 | |
Former name | Mississippi Vocational College (1950–1964) Mississippi Valley State College (1964–1974) |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Live for Service" |
| Type | Publichistorically black university |
| Established | February 19, 1950; 75 years ago (February 19, 1950) (groundbreaking)[1] |
Parent institution | Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning[2] |
| Accreditation | SACS |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $3.65 million (2021)[3] |
| President | Jerryl Briggs |
| Students | 2,196 (fall 2023)[4] |
| Location | Itta Bena postal address ,,United States |
| Campus | Remote town[5], 450 acres (1.8 km2) |
| Other campuses | Greenville |
| Newspaper | Delta Devils Gazette |
| Colors | Forest green, white, and red[6] |
| Nickname | Delta Devils & Devilettes |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division IFCS -SWAC |
| Mascot | Delta Devil |
| Website | www |
 | |
 | |
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU,The Valley orValley) is apublichistorically black university inMississippi Valley State, Mississippi, adjacent toItta Bena, Mississippi.[7][8] MVSU is a member-school of theThurgood Marshall College Fund.
The institution, which opened in 1950, was created by theMississippi Legislature asMississippi Vocational College. The legislation to form the institution was signed into law by GovernorThomas L. Bailey on April 5, 1946. On February 10, 1950, GovernorFielding 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 theUnited States Supreme Court's decision inBrown v. Board of Education). It created this institution in the hopes that it would attractAfrican-American applicants who might otherwise apply to Mississippi's premier whites-only institutions: theUniversity of Mississippi,Mississippi State University, and theUniversity of Southern Mississippi.
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. TheGreenwood Commonwealth celebrated the choice. However, residents ofCarroll County, Mississippi objected to having the institution located near their properties.[10]
After further study, the committee selected a site inItta 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 renamedMississippi 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,civil rights leaders continued to protest the inequalities in higher education opportunities offered to whites and blacks in Mississippi. In an effort to defuse some of the criticism, Gov.Bill Waller proposed changing the names of three black institutions from "colleges" to "universities". Thus, in 1974, the institution was renamed again, asMississippi Valley State University.
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 ofJackson 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 inInnovative Higher Education, the journalistDale 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 politiciansWalter Sillers, Jr.,Fielding Wright, and J. H. White.[14]
The campus is on a 450-acre (180 ha) tract of land adjacent toU.S. Highway 82.[8]
It is inMississippi Valley Statecensus-designated place, inunincorporatedLeflore County,[15] in theMississippi Delta region. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest ofItta Bena. The university is about 5 miles (8.0 km) fromGreenwood, about 50 miles (80 km) fromGreenville, about 100-mile (160 km) north ofJackson, and about 120-mile (190 km) south ofMemphis,Tennessee.[8]
MVSU includes faculty and staff apartments and other residential apartments.[16] Dependent children living in these units are within theGreenwood-Leflore School District. These apartments were formerly served by theLeflore County School District.[17] Effective July 1, 2019 this district consolidated into the Greenwood-Leflore School District.[18]
Mississippi Valley State University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through the following entities:
MVSU offers anhonors program for high-achieving undergraduate students on campus.[19]
MVSU was accredited in 1968 by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor's and master's degrees.[20]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 89% | ||
| Unknown | 5% | ||
| Hispanic | 2% | ||
| White | 2% | ||
| Two or more races | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 75% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 25% | ||
Extracurricular programs include theater, special interest groups, orchestra, fraternities, sororities, and band. Students may work on theDelvian (yearbook) or theDelta 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.
Mississippi Valley State University's marching band is known as the "Mean Green Marching Machine" (also goes by themoniker of "The Mack Of The SWAC") and the "Satin Dolls" are the featured dance squad. The band holds the distinction of being the first African-American band to participate in theTournament of Rosesparade, which it achieved in 1965.[22][23]
The Mean Green Marching Machine was invited to perform duringDonald Trump'ssecond inauguration and participated in the parade January 20, 2025, atCapital One Arena.[24] The parade was moved indoors due to inclement weather.
MVSU's colors areforest green, red andwhite. 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 forfootball) in theSouthwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Famous alumni include NFL wide receiverJerry Rice of the1984 football team.
In 2016, MVSU completed $17.5 million worth of renovations to theHarrison 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.[25]
Willie "Satellite" Totten, who was an assistant football coach at MVSU, was the college quarterback at the school whenJerry Rice played. The football stadium is named for them.[26] Totten now coaches at Southern University in Louisiana.
MVSU's on-campus public radio station isWVSD 91.7 FM. The station offers a variety of programming involving MVSU, current events, and music.[27]
| 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 | DemocraticMississippi State Senator since 1993 | [28] |
| Bryant Clark | 1998 | DemocraticMississippi state representative since 2004, and a Mississippi Attorney | [29][30] |
| Chris Epps | 1982? | Longest-serving commissioner of theMississippi Department of Corrections | [31] |
| Wally Amos (Famous Amos) | social media personality | ||
| Jerry Rice | 1985 | Former NFL wide receiver; member of thePro 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 | [32] |
| Vincent Brown | 1987 | Former NFL linebacker and current college football coach | |
| Cadillac Don & J-Money | Rappers | [33] | |
| Parnell Dickinson | 1975 | Former NFL quarterback | |
| Ricky Feacher | 1975 | Former NFL wide receiver and member | |
| Alphonso Ford | 1992 | Former NBA andEuroleague basketball player | |
| James Haynes | 1984 | Former NFL linebacker (1984-1989) for theNew Orleans Saints | |
| Corey Holmes | 2000 | Mayor ofMetcalfe, Mississippi; formerCFL running back | |
| Jason Holmes | first born-and-raised American to debut in theAustralian Football League withSt Kilda Football Club | [34] | |
| 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 thePro Football Hall of Fame | |
| Ronald Kirklin | 1987 | Major General in theUnited States Army. Former Quartermaster General and Commandant of the Quartermaster School atFort Lee | |
| Dave McDaniels | 1967 | Former NFL wide receiver | |
| Melvin Morgan | 1976 | Former NFL defensive back | |
| James Oliver | 1968 | First African-American graduate ofUMMC | [35] |
| Zach Penprase | Israeli-American baseball player for theIsrael National Baseball Team | ||
| 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 |
Mississippi Valley State Univ (in blue text)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
33°30′45″N90°20′33″W / 33.51256°N 90.342422°W /33.51256; -90.342422
