Texas A&M's hospitality department, started in 1966 as a recreation program, marks 60 years

Texas A&M University's hospitality department is marking its 60th year, Texas A&M AgriLife, the communications office for the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said in an article published Wednesday.

The department dates to 1966. That year Leslie Reid left Michigan State University and, at the request of Gen. James Earl Rudder, set up an academic program in recreation at Texas A&M. For decades it went by the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, and AgriLife said it gained international notice for research on resource management and tourism.

In 2023 the department changed its name to Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism. Two years later it was named for Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, a 1980 Texas A&M graduate and the founder of Buc-ee's. Its formal title is now the Arch H. Aplin III '80 Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism.

"Hospitality is fundamentally about people, places and experiences," said Brian King, who heads the department.

The program now

AgriLife reported that the department has more than 500 undergraduates and six degree programs. Students in the bachelor's program choose from three tracks: business hospitality, which adds courses from Mays Business School; event, tourism and recreation management; and hotel and resort management. The article cited a College Factual ranking that places the undergraduate hospitality management program in the national top five.

Longtime faculty member John Crompton, a University Distinguished Professor, recalled how little existed when he arrived in College Station. "When I arrived at Texas A&M, there were four books in the library on tourism, and two of them were written by Gunn," he said, referring to Clare Gunn, whom AgriLife credits with pioneering tourism study at Texas A&M.

Hunter Goodwin, a 1996 graduate and former Aggie tight end and a co-founder of Oldham Goodwin Group, helped shape the plan behind the 2023 change and works with the department on industry partnerships, according to the article. "We have lots of jobs; we need people," Goodwin said.

The anniversary article did not list a public celebration, event date or open house.

Sources

agrilifetoday.tamu.edu