Mississippi Valley State University
FCS - SWAC | |
Mascot | Delta Devil |
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Website | www |
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Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU, The Valley or Valley) is a
History
The institution, which opened in 1950, was created by the Mississippi Legislature as Mississippi Vocational College. The legislation to form the institution was signed into law by Governor Thomas L. Bailey on April 5, 1946. On February 10, 1950, Governor Fielding L. Wright served as the main speaker at the opening ceremony.[9]
The legislature anticipated that legal segregation of public education was in danger because there were increasing challenges to it through legal suits (in 1954 it was declared unconstitutional in the
State leaders hoped that founding separate institutions of higher learning for Mississippi's black population would reduce the pressure to integrate the state's premier universities. To attract the support of those who opposed any government action to provide higher education to black people, those proposing creation of M.V.C. used the term "vocational" to imply that the institution's main purpose would be to train black people to take on blue-collar jobs.
The site selection committee appointed by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning had originally selected as a site the former Greenwood Army Air Base, which had many facilities ready for use and thus would have been a very cost-effective choice. The Greenwood Commonwealth celebrated the choice. However, residents of Carroll County, Mississippi objected to having the institution located near their properties.[10]
After further study, the committee selected a site in Itta Bena. Whites of that town also objected to having a black institution nearby, so the final site chosen was away from the downtown area, and on land that was not good for cultivation.[11]
In 1964, Mississippi Vocational College was renamed Mississippi Valley State College. In February 1969, a nonviolent student boycott, which included eight hundred students, male and female, was organized to protest President James Herbert White's administration. The students demanded required courses in black history, more library purchases of works by black writers, remedial courses in English and Math, scheduling of prominent black speakers, and fewer curfew restrictions.[citation needed]
In the early 1970s,
Following President White, Dr. Ernest A. Boykins, Jr. took office in July 1971. Dr. Joe L. Boyer became MVSU's third president in January 1982 and was followed by Dr. William W. Sutton in July 1988. Dr. Lester C. Newman became the fifth president of MVSU on July 1, 1998. Dr. Donna H. Oliver became MVSU's sixth president and first female president on January 1, 2009. On November 6, 2013, Dr. William Bynum took office as MVSU's seventh president.
In May 2017, Bynum departed MVSU to become president of Jackson State University. Dr. Jerryl Briggs, who served as executive vice president and chief operating officer in Bynum's administration, was named interim president of the university shortly afterwards. On October 19, 2017, Briggs was officially named as the university's eighth president.[12]
In a 1997 article in Innovative Higher Education, the journalist Dale Thorn describes MVSU's successful attempt to avoid a merger with another institution and to remain a separate entity.[13]
In 1998, the university renamed many of the buildings on campus, except for those named for white supremacist politicians
Campus
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Mississippi_Valley_State_University_Sign_64MP.jpg/220px-Mississippi_Valley_State_University_Sign_64MP.jpg)
The campus is on a 450-acre (180 ha) tract of land adjacent to
It is in Mississippi Valley State census-designated place, in unincorporated Leflore County,[15] in the Mississippi Delta region. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Itta Bena. The university is about 5 miles (8.0 km) from Greenwood, about 50 miles (80 km) from Greenville, about 100-mile (160 km) north of Jackson, and about 120-mile (190 km) south of Memphis, Tennessee.[8]
MVSU includes faculty and staff apartments and other residential apartments.
Academics
Mississippi Valley State University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through the following entities:
- College of Art & Sciences
- College of Professional Studies
- College of Education
- Graduate School
MVSU offers an
MVSU was accredited in 1968 by the
Student activities
Activities include theater, special interest groups, orchestra, fraternities, sororities, and band. Students may work on the Delvian (yearbook) or the Delta Devil Gazette (student-run newspaper). Leadership opportunities are found in the Student Government Association (SGA) or other organizations such as English Club, Future Teachers of America, and Trades and Industries Club.
Mean Green Marching Machine
Mississippi Valley State University's marching band is known as the "Mean Green Marching Machine" (also goes by the
Athletics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/TSU_vs_MVSU_basketball.jpg/220px-TSU_vs_MVSU_basketball.jpg)
MVSU's colors are forest green and white. Their nickname is the Delta Devils for men's teams and Devilettes for women's teams. MVSU sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Famous alumni include NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice of the 1984 football team.
