | city = Huntsville, Texas | country = United States | coor = {{Coord|30|42|50|N|95|32|50|W|region:US-TX_type:edu|display=inline,title}} | students = 21,679<ref>{{cite web |title=Sam Houston State University sees slight drop in enrollment |url=https://www.itemonline.com/news/local_news/sam-houston-state-university-sees-slight-drop-in-enrollment/article_c10cb372-7ea0-5eaf-936c-12d4cdc92fa0.html |publisher=The Huntsville Item |access-date=September 27, 2021 |date=September 20, 2021}}</ref> | faculty = 598 | campus = Distant Town | campus_size = {{convert|272|acre}} | former_names = Sam Houston Normal Institute (1879–1923) Sam Houston State Teachers College (1923–1965) Sam Houston State College (1965–1969) | sporting_affiliations = NCAA Division I FBS – CUSA | nickname = Bearkats | mascot = Sammy Bearkat | colors = Orange & White<ref>{{cite web|title=Sam Houston State University Color Palette|url=https://www.shsu.edu/dept/marketing/colors|work=Sam Houston State University Brand Guide|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref> {{college color boxes|Sam Houston State Bearkats}} | parent = Texas State University System | website = {{URL|https://www.shsu.edu/|shsu.edu}} | logo = Sam Houston State University logo.svg | logo_size = 200 | free_label2 = Newspaper | free2 = ''The Houstonian'' }}

'''Sam Houston State University''' ('''Sam Houston''', '''SHSU''' or '''Sam''') is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and the first in Texas. The school is named for statesman Sam Houston, who made his home in the city and is buried there.

SHSU is a member of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students across over 80 undergraduate, 59 master's, and 10 doctoral degree programs. It also offers more than 20 online bachelor's and graduate degrees. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=227881 |title=Carnegie Classifications <nowiki>|</nowiki> Institution Lookup |date=2023 |accessdate=March 27, 2023 |publisher=American Council on Education}}</ref>

==History==

===19th and 20th centuries=== The Sam Houston State University campus was originally home to Austin College, the Presbyterian institution that relocated to Sherman, Texas, in 1876. Austin Hall was constructed in 1851 and is the oldest university building west of the Mississippi still in operation. It was renovated in 2012 and is used today for special meetings and events. Notably, Sam Houston himself attended and participated in the original dedication of the building.<ref name="Austin Hall">[http://www.shsu.edu/map/building/austin-his.html Austin Hall]. SHSU Campus Map. Retrieved 2012-02-09.</ref>

Created by legislation signed by Governor Oran M. Roberts on San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute's dedicated goal was to train teachers for the public schools of Texas. It was the first teacher-training school in the southwestern United States. On October 10 of the same year, the first class of 110 students and four faculty commenced instruction. The first president of the school, Bernard Mallon, died eleven days after the institute opened.<ref name="SHSU: A Brief History">[http://www.shsu.edu/~pin_www/history.html SHSU]. SHSU History. Retrieved 2012-02-09.</ref>

The one-room Peabody Memorial Library was the first free-standing campus library in Texas; it was constructed in 1901 with funds provided by the George Peabody Foundation. According to the Normal Institute's catalog, the library was "a very handsome structure, and specially designed for the purpose for which it is to be used. It is said that no school of this kind in the South has a Building equal to it."<ref name="Peabody Memorial Library">[http://www.shsu.edu/map/building/3.html Peabody Memorial Library]. SHSU Campus Map. Retrieved 2012-02-09.</ref> Fully restored, it is now used as a venue for special university events.<ref>{{Cite web|author= |title=Peabody Memorial Library|url=https://www.buildingshsu.com/p/peabody_memorial_library/index.html |website=Building SHSU |access-date= 2026-02-26}}</ref>

When the university first opened, students received a certification to teach in the state's elementary and secondary schools. After 1919, the university began to award bachelor's degrees. In 1936, the school awarded its first postbaccalaureate degree.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

thumb|Steps to the Old Main, with a view of Austin Hall

===21st century=== On May 30, 2012, SHSU-The Woodlands Center opened on the Lone Star College-Montgomery campus. The facility includes {{convert|144164|ft2}} and has a five-story parking garage. The university also operates SHSU-University Park on the property of Lone Star College-University Park in unincorporated Harris County near Tomball.<ref>"SHSU To Showcase New Campus With Open House". Sam Houston State University. March 29, 2011. Retrieved on September 18, 2011-09-18 from http://www.shsu.edu/~pin_www/T@S/2011/nwhcampus.html.</ref>

