Two Days of Graduations at NMSU Launch the Latest Cadre of Aggies into the World

You have just graduated from the oldest public institution of higher education in the state of New Mexico–and the most storied.

Source: New Mexico State University
Photos Courtesy NMSU

Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony Program

Soon, many NMSU graduates will be flying off to meet their futures much like Charlotte’s silk-chuted progeny in E. B. White’s classic book. As celebrations erupt over the far reaches of our broader community, Las Cruces Digest would like to take a moment to remind these recent graduates from whence they came. Below, please find some interesting facts about NMSU.

NMSU Notable Institutional Achievements

NMSU was first in New Mexico to offer students an Honors College.
NMSU is the only university in the state with a PGA Golf Management program.
NMSU is home to New Mexico’s NASA Space Grant Program.
NMSU basketball has more NCAA Tournament appearances than any other university in the state.
NMSU has conducted agricultural research since 1906.
Chile peppers developed by NMSU have been grown in space.
NMSU was one of the first universities to have an officially licensed beer, wine, whisky and seltzer.
NMSU is home to one of the largest annual luminaria displays in the Southwest.
NMSU has one of the few full-time planetary observatories in the United States.
The astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto, taught at the university from 1961 to 1973.
NMSU has a higher percentage of Hispanic students than any other research university in New Mexico (or Arizona).
While main campus sits on 900 acres, the NMSU system is one of the world’s largest college campuses, with an area of about 6,250 acres.

^{New Mexico State University held the Spring 2022 Commencement Friday and Saturday. May 6, May 7, 2022.(NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)}

NMSU Identity

Founded	1888	by Hiram Hadley as the Las Cruces College, and the following year became New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and designated as a Land Grant college.
Opened	September 17, 1888	Included an elementary school, a university preparatory school, and a business school until it merged with New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, and opened on January 21, 1890. In February 1891, McFie Hall, popularly known as Old Main, opened its doors as the first campus building.
Identity	Public land-grant research university	NMSU is the oldest public institution of higher education in the state of New Mexico. The designation as New Mexico’s land-grant university under the Morrill Act has shaped NMSU since the late 1880s. NMSU has been dedicated to New Mexico’s diverse population for more than a century, transforming lives through three main pursuits: teaching, research and public service.

Degrees Awarded in 2021-2022 Academic Year

Degree Awarded	Number of Degrees
Bachelor’s	2,444
Graduate Certificate	47
Master’s	735
Education Specialist	6
Doctorate	127
Total University	3,361

NMSU graduates are not alone in the world. In fact, Aggies are spread across the globe. The rarity of finding Aggies “out in the wild” has more to do with the enormity of the world than with NMSU’s prolific production of graduates.

NMSU Notable Individual Achievements

It is common to hear recent graduates rest on the laurels of their “Mother” institution. Surprisingly, most recent NMSU graduates are satisfied with the quality of their education to such an extent that they overlook the prominent people associated with NMSU. Here is a small sampling of the list of notable Aggies in who’s footsteps they will be following.

Alan Hale – astronomer famous for discovering the Hale-Bopp Comet
Bill Inmon – computer scientist, recognized as the father of the data warehouse
Paul W. Klipsch – audio pioneer; founder of Klipsch and Associates; namesake of the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NMSU^[7]
Jaron Lanier – writer, computer scientist, composer, and virtual reality pioneer^[8]
Mark W. Spong – roboticist; Dean of Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas
Sarah Stewart – research scientist, pioneer in the field of viral oncology, co-discovered the first polyomavirus^[10]
Kevin Johnson – CEO of Starbucks Corporation
Dave Lopez – telecommunications executive
Rich Beem – professional golfer with a three PGA Tour wins including 2002 PGA Championship
Lou Henson – former coach of New Mexico State and University of Illinois men’s basketball
Charley Johnson – NFL quarterback, played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos ; full professor of Chemical Engineering at NMSU; member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Honor
Pascal Siakam – NBA forward, NBA championship in 2019 with Toronto Raptors
Fredd Young – NFL linebacker; played for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts; four-time Pro Bowler (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987); two-time All-Pro (1984, 1987); member of the Seattle Seahawks 35th anniversary team
Alvy Ray Smith – co-founder of Pixar
Jorge A. Rojas – general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)

Congratulations, recent graduates! Welcome to the wider world of Aggiedom!

Article posted by:

Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.