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84-624: The Perseus–Pegasus Filament was discovered by David Batuski and Jack Burns of New Mexico State University in 1985. It is likely that Clyde W. Tombaugh, of the Lowell Observatory, discovered its existence in 1936 while conducting his search for trans-Saturnian planets. He reported it as the Great Perseus-Andromeda stratum of Extra-Galactic Nebulae . Earlier still, parts of this clustering had been reported by Walter E. Bernheimer  [ de ] . This galaxy-related article

168-580: A Spanish language broadcast that airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Las Cruces, Silver City and El Paso, Texas. Kokopelli is an online news publication produced by New Mexico State University journalism students. It provides breaking news, features and weekly sports coverage during the nine-month academic year. Kokopelli is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press . NMSU owns and operates two radio stations: KRUX (91.5 FM) and KRWG-FM . KRUX

252-530: A core of 900 acres (360 ha) in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico . It is located adjacent to Interstate 25 , surrounded by desert landscape and greenhouses. The main campus is also bordered by Interstate 10 , which is the main east–west interstate highway across the southern part of the United States. To the east of Interstate 25, the campus facilities consist of the President's residence, NMSU Golf Course,

336-466: A depot in Las Cruces. The first train reached Las Cruces in 1881. Las Cruces was not affected as strongly by the train as some other villages, as it was not a terminus or a crossroads, but the population did grow to 2,300 in the 1880s. Las Cruces was incorporated as a town in 1907. Pat Garrett is best known for his involvement in the Lincoln County War , but he also worked in Las Cruces on

420-695: A faculty-to-student ratio of roughly 1 to 16. New Mexico State's athletic teams, the Aggies, compete at the NCAA Division I level in Conference USA . As of 2023, NMSU is classified as "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It is particularly noted for its graduate programs in astrophysics, astronomy, education, engineering, business, and nursing. NMSU is the NASA space grant college in New Mexico and leads

504-421: A famous case, the disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain in 1896. New Mexico State University was founded in 1888, and it has grown as Las Cruces has grown. The growth of Las Cruces has been attributed to the university, government jobs, and recent retirees. The establishment of White Sands Missile Range in 1944 and White Sands Test Facility in 1963 has been integral to population growth. Las Cruces

588-454: A household in the city was $ 30,375, and the median income for a family was $ 37,670. Males had a median income of $ 30,923 versus $ 21,759 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,704. About 17.2% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over. Major employers in Las Cruces include New Mexico State University , Las Cruces Public Schools ,

672-410: A key recreational area for the city. Las Cruces has a cool desert climate ( Köppen BWk ). Winters alternate between colder and windier weather following trough and frontal passages, and warmer, sunnier periods; light freezes occur 69 nights on average. Spring months can be windy, particularly in the afternoons, sometimes causing periods of blowing dust and short-lived dust storms. Summers begin with

756-540: A large part of the original downtown. Many chain stores and national restaurants are located in the rapidly developing east side. Las Cruces' shopping mall and a variety of retail stores and restaurants are located in this area. However, the historic downtown of the city is the area around Main Street, a six-block stretch of which was closed off in 1973 to form a pedestrianized shopping area. The downtown mall has an extensive farmers market each Wednesday and Saturday morning, where

840-430: A natural spot. Brave males gathered enough stones to form a big "A" easily visible from campus and the surrounding area. On the following day, April 1, students trudged up the mountain side with their five-gallon cans of whitewash and splashed it on the stones, turning them into a gleaming white "A". For many years, giving the "A" its annual fresh coat of whitewash was an all-school effort. The seniors mixed lime and water at

924-716: A night of entertainment and festivities. It is considered one of the largest luminaria displays in the state of New Mexico. Each candle set is lit inside a paper bag. With more than 6,000 luminarias, it begins at the Educational Services Building, extends towards the International Mall and then encircles the Corbett Center Student Union. The display is set up by the Las Cruces High School band and accompanies visitors as they walk through

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1008-505: A private medical school, is located on NMSU's main campus. Medical students can utilize the facilities and amenities of NMSU's campus, including on-campus student housing. BCOM began instruction in August 2016 and graduated its first class in May 2020. BCOM and NMSU created a pipeline program whereby qualified NMSU students are guaranteed a seat at the medical school following graduating from NMSU. BCOM