===Name changes=== Throughout its history, Sam has undergone several name changes:{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

* 1879 (April 21): founded as Sam Houston Normal Institute * 1923: Sam Houston State Teachers College<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsus.edu/about-tsus/history.html |title=Carnegie Classifications <nowiki>|</nowiki> History |date=2024 |accessdate=Jul 22, 2022 |publisher=Texas State University System}}</ref> * 1965: Sam Houston State College<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shsu.edu/about/thennow/1960s.html |title=Carnegie Classifications <nowiki>|</nowiki> Then and Now- 1960s |date=2022 |accessdate=Jul 22, 2022 |publisher=Sam Houston State University}}</ref> * 1969: Sam Houston State University<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tsus.edu/about-tsus/history.html |title=Carnegie Classifications <nowiki>|</nowiki> History |date=2024 |accessdate=Jul 22, 2022 |publisher=Texas State University System}}</ref>

In April 2007, Texas House Bill 1418 passed without objection in the Texas Legislature, preventing The Texas State University System's Board of Regents from changing the university's name to Texas State – Huntsville.<ref>"Kolkhorst bill would protect SHSU name". The Huntsville Item. February 21, 2007. Retrieved on April 18, 2023 from https://www.itemonline.com/news/local_news/kolkhorst-bill-would-protect-shsu-name/article_71da30b4-d46f-5aa8-989b-71da5eea9794.html.</ref>

Contrary to a popular joke—repeated by alumnus Dan Rather in his 1978 autobiography, ''The Camera Never Blinks''—the school was never known as "Sam Houston Institute of Teaching" or "Sam Houston Institute of Technology." This joke was expanded in 2006 into an entire feature film, ''Accepted'', which takes place on the campus of the fictional South Harmon Institute of Technology.

==Main campus== thumb|150px|Welcome sign. The oak-studded rural main campus sits on {{convert|316|acre|abbr=off|lk=on}} in central Huntsville. Two large agricultural complexes feature a {{convert|1600|acre|adj=on}} teaching and research farm and a rodeo arena. The campus also has a planetarium, an observatory, a body farm, and an 18-hole golf course, The Bearkat Course. The mall area of the main campus includes Blatchley Bell Tower and Clock and a fountain.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

The campus stood in for the fictional Austin University in the motion picture ''The Life of David Gale''.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

==Academics== {{Infobox US university ranking | Forbes_NU = 421 | USNWR_NU = 231 (tie) | Wamo_NU = 89 | WSJ_NU = 219 | ARWU_W = | QS_W = | THE_W = | USNWR_W = 2,022 (tie) }} {| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: Sam Houston State University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?227881-Sam-Houston-State-University|website=College Scorecard |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=June 30, 2025 }}</ref> |- ! Race and ethnicity ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | White |align=right| {{bartable|46|%|2||background:cyan}} |- | Hispanic |align=right| {{bartable|28|%|2||background:green}} |- | Black |align=right| {{bartable|17|%|2||background:purple}} |- | Two or more races |align=right| {{bartable|3|%|2||background:violet}} |- | Asian |align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:orange}} |- | American Indian/Alaska Native |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:yellow}} |- | International student |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:#008080}} |- | Unknown |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:grey}} |- ! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity |- | Low-income{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.}} |align=right| {{bartable|40|%|2||background:red}} |- | Affluent{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.}} |align=right| {{bartable|60|%|2||background:black}} |} Sam Houston State's academic departments and programs are organized into nine colleges:{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

