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History is often recorded and relived through compelling stories, worn textbook pages or vivid movie scenes depicting pivotal decisions, individuals or moments that have shaped the human experience.
At the Texas A&M University Kleberg Animal and Food Sciences Center, history comes to life not through words or actors, but through livestock brands seared into a sturdy oak wall. These brands represent the enduring legacy and generational strength of the Texas ranching industry, and each one carries a story worth telling.
How the wall came about
The Kleberg building opened in 1978, designed to be a hub for students studying animal science, poultry science and nutrition. The building is named after the Klebergs, a historically influential Texas ranching family known for their generous support of agriculture and Texas A&M University.
“The Kleberg family is a strong supporter of the department on many levels,” said Penny Riggs, Ph.D., a molecular geneticist and associate professor in the Department of Animal Science. “They’ve always had a very close relationship with Texas A&M.”
In 1978, O.D. Butler, Ph.D., head of the department at the time, had an idea: he wanted to commemorate and celebrate the families whose commitment, work ethic and tireless devotion had made Texas the heart of American ranching — and he wanted to do it by burning their brands into the walls of Kleberg.
This idea quickly gained momentum and was supported by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. The wall was to be organized by county, with all 254 counties represented by their own plank. Accompanying the wall was the Texas Brand Book, which recorded each ranch and brand for each county.
One of the individuals assisting with the process was Joe Paschal ’77, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist emeritus, who was a graduate student studying under Butler.
“We started putting things together in the summer of 1978,” Paschal said. “AgriLife Extension agents and community members led the initiative within the counties, and through their own processes, they selected which ranches would have their brands featured on the wall.”
Burning the brands
The department held three total “brandings” — opportunities for the selected ranch families to visit campus and personally burn their brand into the wall. Paschal was involved in two of the three brandings.
“My job was to heat the irons,” Paschal said. “After that, we would take the rancher over to the wall, find their county’s oak plank and have the rancher brand a chosen spot on that plank.”
Paschal recalls several anomalies that occurred during the brandings, ones he discusses with a fond smile.
“There are some pretty unique parts of the wall that can still be observed today,” he said. “For example, the King Ranch and Kokernot Ranch brands are placed above the county name, while the rest of the brands are placed below. Some brands were new and had thicker iron, and some were 40 years old with thin iron, so that affected how they showed up on the wall.”
With each of the three brandings came a historical moment frozen — or rather, burned — in time. The most renowned Texas ranching families traveled across the state to cast their ranches’ legacies onto a small corner stairwell wall in College Station.
These moments were accompanied by a deep mutual respect shared between the department and the ranchers. Both recognize the other as impactful to American agriculture and critical to the success of the Texas livestock industry. Their continued relationship serves as a reminder of agriculture’s mission: to steward the land and livestock well and prepare future generations to do the same.
Why the wall matters today
All three brandings were completed by 1983, and the wall has remained unchanged since then. While an exact count isn’t recorded, Riggs estimates there are nearly 2,500 brands on the wall.
“The most remarkable part is that each of these brands has its own unique story — a story you can’t see just by looking at the wall,” Riggs said.
Today, the wall stands as a living record of Texas ranching history, just as Butler envisioned. Behind every mark is a family, a livelihood and a story of perseverance passed from one generation to the next.
The presence of this historical wall in Kleberg reinforces the animal science department’s strong relationship with the Texas livestock industry and the vision to be the global leaders in animal agriculture. As students, visitors and former students climb the branded staircase, it serves as a daily reminder of the people and places that have long defined the spirit of ranching.
“A lot of work went into this wall, and we’re proud of it,” Paschal said. “It truly is something special.”
Current students, faculty and visitors interested in the history of Texas ranching can visit the wall and see firsthand its tribute to the strength and legacy of the featured ranches.”
“We can all learn something from this wall,” Riggs said. “History matters, stories matter and legacies live on far longer than we do.”
