Texas A&M “Campos”

Upon arriving for Freshman Orientation Week in the Corps of Cadets, students today receive a number of materials to prepare them for life in Aggieland. “The Standard” booklet describes the Corps’ mission, vision, priorities and values while also outlining policies, guidelines and rules for cadets. “The Cadence” is a pocket-sized summary of information intended specifically for freshmen that also includes a section on “campusology.” The original “Cadence” was written in 1942 by Corps Commander Tom Gillis ’42 and has been revised regularly since then.   

Similarly, “campusology” booklets (such as the one shown to the right) were previously produced as stand-alone pieces to introduce new cadets to Texas A&M culture. Local bookstores, including Shaffer’s and Loupot’s, each published a version of the little booklets, as did others. These booklets contained college history, facts, songs, yells, building dates and faculty names that cadets were expected to learn front-to-back. They also included rules for proper behavior in the Corps, such as how fish should address their superiors. Fish were quizzed on the materials at mealtimes, and later, according to a 1959 issue of The Battalion, a prearranged quiz was implemented to keep freshmen up-to-date on campus history.

Today’s cadets are expected to know many of the same “campusology” facts of earlier decades to perpetuate the history of Texas A&M.

Check out the quiz below, with 10 questions created from campusology booklets, to see if you can call yourself an Aggie history buff.