Alcorn State University
 | |
| Motto | Where Knowledge and Character Matter |
|---|---|
| Type | Public historically black land-grant university |
| Established | 1871 |
Academic affiliations | TMCF Space-grant |
| President | Felecia M. Nave |
| Students | 3,523 (Fall 2019)[1] |
| Undergraduates | 3,069 (Fall 2019) |
| Postgraduates | 454 (Fall 2019) |
| Location | , , U.S. 31°52′37″N 91°08′28″W / 31.8769°N 91.1411°WCoordinates: 31°52′37″N 91°08′28″W / 31.8769°N 91.1411°W |
| Campus | Rural, 1,700 acres (6.9 km2) |
| Newspaper | The Campus Chronicle [2] |
| Colors | Purple and gold[3] |
| Nickname | Braves and Lady Braves |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I FCS – SWAC |
| Website | www |
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Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first Black land grant college established in the United States.
One of Alcorn's most notable alumni, Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist, graduated in 1952. Students at the college were part of the mid-twentieth century Civil Rights Movement, working to register residents for voting and to end racial inequality. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Alcorn State's athletic teams known as the Braves and compete in the NCAA's Division I. All teams compete as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
History[edit]
Alcorn State University was the first black land grant college in the country. Congress required that states with segregated educational institutions (as was maintained throughout the former Confederacy) designate black land grant colleges in order to receive land grant monies for white colleges, as Congress had authorized the program to benefit students of all races. Alcorn University started with what is recognized as three historic buildings.[4][5][6]
United States Senator Hiram R. Revels resigned his seat when he accepted the position as Alcorn's first president. The state legislature provided $50,000 in cash for ten successive years for the establishment and overall operations of the college. The state also granted Alcorn three-fifths of the proceeds earned from the sale of 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) of land scrip for agricultural or land grant colleges under federal legislation. The land was sold for $188,928 with Alcorn receiving a share of $113,400. This money was to be used solely to support the agricultural and mechanical components of the college, which Congress wanted to develop nationally. From its beginning, Alcorn State University was a land-grant college.
In 1878, the name Alcorn University was changed to Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. The university's original 225 acres (0.91 km2) of land have been expanded to develop a 1,700 acres (6.9 km2) campus. The goals for the college set by the Mississippi legislature following the Reconstruction era emphasized training for blacks rather than academic education. The school, like other black schools during these years, was less a college than a vocational school intended to prepare students for the agricultural economy of the state and of most of their hometowns.
At first the school was exclusively for black males, but women were admitted in 1895. Today, women outnumber men at the university 1800 to 1200. Alcorn began with eight faculty members in 1871. Today the faculty and staff number more than 500. The student body has grown from 179 mostly local male students to more than 4,000 students from all over the world.
In 1974, Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College was renamed Alcorn State University, representing the development of its programs. Governor William L. Waller signed House Bill 298 granting university status to Alcorn and the other state-supported colleges. Alcorn had already become a more diversified university, with graduate programs. It provides an undergraduate education that enables students to continue their work in graduate and professional schools, engage in teaching, and enter other professions. It also provides graduate education to equip students for further training in specialized fields.
In 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $25 million to Alcorn State. Her donation is the largest single gift in Alcorn State's history.[7]
Alcorn State is accredited, with seven schools and degree programs in more than 50 areas, including a nursing and a Master of Business Administration program. The facilities number approximately 80 modern structures with an approximate value of $71 million.[8]
Presidents[edit]
| Name | Years[9][10] | Interim |
|---|---|---|
| Hiram Rhodes Revels | 1871–1882 | No |
| John Houston Burrus | 1882–1893 | No |
| Wilson H. Reynolds | 1893–1894 | No |
| Thomas J. Calloway | 1894–1896 | No |
| Edward H. Triplett | 1896–1899 | No |
| William H. Lanier | 1899–1905 | No |
| Levi John Rowan | 1905–1911 | No |
| John Adams Martin | 1911–1915 | No |
| Levi John Rowan | 1915–1934 | No |
| Isiah S. Sanders, Acting President | 1934–1934 | No |
| William Harrison Bell | 1934–1944 | No |
| Preston Sewell Bowles | 1944–1945 | No |
| William Harrison Pipes | 1945–1949 | No |
| Jesse R. Otis | 1949–1957 | No |
| John Dewey Boyd | 1957–1969 | No |
| Walter Washington | 1969–1994 | No |
| Rudolph E. Waters Sr. | 1994–1995 | Yes |
| Clinton Bristow Jr. | 1995–2006 | No |
| Malvin A. Williams Sr. | 2006–2008 | Yes |
| George E. Ross | 2008–2010 | No |
| Norris Allen Edney | 2010–2011 | Yes |
| M. Christopher Brown II | 2011–2013 | No |
| Norris Edney | 2013–2014 | Yes |
| Alfred Rankins, Jr. | 2014–2017 | No |
| Donzell Lee | 2017-2019 | Yes |
| Felecia M. Nave | 2019–Present | No |
Academics[edit]
Alcorn State is the second largest historically black college or university (HBCU) and the fifth largest university in Mississippi with an enrollment of approximately 3,700 undergraduate students and 600 graduate students. The university has seven schools, offering more than 50 different fields of study.
