New Mexico State:

New Mexico State was originally known as New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1959, after two years of state-wide discussions, the school’s Board of Regents voted to change the name of the institution to New Mexico State University as a symbol of progress, growth and stature.

http://nmstatesports.fansonly.com/trads/nmst-trads-name.html

These days, when people think of "Aggies" they think of New Mexico State University athletics. Historically, we're called Aggies because NMSU started out primarily as an agricultural school. We first opened our doors in 1888 and were long known as the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Now New Mexico State is a major university, offering undergraduate and graduate programs and conducting important research in a wide range of fields. But for many years, NMSU was one of the few schools in the country that had separate nicknames for its men’s and women’s teams. Men’s teams were known as the Aggies while the women’s teams were known as the Roadrunners. When the women’s program first began at NMSU, it was a separate entity from the men’s athletic department, and thus, decided on a different mascot. When the two departments merged in the 1970s, Roadrunners was kept as the women’s nickname. Today, all NCAA athletic teams at NMSU are proudly called "Aggies."

http://nmstatesports.fansonly.com/trads/nmst-trads-mascot.html

New Mexico State’s mascot, known as Pistol Pete, roams the sidelines at Aggie games. But the name Pistol Pete comes from a real western gunman in the late 1800’s named Frank Eaton. As a child, Eaton’s father was killed by the four Campsey brothers and the two Ferber brothers, all members of the Regulators. By the age of 15, Eaton had become a quickdraw and a marksman, but went to Fort Gibson, a cavalry fort in the northeast part of Indian Territory, to improve his shooting skills. It was at the fort where he gained the nickname Pistol Pete. In a fair gunfight in 1881 in Albuquerque, Pistol Pete killed the last of the six men responsible for his father’s murder.

http://nmstatesports.fansonly.com/trads/nmst-trads-pistolpete.html

"A" Tradition

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 east of campus, seemed 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 the foot of the mountain – 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.

http://nmstatesports.fansonly.com/trads/nmst-trads-a.html

Previously, New Mexico State’s men’s athletics logo has been a caricature of Pistol Pete, while the women’s teams have used a Roadrunner. Recently, NMSU introduced an androgynous logo that represents both the men’s and women’s programs.

http://nmstatesports.fansonly.com/trads/nmst-trads-logo.html

NMSU was founded in 1888, and has an enrollment of 15,000. Its colors are crimson and white.