In 2016, MVSU completed $17.5 million worth of renovations to the Harrison HPER Complex. The 87,042 square foot multi-purpose arena is home to MVSU men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball, commencement ceremonies, and other special events. The facility includes features such as fitness centers, an indoor walking track, and three technology HPER classrooms.[23]
WVSD 91.7 FM
MVSU's on-campus public radio station is WVSD 91.7 FM. The station offers a variety of programming involving MVSU, current events, and music.[24]
Notable alumni
Name | Class year | Notability | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Katie Hall | 1960 | Former U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1982 to 1985, and former city clerk of Gary, Indiana | |
David Lee Jordan | N/A | Democratic Mississippi State Senator since 1993
|
[25] |
Chris Charm | 2016 | actor | |
Bryant Clark | 1998 | Democratic Mississippi state representative since 2004, and a Mississippi Attorney | [26][27] |
Chris Epps | 1982? | Longest-serving commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections | [28] |
Famous Amos | social media personality | ||
Jerry Rice | 1985 | Former NFL wide receiver; member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Willie Totten | 1985 | Former Head coach of the Delta Devils football team | |
Patricia Hoskins | 1991 | former player for the women's basketball team, the Devilletes, who once held the record for NCAA Division I women's basketball points scored in a career | |
Carl Byrum | N/A | NFL running back
|
|
Ashley Ambrose | 1992 | NFL cornerback
|
|
Fred Bohannon | 1982 | Former NFL defensive back | [29] |
Vincent Brown | 1987 | Former NFL linebacker and current college football coach | |
Cadillac Don & J-Money | Rappers | [30] | |
Parnell Dickinson | 1975 | Former NFL quarterback | |
Ricky Feacher | 1975 | Former NFL wide receiver and member | |
Alphonso Ford | 1992 | Former NBA and Euroleague basketball player
|
|
James Haynes | 1984 | Former NFL linebacker (1984-1989) for the New Orleans Saints | |
Corey Holmes | 2000 | Mayor of Metcalfe, Mississippi; former CFL running back | |
Jason Holmes | first born-and-raised American to debut in the Australian Football League with St Kilda Football Club | [31] | |
George Ivory
|
1988 | Current men's head basketball coach | |
Dewayne Jefferson | 2001 | Former professional basketball player | |
Deacon Jones | 1960 | Former NFL defensive end; member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Ronald Kirklin | 1987 | Fort Lee
|
|
Dave McDaniels | 1967 | Former NFL wide receiver | |
Melvin Morgan | 1976 | Former NFL defensive back | |
James Oliver | 1968 | First African-American graduate of UMMC | [32] |
Zach Penprase | Israeli-American baseball player for the Israel National Baseball Team
|
||
Terrence Terrell | 2004 | Emmy award winning actor | |
Tyrone Timmons | 2006 | Arena Football wide receiver
|
|
Sam Washington | 1981 | Former NFL cornerback | |
Ted Washington, Sr.
|
1972 | Former NFL linebacker | |
Danta Whitaker | 1989 | Former NFL tight end |
References
- ^ "History".
- ^ "IHL System - About".
- ^ "Data USA - Mississipp Valley State University".
- ^ "University, community college enrollment down in Mississippi". Hattiesburg American.
- ^ "IPEDS-Mississippi Valley State University".
- ^ MVSU Style Guide (PDF). 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2016-04-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "List of HBCUs—White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ a b c "Location Archived 2012-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, Mississippi Valley State University. Retrieved on April 5, 2012.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ James Herbert White. Up From a Cotton Patch: J.H. White and the Development of Mississippi Valley State University([s.n.] 1979), p. 36.
- ISBN 1565843444.
- ^ Briggs named president of Mississippi Valley State University, mississippi.edu; accessed October 27, 2017.
- ^ Dale Thorn (February 1997). "When a Trial Threatens to Merge Small Universities: The Role of Litigation Public Relations in a Federal Desegregation Case". Academic.research.microsoft.com. 22 (2): 101–115. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
- ISBN 1565843444.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
Mississippi Valley State Univ (in blue text)
- ^ "Campus Map" (PDF). Mississippi Valley State University. 2017. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ "School District Consolidation in Mississippi Archived 2017-07-02 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6).
- ^ msvalley (16 April 2015). "Honors Program". Mississippi Valley State University.
- ^ "Accreditations". Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
- ^ "Rose Parade Bands 1950-2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Society of American Archivists. August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "MVSU unveils plans to renovate HPER Complex". Mississippi Valley State University. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ "WVSD Radio". Mvsu.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- ^ David Jordan. Mississippi Senate. Accessed 2012-09-01.
- ^ "Rep. Bryant W. Clark". Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
- ^ "Bryant W. Clark- Lawyer in Lexington, Mississippi (MS) Holmes County - legaldirectories.com". Legaldirectories.com. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ Amy, Jeff. "Ex-Prison Boss and Businessman Admit to Bribery Scheme" (Archive). Associated Press at ABC News. February 25, 2013. Retrieved on February 27, 2015.
- ^ "Fred Bohannon bio". DatabaseFootball. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Show & Prove Cadillac Don & J-Money". XXL. 9 November 2006. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
- ^ "Former Morehead State forward poised to make history in Australian Football League". Collegebasketballtalk. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ "An extraordinary admission: 50 years ago, Mississippi native perseveres to become medical school's first Black graduate". March 14, 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.