- School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
- School of Arts and Sciences
- School of Business
- School of Education and Psychology
- School of Nursing
Alcorn State University consistently ranks among the top 25 HBCUs in the nation according to the annual U.S. News & World Report HBCU rankings.[11]
Alcorn State University is the only HBCU in Mississippi with a comprehensive nursing program.[12]
Alcorn's honors program is an option for highly qualified undergraduate students seeking to enhance their academic experience and leadership skills.[13]
Master of Business Administration (MBA) program[edit]
Alcorn State University offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program through its Natchez campus. Classes are conducted in the evening. Students may join the live lecture classes via a live internet feed. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global accrediting body for business degree programs. The MBA program has been popular with international and out-of-state students.
Global programs[edit]
Besides coordinating study-abroad opportunities, Global Programs brings worldwide perspectives to campus through exchange programs and special events.[14]
Pre-professional programs[edit]
Alcorn offers pre-professional programs to better prepare students for a transition to specialized studies in the fields of law, engineering, nursing, physical therapy, medicine, pharmacy and dentistry.[15]
Accreditation[edit]
Alcorn State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Specialist in Education degrees.
Alcorn's teacher education program is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics is accredited by the American Dietetics Association. The Associate of Science in Nursing degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, and the Master of Science in Nursing degree programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. Alcorn State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Industrial Technology, and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Locations[edit]
The main campus is located in Lorman, an unincorporated area in Claiborne County, Mississippi. The Nursing School and the Business School's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program are located in Natchez, Mississippi. The university also has a class center in Vicksburg.
Main campus[edit]
Male residence halls include Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village Complex and Hiram Revels Hall.[16] Female residence halls include Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village Complex buildings A and B, John Burrus Hall, and the Female Honors Residence Hall.[17]
Recent Campus Additions include:
- 5 mi (8.0 km) Bike/Walking Trail
- Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium
- Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village (student housing)
- Clinton Bristow Dining Hall
- Ecology and Natural Resources Building
- BioTechnology Building
- Fine Arts Building Renovations/ Band Hall Addition
- Lanier Hall renovated into the Student Housing Office
- Old President House renovated into the Alumni House
Current and planned construction projects include:
- Technology Classroom Building
- School of Business (Dumas Hall) renovations
- Rowan Hall renovations into the Student Health Center
- Bowles Hall renovations into the Executive Administration Building
- Student Housing Phase II/ Faculty Housing
Athletics[edit]
Alcorn State's 15 NCAA Division I level varsity teams compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Sounds of Dyn-O-mite[edit]
Alcorn State University's marching band was founded in the 1960s; the band is known as the "Sounds of Dyn-O-mite" (SOD). Led by four or five drum majors, SOD has more than 190+ members.
