Aggies for decades have considered the tree famous. Now, the
Texas Forest Service (TFS) agrees that the “Century Tree” in the
heart of the Texas A&M University campus warrants “Famous Tree
of Texas” designation. Better known on campus as the “Century
Tree,” the stately live oak dominates a large section of Texas
A&M’s Academic Plaza where one of the campus’ most identifiable
landmark buildings also stands. No one knows exactly how old the
tree is, but consensus is that it dates back to about 1900 — not
too long after the 1876 opening of Texas A&M as the state’s
first public institution of higher learning. Many of its
branches have grown so long and become so heavy that they now
rest on the ground. The Century Tree has extra special meaning
to hundreds of Aggies who over decades have proposed to their
fiancés in the pathway that runs between some of its drooping
branches. More often than not, the young man proposing to his
bride-to-be is a member of the Corps of Cadets. The “Famous Tree
of Texas” designation i