* College of Business Administration<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/business-administration/ |title=College of Business - Sam Houston State University |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Criminal Justice<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cjcenter.org |title=Home |publisher=Cjcenter.org |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Education<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/education/index.html |title=College of Education - Sam Houston State University - Huntsville, TX |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Arts and Media<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/fine-arts-and-mass-communication/ |title=College of Fine Arts & Mass Communication - Sam Houston State University |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Humanities and Social Sciences<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/humanities-and-social-sciences/ |title=College of Humanities and Social Sciences - Sam Houston State University |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Science & Engineering Technology<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/colleges.html|access-date=2016-04-02|title= Colleges - Sam Houston State University}}</ref> * College of Health Sciences<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/health-sciences/ |title=College of Health Sciences - Sam Houston State University - Texas |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> * College of Osteopathic Medicine<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/colleges.html|title=Colleges - Sam Houston State University|website=Sam Houston State University|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> * Polytechnic College<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/colleges.html|title=Colleges - Sam Houston State University|website=Sam Houston State University|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

Additionally, the university enrolls more than 350 high-achieving undergraduate students in the selective Elliott T. Bowers Honors College.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}}

Programs within the College of Criminal Justice were recently ranked by the ''Journal of Criminal Justice'' in the top five nationally. The theater and dance programs were ranked by ''Dance Spectrum Magazine'' in the top 25 nationally, and according to the National Dance Association, SHSU is home to a quality athletic dance team.<ref name="About SHSU">[http://www.shsu.edu/about/ About SHSU]. About SHSU. Retrieved 2012-02-09.</ref> The university offers the only Professional Golf Management program in Texas, one of 17 in the country affiliated with the Professional Golfers' Association of America.<ref>"Participating Universities". Professional Golfers' Association of America. Retrieved on April 18, 2023 from https://www.pga.org/membership/university-program/participating-universities.</ref> SHSU also has one of the oldest speech and debate programs in the nation.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

As of May 2016, the university offers:{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

*Eighty-eight undergraduate degree programs *Fifty-nine master's programs *Eight doctoral programs (Clinical Psychology, Counselor Education, Criminal Justice, Developmental Education Administration, Educational Leadership, Forensic Science, Instructional Systems Design & Technology, and Literacy) *Twenty-one certificates<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/academics/degrees.html|title=Degrees Offered|publisher=Sam Houston State University|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref>

===College of Criminal Justice=== SHSU's College of Criminal Justice is the largest and one of the oldest criminal justice programs in the nation. Huntsville has long been associated with criminal justice, being the co-headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the home of several prisons, including the Texas State Penitentiary, nicknamed the "Walls Unit" which houses the state's execution chamber, located about two blocks north of the campus.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In 1970, the college became one of the first programs in the U.S. to offer a Ph.D. in criminal justice, and it was the first institution in the State of Texas to offer the Master of Science in Forensic Science. SHSU's Ph.D. in Clinical Science with a Forensic emphasis is one of seven such accredited programs in the U.S. The college faculty were recently recognized as the 4th most productive nationally in their field in terms of research, and their areas of expertise range from serial murder, hate crime, and terrorism to policing, law, corrections, and security.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

The College of Criminal Justice includes the headquarters of the Texas Forensic Science Commission.<ref>"[http://www.fsc.state.tx.us/contact.html Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514171607/http://www.fsc.state.tx.us/contact.html |date=2011-05-14 }}." Texas Forensic Science Commission. Retrieved on July 23, 2010.</ref> It also houses the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, which specializes in training for local, state, and federal law enforcement officers in the area of management and supervision. The college also houses a working courtroom where students can observe and analyze real trials.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

===Texas Studies=== The university has been commended as of late for offering courses that encourage the study of the lore, the lure, and the history of the Lone Star State.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Colleges-going-deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas-3005748.php#photo-2271403|title = Texas Studies|publisher = Houston Chronicle |access-date = 2012-01-24}}</ref> In 2012, digital archivists at the university library worked with officials at a local veterans museum to launch the Texas Military Veterans Oral History collection.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

== Athletics == {{Main|Sam Houston Bearkats}} Sam Houston State's colors are bright orange and white<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shsu.edu/dept/student-activities/documents/16064_2018_-2020_Student_Guidelines_WEB.pdf|title=Student Guidelines|website=shsu.edu|access-date=2019-04-18}}</ref> and their nickname is the Bearkats. Sam Houston sports teams participate in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of Conference USA. The Sam Houston Bearkats won the 2020 NCAA Division I (FCS) Football Championship over South Dakota State by a score of 23–21 and finished with a perfect 10–0 season record. The victory was the first Bearkat football national championship since the team won a share of the 1964 NAIA Championship. The 2020 season marked Sam Houston's third trip to the championship game in ten seasons.

