In 1925, when Texas Tech University opened its doors with four major colleges, one being the School of Agriculture, there was no way of telling the impact the college would have on not only the local region, but also the whole world. Fifty years ago, Donald E. Green wrote the book Fifty Years of Service to West Texas Agriculture, compiling a comprehensive look at what Texas Tech University’s College of Agriculture Sciences accomplished from 1925-1975.

Green noted there was a common thread running through the college’s history: meeting the needs of its own region. The forms of service the college granted to the surrounding region are countless. From innovations in crop science to agricultural communications to animal science, Texas Tech has afforded West Texas with boundless benefits. 

Unlike other universities across the state, Texas Tech does not receive specific funding for its agricultural college or university. The University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System receive Permanent University Funding from the state of Texas, a huge benefit that the Texas Tech University System does not benefit from. This lack of extra funding makes the impact from the Davis College at Texas Tech all the more impressive. 

The challenges faced 50 years ago by the college are still relevant today. A demand for research in conservation, meeting the world’s food needs, and solving the water security issues in the region are timeless challenges, but ones Davis College students are being prepared to solve.

In 2022, the college had a record enrollment of 3,189 students. Boasting a new name, thanks to the extremely generous $44 million donation from Gordon and Joyce Davis, the Davis College sets its sights on the next 100 years.

The newly stated Dean of Davis College, Clint Krehbiel, Ph.D., shared his vision for the next century of Davis College innovation and excellence. Sitting in an office surrounded by stacks of paper and Texas Tech memorabilia scattered throughout, Krehbiel, a longtime professor of animal science, shared his dreams for the future of Texas Tech, led by Davis College.

“I very much value and appreciate the legacy that’s here, the culture, the history and we won’t let go of that,” Krehbiel said.

To him, it’s the students that give Davis College its strength. According to Krehbiel, he considers it a tremendous place to be, where students are incredibly bright, humble, have a strong desire to learn coupled with a work ethic and a gracious attitude.

So what does the next 100 have in store? Twice as many students and twice as impactful research to be literal. Real world, hands-on, immersive experiences are planned for the next generation. Precision technologies and adapting the college with modern spaces is on the horizon. Engaging the next generation of nontraditional agriculturists on what’s happening in this industry is essential.

“It’s really linking the past to the present and thinking to the future,” Krehbiel said. 

“It’s really linking the past to the present and thinking to the future.”

Clint Krehbiel