Explore HBCU – Alabama A&M University

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Alabama.

Background

Established by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in 1875, the school opened as the Huntsville State Normal School for Negroes under William Hooper Council— a former enslaved person and the school’s first principal and president. Industrial education was introduced around 1878, attracting wide attention, an increase in appropriation funds by the state, and the name change to State Normal and Industrial School at Huntsville.

By 1891, the school became the recipient of the Federal Land-Grant Fund, the purpose of which was to further training in agricultural and mechanical arts in the various states at the college level. Shortly after, in 1896 the school name once again changed, this time to The State Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes, then again to The State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute for Negroes in 1919 after the school became a junior college.

The college became permitted to offer work on the senior college level in 1939, and the first graduating class received their bachelor’s degrees two years after. In 1948, the name changed to Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College, changing again and for the last time to what we now know as Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1969. 

Alabama A&M University has been a fully accredited member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools since 1946, and today boasts a wide variety of accolades and accomplishments.

Programs & Opportunities

Alabama A&M University seeks to offer the unique experience of a university that balances the personalized attention of a small land-grant college with the academic offerings and opportunities of a larger research institution. 

AAMU offers both undergraduate and graduate program coursework, ringing in a total of more than 150 specialized degree pathways, an honors program intended to provide an especially intellectually challenging learning environment for students who choose so, and distance education & extended studies opportunities. The school sports a Division I NCAA classification and over 40 student organizations on campus.

The school offers a variety of contemporary bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialities, and doctoral level degrees. Learn more about Alabama A&M’s vast degree programming here.

Alumni Affairs

Alabama A&M is a student and community-focused institution of higher learning. Part of its mission is to prepare students for careers spanning the arts, sciences, business, engineering, education, agriculture, and technology. As such, alumni are often engaged and meaningful contributors to their environments.

Some notable alumni include, but are not limited to:

• Dr. Hadiya-Nicole Green, a medical physicist who is well-known for her role in the development of a laser-activated nanoparticle methodology as a potential form of cancer treatment. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physics with a concentration in Optics and a minor in Mathematics from Alabama A&M. 
• Mandela Barnes, a politician who has served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Media.
• Clyde Foster, a scientist and mathematician who worked for NASA and was the head of Equal Employment Opportunity at Marshall Space Flight Center, received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry at Alabama A&M.

Financial Information

Alabama A&M University’s tuition has been listed as $10,024 for in-state residents, and $18,634 for out-of-state students. As a land-grant institution committed to the idea of affordable education, Alabama A&M makes it a goal to help students effectively understand the process of gaining financial assistance, completing payment, and ways in which to finance education. 

Reportedly 90% of the student population receive financial aid assistance, of which can come in the various forms of grants, scholarships, loans, work-study, and much more.

Conclusion

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University is an institution steeped in its heritage as a historically black land-grant college and university. It bolsters the work of teaching, research, and public service. 

The university is dedicated to producing the leaders and critical thinkers of the future, helping them excel through scholarship and their contributions to society. Learn more about Alabama A&M University here.

Sources: 

• https://www.findmyhbcu.org/school/alabama-am-university/
• https://www.aamu.edu/about/our-history/
• https://www.aamu.edu/academics/
• https://www.aamu.edu/campus-life/student-activities/student-organizations/
• Hadiyah: https://www.msm.edu/_testing/faculty_dev/department_a/profile_a/profile_a-2.php
• Mandela: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/12/lt-gov-mandela-barnes-reveals-he-received-college-diploma-2020/7935758002/
• Clyde: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/clyde-foster-1931-2017/
• https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/alabama-am-university-1002/paying
• https://www.aamu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/
• https://www.niche.com/colleges/alabama-a-and-m-university/scholarships-financial-aid/
• https://www.aamu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/types-of-aid/index.html

Pictures:

• Alabama A&M Logo: https://aamusports.com/
• Alabama A&M Entryway: https://www.aamu.edu/about/
• Alabama A&M Honors Program: https://www.aamu.edu/about/inside-aamu/news/tmcf-hennessy-fellow.html
• Alabama A&M Commencement: https://www.al.com/breaking/2010/05/alabama_am_commencement_speake.html