Alabama A&M University is a public, historically black, land-grant university located in Normal, Alabama, United States. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in the 1870s as a normal school, it took its present name in 1969. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District, also known as Normal Hill College Historic District, has 28 buildings and 4 structures listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places. With academic programs ranging from engineering to education, the letters "A&M", originally short for "Agricultural and Mechanical", are retained primarily as a link to the university's roots in agriculture and mechanical programs.