Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is the oldest institution based in Lubbock, Texas. It is also recognized as the one of the largest research universities in the state. Originally known as the Texas Technological College, the university was the outcome of the bill introduced by Senator W.H. Bledsoe, Representatives Lewis Carpenter, and Richard Chitwood. It became a reality when Governor Pat M. Neff signed the bill in February 1923. Texas Technological College started its first class in 1925, with 914 students. For many prosperous years, the institution was a college. Students and faculty believed that the name Texas Technological College no longer symbolized the mission of an institution with undergraduates and graduates in varied subjects. "Texas State University" was the name preferred by students and faculty members, in a matter put to a vote. The name, Texas Tech University, proposed by the Alumni and the board of directors was strongly opposed by the students. Following a bill passed by Preston Smith, the name was changed to Texas Tech University. Texas Tech offers the students a wide choice of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. It has 12 highly recognized institutions including the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Architecture, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business, the College of Education, the Texas Tech University College of Engineering, the Graduate School, the Texas Tech University Honors College, the College of Human Sciences, the College of Mass Communications, the School of Law, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. To meet the educational needs to the state and the country, the university also offers a variety of distance learning and off-campus instruction opportunities. The university’s library system encompasses the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, the Architecture Library, the International Cultural Center Library, the Law Library, and the Health Sciences Library. Under the direction of Associate Dean Arturo Torres, the Law Library has become the largest legal information center in western Texas and the region covering eastern New Mexico and southern Oklahoma. The Vietnam Center was established in 1989, by the Board of Regents of Texas Tech University. The center is committed to the collection and preservation of material relating to the American Vietnam experience, and developing the Vietnam Archive. In addition, it offers educational programs, classroom instruction, publishing of noteworthy research, symposia, and financial support. Texas Tech’s College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). The college is a member of the Holmes Partnership and the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.