SHSU's athletic teams have been nicknamed "The Bearkats" since 1923 when the university's name was changed by the Texas State Legislature from Sam Houston Normal Institute to Sam Houston State Teachers College. Before 1923, the varsity sports teams were nicknamed "The Normals".{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

It is doubtful those who coined the "Bearkat" nickname had a particular animal in mind. More likely, the name came from a popular local saying of the time, "tough as a Bearkat!" The late Reed Lindsey, who was a student/athlete in the 1920s and later retired as University registrar, once said that "it was a good fighting name of the time." Since the animal in the saying was thought more mythical than real, the spelling settled upon was "Bearkat." However, there are some arguments that the Sam Houston Bearkat is modeled after either a Binturong or a Kinkajou.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shsu.edu/~pin_www/T@S/2004/BearkatFacts1004.html|title=(Archived) Truth Be Told--A Bearkat is NOT a Kinkajou OR a Binturong|website=www.shsu.edu|access-date=2016-08-06}}</ref>

In the late 1940s, then SHSU president Harmon Lowman attempted to change the SHSU mascot from Bearkats to "Ravens" (after General Sam Houston's Cherokee nickname). Mrs. Vernon Schuder reported that the alumni were polled and she voted for the Raven but that "all those old Bearkats beat us out!"{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

A Sammy Bearkat mascot character began appearing at SHSU sports events in 1959, with the addition of a Samantha character in 1986. Samantha retired in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Building of Sam Houston State University |url=https://www.buildingshsu.com/b/bearkat_samantha.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=www.buildingshsu.com}}</ref>

===Rivalries=== SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other. SHSU and SFA are separated by 90 miles and both schools are located in the Piney Woods. The annual football game between SHSU and SFA named the Battle of the Piney Woods, dates back to 1923. Since 2010, the series has been played at NRG Stadium in Houston. The game was not scheduled for the 2023–24 season after conference changes were announced. SHSU holds a 60-34-2 lead in the series and has won the last 11 meetings.

SHSU is also rivals with Texas State University (formerly SWT). SHSU and TXST have met 92 times, with the Bobcats leading the series 50-37-5. The game was played every year from 1946-2011. SHSU and TXST are members of the TSUS. Both schools formerly competed in the Southland Conference. The schools are scheduled to meet at NRG Stadium in 2024.

===Mascot=== {{Main|Sammy Bearkat}}

Sam Houston's Bearkat is represented by Sammy Bearkat, a costumed mascot, who has entertained and led crowds in cheers during sporting events since 1959.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

===Club sports=== Club sports are very popular at SHSU. Some available to students include powerlifting, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, martial arts, trap and skeet, inline hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and baseball. In 2013, the Sam Houston quidditch team won the IQA World Cup VI Division II Championship.

The Spirit Programs, cheer, dance, and mascots, of Sam Houston hold the most National titles out of all of the sports and recreational activities at Sam Houston.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

==Campus media== The SHSU Dept. of Mass Communication operates KSHU, a student-run radio (90.5 FM) and television (cable channel 7) station, broadcasting news, sports, and entertainment programming for the campus and community. "The Houstonian" is the student-published twice-weekly campus newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonianonline.com|title=The Houstonian - Independent Student Newspaper of SHSU|website=The Houstonian|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> Broadcast studios and offices for all three media are located within the Dan Rather Communication Building.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

The ''Alcalde'' was the university's annual yearbook, published from 1910 to 1998 and 2003 to 2006; it was named in honor of Texas Governor Oran Roberts, whose nickname was "The Old Alcalde".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.buildingshsu.com/alcalde/|title = Alcalde|publisher = The Buildings of Sam Houston State University|access-date = 2006-05-24|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070926223044/http://www.buildingshsu.com/alcalde/|archive-date = 2007-09-26}}</ref>