1092-426: A result of the investigation, the head coach Greg Heiar was fired and students were found guilty of a Title VI violation by the university and were removed. A criminal case against those students who were on the 2022-23 basketball team, is still ongoing. A second lawsuit was filed against the university, the athletic director and several coaches and students, alleging the presence of guns on campus and hazing, and that

1176-481: A state-wide consortia dedicated to space research . Hiram Hadley, an Earlham College -educated teacher from Indiana , founded Las Cruces College. Upon its opening on September 17, 1888, it included an elementary school, a university preparatory school, and a business school; it "was not a college in the contemporary meaning of the word." A year later, the Territorial Assembly of New Mexico provided for

1260-521: A town dog. Smoki "The Wonder Dog" died at the age of 15 in 2005. Since then, the tradition ended until 2012, when a tryout for the next "Wonder Dog" took place. A panel of celebrity judges chose a four-year old border collie , Striking as the next "Wonder Dog". Striking first appeared on August 30, 2012, at the NMSU-Sacramento State home game. Every Friday, some students, faculties, staff, and alumni of NMSU wear crimson colors to show support for

1344-498: A variety of foods and cultural items can be purchased from numerous small stands that are set up by local farmers, artists and craftspeople. This area also contains museums, businesses, restaurants, churches, art galleries and theaters, which add a great deal to the changing character of Las Cruces' historic downtown. In August 2005, a master plan was adopted, the centerpiece of which was the restoration of narrow lanes of two-way traffic on this model portion of Main Street. Main Street

1428-472: Is a charter city (also called a home rule city) and has a council–manager form of government. The city council consists of six councillors and the mayor , who chairs the meetings. The mayor is elected at-large, and each of the city councilors represents one neighborhood district within the city. Each resident of Las Cruces is thus represented by the mayor and by one city councilor. The mayor and city council members serve staggered four-year terms. As of

1512-481: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This physical cosmology -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . New Mexico State University New Mexico State University ( NMSU or NM State ) is a public , land-grant , research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico , United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution of higher education , and

1596-535: Is a literary magazine run by graduate students in the English Department. It has been in print for over fifty years and currently publishes biannually. The magazine also curates a Black Voices series on its website. News22 is a student-run television newscast that airs live on KRWG-TV three days per week during the nine-month academic year. The broadcast is produced by New Mexico State University journalism students. In 2011, News22 added Noticias22 en Español,

1680-496: Is available. Las Cruces holds a Ciclovía , a citywide event featuring exercise and physical activities, on the last Sunday of each month at Meerscheidt Recreation Center. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is a 47-acre (190,000 m2) interactive museum that chronicles the New Mexico's 3,000-year history of farming and ranching. The museum is part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs . Las Cruces

1764-428: Is entirely student–run and non-commercial; it was founded in 1989. KRUX is financed through student fees. KRWG-FM (90.7 FM) is a public, non-commercial, full-service FM radio station. It serves the area within southwestern New Mexico and Far West Texas. It is an affiliated station of National Public Radio and features NPR programming. The nickname was derived from its roots and beginnings as an agricultural school and

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1848-644: Is home to New Mexico's NASA Space Grant Program . In 2010, the NMSU Physical Sciences Laboratory secured a study contract with Reaction Engines Limited , a British aerospace company that is developing technology for an airbreathing single stage to orbit, precooled air turboramjet based spaceplane . The NMSU Department of Astronomy operates the Sunspot Solar Observatory and Apache Point Observatory , in Sunspot, New Mexico, including

1932-547: Is located just east of New Mexico State University . The New Mexico State University Arthropod Museum and Collection contains approximately 500,000 arthropod specimens. The University Museum (Kent Hall) at New Mexico State University focuses on archeological and ethnographic collections and also has some history and natural science collections. The Zuhl Museum (located in the Alumni and Visitors' Center) at New Mexico State University focuses on geologic collections, including

2016-471: Is manufactured by Balfour , which comes with white gold and yellow gold, with an optional stone; diamond or cubic zirconia at the centerpiece of the ring; and is presented with Hatch Chile Ristra . The top of the ring highlights the NMSU three triangles school seal, encircled with the school name. The three triangles represent NMSU's role as a land-grant university – teaching, research, and service. It also represents

