On March 11, 1878 eight young Black men enrolled at the Alta Vista Agricultural College – the first public college for Black students in Texas, located in Waller County.
After paying $15,000 for 1,388 sprawling acres to house their college, the Board of Directors set tuition at $130 for nine months of instruction, room and board, plus one school uniform.
Today, following eight different iterations of its moniker, residents of Austin are more familiar with Prairie View A&M University – affectionately called “The Hill,” and deeply rooted in culture and tradition, the university is home to a diverse student body of 9,000.