==Affiliated institutions== The university operates a charter school network: the administrative offices are on the university grounds in Huntsville, but all of the charter schools are in Greater Houston.<ref name=SUSHCharter>{{cite web|url=https://www.shsu.edu/charter-school/|title=SHSU Charter School|publisher=Sam Houston State University|accessdate=2022-09-22}}</ref> The network began in 2017 as laboratory schools. The university chose to use space in daycare facilities to host its charter campuses.<ref>{{cite web|last=Santana|first=Tamra|url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/champions-klein/news/article/Sam-Houston-State-opens-elementary-charter-11189020.php|title=Sam Houston State opens elementary charter schools in Spring, Klein|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|date=2017-06-01|accessdate=2022-09-22}}</ref> * Brighton Academy (K–6) * Cypress Trails (K–5) * Greengate Academy (K–5) * Spring Woods (K–2) – located at Spring Woods United Methodist Church

==Notable alumni== {{Excessive examples|section|date=August 2025}} * Dana Andrews, actor * Michael Bankston, professional football player * Fred Beene, professional baseball player * Ray Benge professional baseball player * Rhett Bomar, professional football player * Ken Boswell, professional baseball player * Jeremiah Briscoe, professional football player * Morgan Chesky, journalist * Katie Rose Clarke, actress * Priscilla Coleman, artist * Jerry Coker, jazz educator *Davion Davis, professional football player * Keith Davis, professional football player * Mary DeChambres, film and television picture editor * Tim Denton, professional football player * Lachlan Edwards, professional football player * Ashley Etienne<ref>{{cite web |title=Ashley Etienne Stephens '00 |url=https://www.shsu.edu/dept/office-of-alumni-relations/awards/distinguished/people/stephens.html |website=Sam Houston State University |access-date=29 November 2020}}</ref> * John Ferling author, historian, professor * Raquel Rodriguez, professional wrestler * P. J. Hall, professional football player * Keith Heinrich, professional football player * Phil Hennigan, professional baseball player * Abby Johnson, activist * Bryce Johnson, professional baseball player * Matt Langwell, professional baseball player * Richard Linklater, movie director * Dustin Long, professional football player * Marcus Luttrell, U.S. Navy Seal * Morgan Luttrell, United States Congressman * Rick Matula, professional baseball player * Josh McCown, professional football player * Joel McDonald, voice actor * Ryan O'Hearn professional baseball player * Dan Rather, journalist * Ralph Ruthstrom, professional football player * Shea Serrano, author * Allen Shamblin, country music songwriter * Thaksin Shinawatra, former Thai prime minister * Caleb Smith, professional baseball player * Monty Sopp, better known as Billy Gunn, professional wrestler * Steve Sparks, professional baseball player and broadcaster * Jordan Tata, professional baseball player * Ryan Tepera professional baseball player * Don Welchel, professional baseball player * Phillip Wellman, professional baseball coach * Hayden Wesneski, professional baseball player * Charlie Wilson, U.S. politician * Dusty Wolfe, professional wrestler and history teacher<ref name="journey">{{cite book|last=Wolfe|first=Dusty|title=The Wrestling Journeyman: Life and Times of an Indy Wrestler|date=February 7, 2016|isbn=978-1523915149}}</ref> * William Garrett Wright, poet * Cody Johnson, country music singer <ref>{{cite web | title=Cody Johnson Biography, Wiki, Height, Age, Net Worth – Biography Park | date=24 May 2023 | url=https://www.biographypark.org/cody-johnson-biography-wiki-height-age-net-worth/ }}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal bar|Texas|Schools|Education}} * Steamboat House

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}} * [https://gobearkats.com/ Athletics website]

{{Sam Houston State University}} {{Sam Houston}} {{Navboxes | titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Sam Houston State Bearkats|color=black}} | list1 = {{Huntsville, Texas}} {{Texas State University System}} {{Conference USA navbox}} {{Public universities in Texas}} }} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Sam}} Category:Sam Houston State University Category:Universities and colleges established in 1879 Category:Huntsville, Texas Category:Education in Walker County, Texas Category:Buildings and structures in Walker County, Texas Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Category:Sam Houston Sam Houston State University Category:1879 establishments in Texas