2100-506: Is the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center. The Las Cruces campus is home to a nesting population of Swainson's hawks , a raptor species currently protected by federal law. Pedestrians are advised to be careful when walking on Stewart Street, as the birds can be aggressive during nesting season. The first master plan of the university was to create a "horseshoe", a U-shaped drive, in an open large lawn. At

2184-683: Is the first osteopathic medical school in New Mexico and just one of two medical schools in the state, the other being in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico. NMSU has two major libraries on the main campus, Branson Hall Library and Zuhl Library. Both libraries have a total collection of more than 1 million volumes. Branson Hall Library was built in 1951 and houses texts and resources related to engineering, business, agriculture, science, special collections, maps, government publications, and archives. The New Mexico State University Library, part of

2268-418: Is the nearest city to each, and they provide Las Cruces' workforce with many high-paying, stable, government jobs. In recent years, the influx of retirees from out of state has also increased Las Cruces' population. In the 1960s Las Cruces undertook a large urban renewal project, intended to convert the old downtown into a modern city center. As part of this, St. Genevieve 's Catholic Church, built in 1859,

2352-421: Is the oldest student-run news publication at New Mexico State University. In fall 2017, it reduced its printing frequency and now provides current online news coverage as well as special print editions. KRWG-TV is a full-service television station in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and is operated and owned by New Mexico State University. It is a member station of PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). Puerto del Sol

2436-493: The Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, and the vegetation surrounding the built portions of the city are typical of this setting; it includes creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata ), soaptree ( Yucca elata ), tarbush ( Flourensia cernua ), broom dalea ( Psorothamnus scoparius ), and various desert grasses such as tobosa ( Hilaria mutica or Pleuraphis mutica ) and black grama ( Bouteloua eriopoda ). The Rio Grande bisects

2520-703: The New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts and opened on January 21, 1890. It began with 35 students and six faculty members. The college was supposed to graduate its first student in 1893, but the only senior, Sam Steel, was murdered before he was able to receive his diploma. Classes met in the two-room adobe building of Las Cruces College until new buildings were erected on the 220-acre (0.89 km ) campus three miles (5 km) south of Las Cruces. In February 1891, McFie Hall, popularly known as Old Main, opened its doors. In 1960, to better represent its expanded programs and operations, New Mexico A&M

2604-662: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 76.6 square miles (198.5 km ), of which 76.5 square miles (198.1 km ) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km ), or 0.18%, is water. Las Cruces is the center of the Organ Caldera; the Doña Ana Mountains to the north and the Organ Mountains to the east are its margins. Its major eruption was 32  Ma . Doña Ana County lies within

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2688-614: The Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Before that, NMSU was a member of the Big West Conference , Sun Belt Conference , Missouri Valley Conference and the Border Conference . In 2023, two basketball players complained of sexual assault during hazing rituals. Deuce Benjamin settled out of court for $ 4.125 million, Shak Odunewu settled out of court for $ 3.875 million, and the case was dropped with no verdict. As

2772-642: The "A" Mountain west slope, and the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. South of University Avenue are Pan American Plaza, 48 acres of horse farm, and the Fabian Garcia Science center, which houses the Chile Pepper Institute 's research, teaching and demonstration garden, algal biofuels research equipment, grape vineyards and gazebos, and fields and greenhouses for plant research projects. About six miles south of campus, on 203 acres of land,

2856-612: The "Wonder Dog" to retrieve the kicking tee from the football field. This tradition started in the mid-1990s. The first "Wonder Dog" was Smoki, a border collie-Australian shepherd mix born in Capitan, New Mexico , and trained by Joel Sims, an NMSU alumnus. Smoki "The Wonder Dog" entertained the Aggie crowd for six years and retired in 2002. She also debuted in a Hollywood film which co-starred Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid , entitled "Wyatt Earp" , as

2940-485: The Agricultural Experiment Station conducts basic and applied research supporting agriculture, natural resources management, environmental quality, and improved quality of life. NMSU is divided into six colleges and a graduate school: According to the 2022 college rankings by U.S. News & World Report , NMSU is tied for 263 among National Universities and tied for 132 among public universities in

3024-505: The Branson Hall Library, is an official depository for documents produced by United States and State of New Mexico government agencies. The federal government established a system of depositories in 1813 in order to provide government information to the public free of charge. The New Mexico State University Library joined the depository program in 1907. Zuhl Library was built in 1992. The library houses texts and resources related to

