The Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection was established in 1936 by W.P Taylor and Dr. William B. Davis, founder of the Department of Wildlife Management (later Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences) at Texas A&M University. The TCWC maintains one of the largest University based natural history collections in the United States with over one million preserved specimens. Represented are specimens of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and marine invertebrates. The collections within the TCWC serve as historical evidence of the distribution of wildlife in Texas, and provide valuable ecological and life history information for an array of species. The collections are used in the research of Texas A&M faculty, graduate students, and scientists worldwide, as well as for the teaching of natural history, conservation and wildlife management, both within the university and in public schools.

The Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection primarily documents the faunal history of Texas, the United States, Central and South America, and the Gulf of Mexico. However, the collection contains specimens from around the world. The collection of specimens includes their associated historical documents, field notes, and original collector catalogs. Historically the TCWC has been an invaluable source of data for researchers in the fields of biodiversity, vertebrate evolution, endangered species, wildlife and fisheries conservation, and even forensic biology. This information is made available to the public, to increase awareness of the natural history of Texas and thus enabling the citizens of Texas to make better-informed decisions affecting their natural environment.