Texas Tech University’s Centennial is commemorated in the 2023 university ornament. This milestone moment in history was celebrated as a tribute to the countless students, faculty, staff, and alumni that have made Texas Tech University one of the premier institutions of higher education in the world. This year’s ornament features the centennial logo placed in front of the Administration Building; the first building constructed on campus. The ornament also features the official university mascots, the Masked Rider and Raider Red. Texas Tech was founded on February 10, 1923, as Texas Technological College by the Texas Legislature and Governor Pat Neff. After settling on Lubbock as its location later that year, the university officially opened its doors in the fall of 1925 to 910 students that came to pursue studies in the liberal arts, home economics, agriculture, and engineering. Texas Tech held its first commencement in 1927 with a graduating class of 26 students. Mary Dale Buckner won a drawing that was held to determine what graduating student would be the first to receive a diploma from Texas Tech. Over the course of its first century, the university added a medical school, law school, and veterinary school while increasing its student population to more than 40,000 students. Along with an official name change to Texas Tech University in 1969, Texas Tech has competed at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics, earned a Carnegie tier one “very high research activity” distinction and is recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the United States Department of Education. The university celebrated its centennial with a year-long celebration in 2023 that began with the Carol of Lights on December 2, 2022, and concluded with the Carol of Lights on December 1, 2023. More than 40 celebratory events were held over the course of the year in Lubbock, Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and New York City. The celebrations drew record crowds and participation from students, faculty, staff, and alumni in pursuit of a goal of one million hours of volunteerism and service.
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