3108-491: The City of Las Cruces, Memorial Medical Center , Walmart , MountainView Regional Medical Center , Doña Ana County , Doña Ana Community College , Addus HealthCare, and NASA . Movies and TV series shot in Las Cruces include: Most of Las Cruces's cultural events are held late in the calendar year. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is state-operated and shows the history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It

3192-535: The Las Cruces area. Most winter moisture is in the form of rain, though some light snowfalls happen most winters, usually enough to accumulate and stay on the ground for a few hours. Summer precipitation is often from heavy thunderstorms, especially from the late summer monsoon weather pattern. Since records began in 1892, the lowest temperature recorded at New Mexico State University has been −10 °F (−23.3 °C) on January 11, 1962 – though only ten nights have ever fallen to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) – and

3276-641: The Mesilla Valley and passes west of Las Cruces proper, supplying irrigation water for the intensive agriculture surrounding the city. However, since the institution of water rights, the Rio Grande fills its banks only when water is released from upstream dams, which before 2020 usually occurred at least from March to September. Drought conditions, exacerbated by climate change, mean that the Rio Grande experiences increasingly short or small flows. Prior to farming and ranching, desert shrub vegetation extended into

3360-421: The Mesilla Valley are often dissected with arroyos , dry streams that often carry water following heavy thunderstorms. These arroyos often contain scattered small trees, and they serve as wildlife corridors between Las Cruces' urban areas and adjacent deserts or mountains. Unlike many cities its size, Las Cruces lacks a true central business district. This is because in the 1960s an urban-renewal project tore down

3444-688: The NCAA tournament for the first time since 1988, when it won both the WAC regular season and tournament championships. The Las Cruces Kings have been a long running semi-professional football team in the city. Beginning in the 2010 season, the Las Cruces Vaqueros were the first ever professional sports team in Las Cruces. In the 2011 season the Vaqueros joined the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs against

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3528-564: The U.S. USN&WR ranked several programs among the top 200 in the nation, including the College of Engineering's graduate program at 149, the Nursing School for master's degrees (139; tied) and Doctoral degrees (109), and the College of Education's graduate program (125; tied). Forbes listed NMSU as one of "America's Top Colleges in 2021", based on indicators such as alumni salary, debt, return on investment, and graduation rate. In 2022, NMSU

3612-607: The United States. Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the Mesilla Valley , the agricultural region on the floodplain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch to the west side of El Paso, Texas . Las Cruces is the home of New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico's only land-grant university . The city's major employer is the federal government on nearby White Sands Test Facility and White Sands Missile Range . The Organ Mountains , 10 miles (16 km) to

3696-606: The White Sands Pupfish, Roswell Invaders, Ruidoso Osos, Alpine Cowboys and Carlsbad Bats. The Vaqueros played in the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs for the 2011–2013 seasons. The team returned for the 2015 season, but structural damage to their home ballpark in January 2016 forced them to sit out the 2016 season. They plan to return for the 2017 season. Las Cruces operates 87 city parks, 18 tennis courts, and four golf courses. A list of parks, with facilities and maps,

3780-645: The area for American settlement. The town was first surveyed as the result of the American acquisition of the land surrounding Las Cruces, which later became the New Mexico Territory . This land had been ceded to the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, which ended the Mexican-American War . The town was named "Las Cruces" after three crosses which were once located just north of

3864-631: The arts, humanities, and sciences. NMSU is home to several museums, collections, and galleries. The NMSU Arthropod Museum, which houses more than 150,000 research and 5,000 teaching specimens, is housed in Skeen Hall. Specimens are used globally for taxonomic research and within the state for community outreach. The University Museum (established in 1959) serves the community as a repository and exhibitor of local and regional culture and history. The Klipsch Museum containts materials representing more than 80 years of audio engineering. The Zuhl Collection combines

3948-403: The center was Old Main, the original campus building, originally known as McFie Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1910 (the remains are now a college landmark). The cornerstone and remains of Mcfie Hall stand near the flagpole in the middle of the horseshoe. Today, the horseshoe is the center of campus and is the location of the main administration building, Hadley Hall, which sits at the top of

4032-563: The city was 69.0% White , 2.3% African American , 1.7% Native American , 1.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 21.6% from other races , and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.7% of the population. There were 29,184 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who