The "Golden Girls" (GGs) is the danceline that has been featured with SOD since its inception. Founded in 1968, the GGs is the oldest danceline (no twirling batons) featured with a HBCU marching band which is why they often refer to themselves as the "Mother of the HBCU dancelines."[18]
Notable alumni[edit]
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medgar Evers | 1948 | First NAACP field secretary and assassinated civil rights activist | [1] |
| Albert Butler | 1970 | Mississippi State Senator | [2] |
| Horace R. Cayton, Sr. | c.1880s | Journalist and politician, who was one of first blacks to serve on county and state delegations in Seattle, Washington | [19] |
| Jennifer Riley Collins | 1987 | Executive director of the Mississippi NAACP | [20] |
| Katie G. Dorsett | Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 28th district | ||
| Joseph Dunbar | [21] | ||
| Alex Haley | attended | Author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family | |
| Kimberly Morgan | Miss Mississippi 2007 | ||
| Michael Clarke Duncan | attended | Actor | |
| Alexander O'Neal | attended | Musician | |
| Ed Smith | Former alderman of the 28th ward in Chicago, Illinois from 1983 to 2010. | ||
| Joseph Edison Walker | 1903 | President of Universal Life Insurance Company in Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Adena Williams Loston | 1973 | President of St. Philip's College in San Antonio, Texas |
Sports[edit]
| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Spinks | 1952 | Former professional football player for the New York Giants | |
| Willie Alexander | 1971 | Former professional football player for the Houston Oilers | |
| Jimmie Giles | 1977 | Former professional football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Leslie Frazier | 1980 | Defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, former defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, former special assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts | |
| Roynell Young | 1980 | Former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Issiac Holt | 1985 | Former professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys | |
| Milton Mack | Former professional football player for the Detroit Lions | ||
| Fred McNair | Former Professional Canadian and Arena football player, brother of Steve McNair, and Head Coach of Alcorn State Football | ||
| Cedric Tillman | 1992 | Former professional football player for the Denver Broncos | |
| Dwayne White | Former professional football player for the St. Louis Rams | ||
| Garry Lewis | Former professional football player for the Oakland Raiders | ||
| Torrance Small | 1992 | Former NFL player for the New Orleans Saints | |
| John Thierry | 1994 | Former NFL player for the Chicago Bears | |
| Steve McNair | 1996 | Former professional quarterback for the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens | |
| Bryant Mix | 1997 | Former NFL player for the Houston Oilers | |
| Donald Driver | 1999 | Former professional football player for the Green Bay Packers | |
| Chad Slaughter | 2000 | Former Professional football player for the Oakland Raiders | |
| Louis Green | 2002 | Former NFL player for the Denver Broncos | |
| Charlie Spiller | 2007 | Former NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Nate Hughes | 2008 | Former NFL player for the Detroit Lions | |
| Larry Smith | 1980 | Former NBA player and assistant coach in the NBA and WNBA. | |
| Lee Robinson | 2009 | Professional football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos | |
| Emmanuel Arceneaux | 2009 | Current CFL and former NFL player | |
| Frank Purnell | Former professional football player for the Green Bay Packers | ||
| Damien Wilson | Linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, transferred out of Alcorn after his freshman season | ||
| Iris Kyle | 10-time overall Ms. Olympia professional bodybuilder |
References[edit]
- ^ "Alcorn At-A-Glance" (PDF). www.alcorn.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "THE CAMPUS CHRONICLE". THE CAMPUS CHRONICLE. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "Alcorn - Graphics Standards Manual". Redstardigital.net. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ Against Great Odds: The History of Alcorn State University
- ^ Brown, Ray C. (December 2, 2014). "Mississippi Colleges that have Closed, Merged, Changed Names". Ray C. Brown. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "Oakland College". claibornecountyms.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Story Details - Alcorn State University". www.alcorn.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ "About" Archived November 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Alcorn University
- ^ "Alcorn State University: Past Presidents". Alcorn State University. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ "Past Presidents". Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ "Historically Black Colleges and Universities Ranking". Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ "Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing". Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ "General Information". Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ "About the Office of Global Programs". Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ "Welcome". Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ "Male residence halls Archived July 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." Alcorn State University. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.
- ^ "Female Residence Halls" Archived July 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Alcorn State University. Retrieved on April 25, 2012.
- ^ "Story Details - Alcorn State University". www.alcorn.edu.
- ^ "Online History – Washington State". state.ak.us. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
- ^ Cardon, Dustin (April 15, 2013). "Jennifer A. Riley-Collins". Jackson Free Press. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ Morin, Katherine A.; Kessler, James H.; Kidd, J. S.; Kidd, Renee A., eds. (1996). Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century. Greenwood. pp. 77–80. ISBN 9780897749558.
External links[edit]
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| General | |
|---|---|
| National libraries | |
| Other | |
- Alcorn State University
- Public universities and colleges in Mississippi
- Historically black universities and colleges in the United States
- Land-grant universities and colleges
- Educational institutions established in 1871
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Education in Claiborne County, Mississippi
- Education in Adams County, Mississippi
- Education in Warren County, Mississippi
- Buildings and structures in Claiborne County, Mississippi
- Census-designated places in Mississippi
- 1871 establishments in Mississippi
- Census-designated places in Claiborne County, Mississippi
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