TEXAS A&M RENAMES BUS ROUTE AFTER MATTHEW GAINES
A bus route at Texas A&M University has been renamed after Washington County’s first African American state senator.
On Tuesday, Route 36, formerly known as the “Cotton Bowl Route,” was changed to the “Matthew Gaines Route,” following an initiative from the Texas A&M Matthew Gaines Society and A&M’s Student Senate. The name change was made in conjunction with the A&M Student Senate and the A&M Transportation Services Department.
Gaines, who was born into slavery in 1840 in Louisiana, was instrumental in the 12th Texas Legislature’s passage of the Morrill Act, which created the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas under the Land Grant College Act of 1862.
In June, the Matthew Gaines Initiative surpassed its fundraising goal of $350,000 to erect a statue of Gaines on campus later this year.
In a letter, Matthew Gaines Initiative President Erica Pauls said the naming of this bus route “pays homage to our history, increases representation on our campus, and shows that any Aggie, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or background can make a lasting impact.”