4116-403: The coach was aware but failed to act, all in violation of university policy. Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces ( / l ɑː s ˈ k r uː s ɪ s / ; Spanish: [las 'kruses] "the crosses") is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County . As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385, making Las Cruces

4200-609: The connection of Spanish, American Indian, and Anglo cultures in New Mexico, and the triangulation of NMSU campus with Interstate 10 linking Interstate 25 in the first principal interchange of the Pan American Highway in North America. The one side of the ring shows the Aggie Memorial Tower, in honor of Aggies who died for the country, and the other side of the ring displays the majestic Organ Mountains. Students wear

4284-538: The driest calendar year 1970 with 3.44 inches (87.4 mm). As of the 2020 census Las Cruces had a population of 111,385. Estimates for 2019 say that Las Cruces had a population of 103,432. Its demographics were 32.5% Non-Hispanic White , 2.8% African American or Black, 1.4% Native American , 1.8% Asian , 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.9% Two or more races, 60.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 39,925 households with an average household size of 2.51 people per household. Median household income

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4368-464: The east, are dominant in the city's landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains , Robledo Mountains , and Picacho Peak. Las Cruces lies 225 miles (362 km) south of Albuquerque, 42 miles (68 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas and 41 miles (66 km) north of the Mexican border at Sunland Park . Spaceport America , which has corporate offices in Las Cruces, operates from 55 miles (89 km) to

4452-676: The establishment of an agricultural college and agricultural experiment station with the Rodey Act of 1889. It stated: "Said institution is hereby located at or near the town of Las Cruces in the County of Doña Ana, upon a tract of land of not less than one hundred (100) acres." Designated as the land-grant college for New Mexico under the Morrill Act , it was named the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Las Cruces College merged with

4536-794: The expertise of corporate and university researchers available to small businesses. New Mexico State University enrolls more than 21,000 students from the United States and 71 foreign countries. NMSU student organizations include a Greek system and several religious organizations. The Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU) is the student government and is considered a departmental organization. It consists of an elected student body president, vice president, 30 senators, and an appointed student supreme court. Senators are elected to two-semester terms, with two elections each school year, in each, 15 senators are elected. There are 12 different departments within ASNMSU, that manage various events such as

4620-522: The finest collection of petrified wood on display and a large fossil and mineral collection. There are four city-owned museums. The Branigan Cultural Center examines local history through photographs, sculpture, paintings, and poetry. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places . The Las Cruces Museum of Art offers art exhibits and classes. The Las Cruces Museum of Natural History makes science and natural history more accessible to

4704-556: The foot of the mountain and the freshmen and sophomores toted the mixture up to the juniors who splashed it on the "A." With the growth of the university through the years, the tradition was taken over by the Greek Council. The marching band of New Mexico State University is known as the Pride of New Mexico. It is composed of approximately 200 musicians, dancers, and auxiliary. At kickoff of every NMSU home football game, Aggie fans await

4788-585: The functions of an art gallery and natural history museum and showcases thousands of specimens of petrified wood, fossils, and minerals. The NMSU faculty senate consists of 66 elected faculty and has shared governance over academic policies across the NMSU system. NMSU offers a wide variety of programs across multiple disciplines, including agriculture, education, engineering, and the sciences. There are 58 master's degree programs, 96 baccalaureate degree programs, and 28 doctoral programs. Over 4,400 courses are available across 54 academic departments. In addition to

4872-444: The general public and has an emphasis on local animals and plants. The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is in the historic Santa Fe Railroad station. It exhibits the impact of the railroads on the local area. The Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra is an 80-member orchestra , conducted by Dr. Ming Luke. The orchestra consists of 47% students, 17% NMSU faculty, 20% other local musicians, and 16% professionals from outside Las Cruces. The venue of

4956-625: The highest 110 °F (43.3 °C) on June 28, 1994. The lowest maximum on record is 16 °F (−8.9 °C) on January 28, 1948, and the highest minimum 83 °F (28.3 °C) on June 8, 2024. The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 19.60 inches (497.8 mm), although 1905 with 17.09 inches (434.1 mm) is the only other year to exceed 15 inches (380 mm). The only months to exceed 6 inches (150 mm) have been September 1941 with 7.53 inches (191.3 mm) and August 1935 with 7.41 inches (188.2 mm). The wettest single day has been August 30, 1935 with 6.49 inches (164.8 mm) and

