East Texas A&M began in 1889 as a one-man private teachers' college run by Kentucky educator William L. Mayo in the town of Cooper. When fire destroyed that school in 1894, Mayo moved it 16 miles to the railroad town of Commerce, and the state bought it in 1917, the same day he died. Under a string of names, from East Texas State to Texas A&M-Commerce, it grew into a regional university. This walk visits the college's state marker, its oldest tradition, a statue of its most famous graduate, a World War II memorial stadium, the old presidents' home, and the founder's grave.
East Texas A&M grew out of one teacher's persistence. Kentucky educator William L. Mayo launched a private normal college in the town of Cooper in 1889, and when fire destroyed it in 1894 he started over in Commerce, a railroad town 16 miles away. The school has carried several names since, but its founding story is never far from view.
The Victory Bell is a good example. Mayo brought it to Commerce in 1895 to summon students to class; from the early 1930s it rang once for every Lions point on game days, and since 2024 the university has rung it again after wins. Heritage House, built in the late 1920s as the presidents' residence and now on the National Register, has a bronze of Mayo by alumnus Gordon R. Thomas out front, and the founder himself is buried on campus. He died on March 14, 1917, the very day the legislature voted to buy his college for the state; campus lore says he picked a resting place within sight of his office window, and a memorial service is still held there each Homecoming.
Sam Rayburn, the college's best-known early graduate, who went on to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House longer than anyone before him, is honored with a statue at the student center that bears his name.
It's an easygoing outing full of small-college loyalty and stories worth hearing.
It is a self-guided walking tour: 6 stops, about 1.6 miles, ~1 hour. Go at your own pace; the app keeps your place.
Where does it start?
In Commerce, Texas. The exact starting point, the full stop list and turn-by-turn directions are in the TexasRoam app.
How do I take this tour?
Download TexasRoam for iPhone or iPad from the App Store. The tour is included with TexasRoam+. It is not available on the web map.
When is the best time to go?
Walk it in daylight; the grounds, markers and statues are outdoors and can be seen any day, and Homecoming weekend adds the annual memorial service at Mayo's grave.
Take the “East Texas A&M Campus Tour”
Texas Roam guides you turn by turn through Commerce with maps, audio narration and check-ins as you go — plus all 6 stops on this tour and every guided tour, hiking trail and historical marker across Texas. Get it on the App Store.
Guided tours & hiking trails are available only in the TexasRoam app for iPhone & iPad — not on the web map. Free to download; unlock with TexasRoam+.
