The University of Texas-Pan American has a rich tradition of educational service and community engagement. In the past eight decades it has undergone six name changes, all reflecting growth, achievement and success.
| 1927-1933 | Edinburg College was founded as a two-year community college governed by the Edinburg School District. The original building housed 200 students and today is listed as a historical site in the city of Edinburg, the county seat for Hidalgo County. |
| 1933-1948 | Edinburg Junior College, as the only institution of higher learning in South Texas, experienced rapid growth in its early years prompting administrators to pursue the first name change. |
| 1948-1952 | Edinburg Regional College was moved from the original four-acre site to 186-acre campus a few blocks west. During the 1950’s and 1960’s the campus was purchased in parcels at a cost of $677,000. |
| 1952-1971 | Pan American College made its transformation from a junior college to a four-year university in the early 1950’s. The name Pan American was selected to reflect the institution's desire to bridge the cultures of North and South America and to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the university. |
| 1971-1989 | Pan American University saw the student population diversify during the 1970’s reflecting a predominantly Mexican-American population. The Wall Street Journal article credited Dr. Miguel Nevarez with creating a Hispanic middle class for the South Texas region. |
| 1989-Present | The University of Texas-Pan American was established in 1989 after the successful and historic merger of Pan American University with the University of Texas System. Today UTPA is one of the fastest growing universities in the UT System with a current enrollment of 17,500 students. The institution is poised to become a learner-centered doctoral research institution. |