Sam Houston State University (known as SHSU or Sam) was founded in 1879 and is a public university located in Huntsville (Huntsville, Texas), Texas. It is one of the oldest purpose-built institutions for the instruction of teachers west of the Mississippi River and the first such institution of its type in the State of Texas. It is named for one of Texas founding fathers, Sam Houston, who made his home (Woodland (Huntsville, Texas)) in the city. SHSU is part of the Texas State University System and has approximately an enrollment of 17,000 students. The institution is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and is the only university classified as such within the Texas State University System. The Carnegie classification distinguishes the university by placing it in the top 7 percent of all institutions of higher education in the country.