 Many Texas A & M graduates served during World War I. By 1918 , 49 % of all graduates of the college were in military service , more than any other school . In early September 1918 , the entire senior class enlisted , with plans to send the younger students at staggered dates throughout the next year . Many of the seniors were fighting in France when the war ended two months later . Over 1 @,@ 200 alumni served as commissioned officers . After the war , Texas A & M grew rapidly and became nationally recognized for its programs in agriculture , engineering , and military science . The first graduate school was organized in 1924 and the school awarded its first PhD in 1940 . In 1925 , Mary Evelyn Crawford Locke became the first female to receive a diploma from Texas A & M , although she was not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony . The following month the Board of Directors officially prohibited all women from enrolling . 
