High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Texas Southern University (also referred to as Texas Southern or TSU) is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas. Established on March 3, 1947 by the Texas Legislature, it was initially named Texas State University for Negroes. Prior to becoming a state university, Texas Southern was owned by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and had been known as Houston College for Negroes. Texas Southern is one of only four "independent" public universities in Texas (i.e., those not affiliated with any of Texas' six public university systems).