▁for ▁other ▁units ▁on ▁campus ▁to ▁follow . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁er upt ed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁over ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁re bel ▁theme ▁that ▁was ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁including ▁Confeder ate ▁symbols ▁and ▁mock - s lave ▁au ctions ▁as ▁campus ▁trad itions . ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁efforts ▁by ▁President ▁Frank ▁Harrison ▁to ▁give ▁students ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁pick ▁another ▁theme , ▁the ▁U T ▁System ▁abol ished ▁reb els . ▁The ▁Ma ver ick ▁theme ▁was ▁adopted ▁after ▁a ▁student ▁vote ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁Wend ell ▁Ned der man ▁served ▁as ▁acting ▁president ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁and ▁president ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁His ▁ten ure ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁increased ▁growth ▁and ▁asp ir ations . ▁In ▁these ▁years , ▁the ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁population ▁increased ▁from ▁ 9 3 6 ▁to ▁ 4 , 2 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁overall ▁university ▁en roll ment ▁reached ▁ 2 5 , 1 3 5 ▁students . ▁Fac ulty ▁research ▁and ▁publishing ▁was ▁emphas ized ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁doctor al ▁programs ▁in ▁science , ▁engineering , ▁business , ▁social ▁work , ▁and ▁public ▁and ▁urban ▁administration . ▁The ▁Texas ▁Select ▁Committee ▁on ▁High er ▁Education ▁recognized ▁U T ▁Ar ling ton ▁as ▁an ▁emer ging ▁research ▁institution ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7