5040-439: The homecoming parade, free student concerts, a free cab program for students, and many others. Each department is overseen by a director, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. ASNMSU manages a budget of over $ 1 million. There are numerous fraternities and sororities at New Mexico State University. Kappa Sigma was suspended after a student was shot during hazing in 2020. Founded in 1907, The Round Up

5124-476: The horseshoe, and other classroom buildings. NMSU is a land-grant institution with a presence in all 33 counties of New Mexico, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, 13 research and science centers, distance education opportunities, and five campuses in Alamogordo , Carlsbad , Grants , Doña Ana County , and Las Cruces . The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University (BCOM),

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5208-455: The hottest weather of the year, with some extended periods of over 100 °F (37.8 °C) temperatures not uncommon, while the latter half of the summer sees increased humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, with slightly lower daytime temperatures. Autumns feature decreasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation. Precipitation is very light from October to June, with only occasional winter storm systems bringing any precipitation to

5292-577: The intersection of Triviz Drive and Griggs Avenue. Multimedia artist group Keep Adding have a large mural titled Wave Nest on Picacho Avenue at the Lion's Park. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces . Las Cruces is the home of Vado Speedway Park, a 3/8ths of a mile dirt track that host the annual Wild West Shootout. At

5376-530: The lighted path by the Las Cruces High School Brass Choir. NMSU's teams are called the Aggies , a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. New Mexico State is a member of Conference USA (C-USA), as of July 1, 2023. Conference USA is the sixth conference NMSU has been affiliated with in its football history. New Mexico State spent the past eighteen seasons as a member of

5460-477: The main campus in Las Cruces, NMSU has community colleges in Alamogordo , Doña Ana County , and Grants , through which it offers academic, vocational/technical, and continuing education programs. In accord with its land-grant mission, the university provides informal, off-campus educational programs through the Cooperative Extension Service. Through a statewide network of nine research facilities,

5544-415: The most populous city in both Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces metropolitan area had an estimated population of 213,849 in 2017. It is the principal city of a metropolitan statistical area which encompasses all of Doña Ana County and is part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area with a population of 1,088,420 making it the 56th largest combined statistical area in

5628-621: The north; it has completed several successful crewed, sub-orbital flights. The city is also the headquarters for Virgin Galactic , the world's first company to offer sub-orbital spaceflights . During the Mexican–American War , the Battle of El Bracito was fought nearby on Christmas Day, 1846. The settlement of Las Cruces was founded in 1849 when the US Army first surveyed the town, thus opening up

5712-661: The orchestra is the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. The orchestra received attention with the world premiere of Bill McGlaughlin 's Remembering Icarus , a tribute to local radio pioneer Ralph Willis Goddard, performed by the LCSO on October 1, 2005. The performance was taped and broadcast nationally on NPR 's Performance Today on December 9, 2005 and on July 4, 2007, on Performance Today and on Sirius Satellite Radio . Several water tanks in Las Cruces have been painted with murals by Tony Pennock, including one at

5796-402: The ring facing the school name. Upon granting of degrees, graduates should turn the ring around facing outward, which symbolizes that they are ready to face the world. A tradition that signals the beginning of the holiday season is the "Noche de Luminarias" or "Night of Lights". A university tradition that started as the President's Holiday Reception in 1984, which starts the holiday season with

5880-502: The site of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey . NMSU is a research active university, with $ 150 million per year in externally funded research programs. Its estimated annual economic impact in New Mexico is $ 1 billion. Anchoring the southern end of New Mexico's Rio Grande Research Corridor, NMSU is the only university to reach the platinum, or highest, level of service to NASA's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. SATOP makes

5964-649: The state's only designated land-grant university. In the 1940s, the Victory Bell, a gift of the Class of 1939, was housed in an open-sided structure on the Horseshoe and rung to announce Aggie victories. In 1972, the bell was rededicated as the NMSU Engineer's Bell and mounted on a platform near Goddard Hall. On game days, various school organizations took turns in toting the ringing bell around Las Cruces before kick-off. The bell

