The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) was a public university in Edinburg, Texas. Founded in 1927, it was a component institution of the University of Texas System. The university served the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas with baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The Carnegie Foundation classified UTPA as a "doctoral research university". From the institution's founding until it was merged into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), it grew from 200 students to over 20,000, making UTPA the 10th-largest university in Texas. The majority of these students were natives of the Rio Grande Valley. UTPA also operated an Upper Level Studies Center in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas. On August 15, 2014, Dr. Havidan Rodriguez was appointed interim President of UTPA, the institution's final leader. In 2015, UTRGV entered into operation following the merger of UTPA and UT–Brownsville, founded as an extension of then-Pan American University at Texas Southmost College. UTRGV also created a new medical school. On August 31, 2015, UTPA formally ceased operations to yield to the newly formed university, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. History Edinburg College Edinburg College was founded in 1927 as a junior college administered by the Edinburg School District. It was formally designated as a junior college in 1933 as Edinburg Junior College, and admitted to the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of Southern States. Pan American College Hidalgo County held a referendum for a four-year university in 1951; the school became Pan American Regional College on December 20, 1951. Its name changed to Pan American College in January 1952, followed by the appointment of a board of regents. The first graduate to receive a four-year degree was Harold W. Billings, BA, in 1953. It became the 22nd member institution of the Texas System of Colleges and Universities in 1965, as a state senior college. Pan American University Approved to offer graduate programs in 1970, the school began with Master of Arts, Master of Education, and Master of Science degrees. In 1971, Pan American College achieved full university status and changed its name to Pan American University. In the 20-year period from 1965 to 1984, enrollment grew from 2,000 to nearly 10,000. A second campus at Brownsville was established in 1973 (which became the University of Texas at Brownsville, and later merged with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). The University of Texas–Pan American In