what does a&m stand for in texas a&m

The "A&M" in Texas A&M originally stood for "Agricultural and Mechanical." When Texas A&M University opened in 1876 as the state's first public institution of higher education, it was called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. In 1963, the Texas Legislature renamed it Texas A&M University, and the letters "A&M" are now retained as a symbolic link to the school's past rather than standing for the original full words explicitly.