6048-479: The town. Initially, Mesilla became the leading settlement of the area, with more than 2,000 residents in 1860, more than twice what Las Cruces had; at that time, Mesilla had a population primarily of Mexican descent. When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached the area, the landowners of Mesilla refused to sell it the rights-of-way, and instead residents of Las Cruces donated the rights-of-way and land for

6132-469: The university and the school's sports programs. The official ring of New Mexico State University is given to students with junior and senior standing, and alumni of NMSU, to celebrate and commemorate their achievements and NMSU traditions. The official Ring Ceremony is sponsored by the Alumni Association, which is held every spring and fall Semester at the Aggie Memorial Tower. The official ring

6216-568: The university level, the New Mexico State Aggies compete in Conference USA for various sports such as men's and women's basketball, as well as football. Aggies men's basketball has had a rich history of success. Between 2010 and 2019, the Aggies made the NCAA tournament eight times. The team also reached the Final Four of the tournament in 1970. The 2014-15 NMSU women's basketball team reached

6300-492: The valley from the adjacent deserts, including extensive stands of tornillo ( Prosopis pubescens ) and catclaw acacia ( Acacia greggii ). Desert grasslands extend in large part between the edges of Las Cruces and the lower slopes of the nearby Organ and Robledo Mountains, where grasses and assorted shrubs and cacti dominate large areas of this mostly rangeland as well as the occasional large-lot subdivision housing. The desert and desert grassland uplands surrounding both sides of

6384-487: Was $ 43,022, and the percentage of people in poverty was 23.6%. As of the 2010 census Las Cruces had a population of 97,618. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was: As of the census of 2000, there were 74,267 people, 29,184 households, and 18,123 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,425.7 inhabitants per square mile (550.5/km ). There were 31,682 housing units at an average density of 608.2 per square mile (234.8/km ). The racial makeup of

6468-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for

6552-636: Was among the top 10 universities in awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanics, including for communications technologies/technicians and support services (seventh); agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences (eighth); hospitality administration/management (ninth); engineering technologies and engineering-related fields (tenth); and education (tenth). The school also ranked among the top 10 universities in conferring bachelor's degrees to Native Americans. The school also ranked ninth for awarding bachelor's degrees to minorities overall for agriculture, agriculture operations and related sciences. The university

6636-657: Was among the top 35 percent of schools in the SMI rankings. NMSU is recognized as a top institution for minority students. In 2021, it was recognized as one of the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine . A 2017 report by the National Science Foundation 's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics ranked NMSU first for federal funding for science and engineering activities for minority-serving institutions. In 2016, NMSU

6720-403: Was razed to make way for a downtown pedestrian mall . The original covered walkways have been removed in favor of a more traditional main street thoroughfare. On February 10, 1990, seven people were shot, four fatally, in the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre . The incident remains unsolved. The approximate elevation of Las Cruces is 3,908 feet (1,191 m) above sea level. According to

6804-567: Was renamed New Mexico State University. Regulated by the New Mexico Constitution, the Regents of New Mexico State University are a corporate body that implements legislation over the control and management of NMSU. The board is made of up five persons appointed by the governor of New Mexico with the consent of the senate. Full-time faculty members number 694, with a staff of 3,113. The main campus of New Mexico State University occupies

6888-509: Was reopened to vehicular traffic in 2012. In February 2013, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima announced during his "State of the City" address that a 700-acre (280 ha) park in the area behind the Las Cruces Dam was under construction, in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers . The area features trails through restored wetlands and serves as a major refuge for migratory birds and

6972-845: Was the original land-grant institution in New Mexico . NMSU is a university system, with its main campus in Las Cruces and satellite campuses in Alamogordo , Doña Ana County , and Grants . Through the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, it has centers or programs in all 33 counties in the state. Initially established as Las Cruces College, NMSU was designated a land-grant college in 1889 and renamed New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts ; it received its present name in 1960. NMSU offers over 180 degree programs, including 28 doctoral, 58 master's, and 96 baccalaureate programs. It had approximately 21,700 enrolled in Fall 2021, with

7056-400: Was then taken to Aggie Memorial Stadium where it rang after Aggie touchdowns. More recently, the bell has been permanently mounted at field level just behind the south goalpost. In 1920, students of then New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts scouted for an appropriate place to display their school letter. Tortugas Mountain , located three miles (5 km) east of campus, seemed

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