Originally located in Cooper, East Texas Normal College moved to Commerce in 1894 after a devastating fire destroyed its first and only campus building. The fire was one of many occurrences that prompted President Mayo to relocate the college to Commerce, a place favored for its rail connections and for a generous donation of land and money from the city. From September 3 to December 31, 1894, the college occupied a rented room on Main Street next to the two-story Odd Fellows Building, with only 35 students. In 1895, College Hall, the college’s first building in Commerce, was completed, and the college moved to its present location.