Alcorn State University: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Historically black public college in Lorman, Mississippi, US}}
{{Short description|Historically black public college in Lorman, Mississippi, US}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}{{Infobox university
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox university
  | name                  = Alcorn State University
  | name                  = Alcorn State University
  | former_name            = Alcorn University<br />(1871–1878)<br />Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College<br />(1878–1974)
  | former_name            = Alcorn University<br />(1871–1878)<br />Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College<br />(1878–1974)
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  | mascot                = Bravehawk
  | mascot                = Bravehawk
}}
}}
[[File:Alcorn State University, Oakland Chapel, Alcorn State University Campus, Alcorn vicinity (Claiborne County, Mississippi).jpg|thumb|right|Oakland Chapel on the campus of Alcorn State University]]
[[File:Alcorn State University, Oakland Chapel, Alcorn State University Campus, Alcorn vicinity (Claiborne County, Mississippi).jpg|thumb|right|Oakland Chapel on the campus of Alcorn State University]]
[[File:Literary Society Building, Alcorn State University.jpg|thumb|right|The Literary Society Building on the campus of Alcorn State University]]
[[File:Literary Society Building, Alcorn State University.jpg|thumb|right|The Literary Society Building on the campus of Alcorn State University]]
'''Alcorn State University''' ('''Alcorn State''', '''ASU''' or '''Alcorn''') is a [[Public university|public]] [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black]] [[land-grant university]] adjacent to [[Lorman, Mississippi]]. It was founded in 1871 and was the first [[African-American|black]] land grant college established in the United States.  The university is a member-school of the [[Thurgood Marshall College Fund]].
'''Alcorn State University''' ('''Alcorn State''', '''ASU''' or '''Alcorn''') is a [[Public university|public]] [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black]] [[land-grant university]] adjacent to [[Lorman, Mississippi]]. It was founded in 1871 and was the first [[African-American|black]] land grant college established in the United States.  The university is a member-school of the [[Thurgood Marshall College Fund]].


Alcorn State's athletic teams known as the [[Alcorn State Braves and Lady Braves|Braves]] and compete in the [[NCAA Division I|NCAA's Division I]]. All teams compete as members of the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference|Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)]].
Alcorn State's athletic teams are known as the [[Alcorn State Braves and Lady Braves|Braves]] and compete in the [[NCAA Division I|NCAA's Division I]]. All teams compete as members of the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference|Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)]].


==History==
==History==
Alcorn State University was the first black [[land grant college]] in the country. Mississippi's Reconstructionist legislature, dominated by Republicans sympathetic to the cause of educating the formerly enslaved, established the college on the site of [[Oakland College (Mississippi)|Oakland College]], a college that had gone defunct due to the Civil War.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Harris|first=Adam|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1204635631|title=The state must provide : why America's colleges have always been unequal--and how to set them right|date=2021|isbn=978-0-06-297648-2|edition=First|location=New York, NY|pages=62–68|oclc=1204635631}}</ref> '''Alcorn University''' started with what is recognized as three historic buildings.<ref name=":1">{{citation|title=Against Great Odds: The History of Alcorn State University}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://collegehistorygarden.blogspot.com/2014/12/mississippi-colleges-that-have-closed.html|title=Mississippi Colleges that have Closed, Merged, Changed Names|last=Brown|first=Ray C.|date=December 2, 2014|publisher=Ray C. Brown|access-date=2015-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oakland College|url=http://claibornecountyms.org/oakland_college.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512034755/http://claibornecountyms.org/oakland_college.htm|archive-date=May 12, 2019|access-date=June 18, 2021|website=claibornecountyms.org}}</ref>
Alcorn State University was the first black [[land grant college]] in the country. Mississippi's Reconstructionist legislature, dominated by Republicans sympathetic to the cause of educating the formerly enslaved, established the college on the site of [[Oakland College (Mississippi)|Oakland College]], a college that had gone defunct due to the Civil War.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Harris|first=Adam|title=The state must provide : why America's colleges have always been unequal--and how to set them right|date=2021|isbn=978-0-06-297648-2|edition=First|location=New York, NY|pages=62–68|oclc=1204635631}}</ref> '''Alcorn University''' started with what is recognized as three historic buildings.<ref name=":1">{{citation|title=Against Great Odds: The History of Alcorn State University}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://collegehistorygarden.blogspot.com/2014/12/mississippi-colleges-that-have-closed.html|title=Mississippi Colleges that have Closed, Merged, Changed Names|last=Brown|first=Ray C.|date=December 2, 2014|publisher=Ray C. Brown|access-date=2015-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oakland College|url=http://claibornecountyms.org/oakland_college.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512034755/http://claibornecountyms.org/oakland_college.htm|archive-date=May 12, 2019|access-date=June 18, 2021|website=claibornecountyms.org}}</ref>


United States Senator [[Hiram Rhodes Revels|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 {{convert|30000|acre|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.<ref name=":1" /> After a group of white Democrats known as Redeemers took over the legislature, Alcorn's appropriation was slashed by almost 90 percent, to $5,500 per year, and an all-white board of trustees was appointed.<ref name=":0" />
United States Senator [[Hiram Rhodes Revels|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 {{convert|30000|acre|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.<ref name=":1" /> After a group of white Democrats known as Redeemers took over the legislature, Alcorn's appropriation was slashed by almost 90 percent, to $5,500 per year, and an all-white board of trustees was appointed.<ref name=":0" />
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In 1994 Jay Searcy of the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' said that except for its football team, Evers, and "an occasional Olympic athlete," "Alcorn rarely gets mentioned outside the state of Mississippi" although attention on the university increased after [[Steve McNair]]'s athletic successes.<ref name="Searcy">Searcy, Jay. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140301084228/http://articles.philly.com/1994-11-01/sports/25868294_1_steve-mcnair-alcorn-cardell-jones A Phenom Puts The Middle Of Nowhere On The Map Alcorn State's Steve Mcnair Is An Out-of-this-world Qb In An Out-of-the-way Place. He's Getting It A Lot Of Attention.]" ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]''. November 1, 1994. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.</ref>
In 1994 Jay Searcy of the ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]'' said that except for its football team, Evers, and "an occasional Olympic athlete," "Alcorn rarely gets mentioned outside the state of Mississippi" although attention on the university increased after [[Steve McNair]]'s athletic successes.<ref name="Searcy">Searcy, Jay. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140301084228/http://articles.philly.com/1994-11-01/sports/25868294_1_steve-mcnair-alcorn-cardell-jones A Phenom Puts The Middle Of Nowhere On The Map Alcorn State's Steve Mcnair Is An Out-of-this-world Qb In An Out-of-the-way Place. He's Getting It A Lot Of Attention.]" ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]''. November 1, 1994. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.</ref>


In 2020, [[MacKenzie Scott]] donated $25 million to Alcorn State. Her donation is the largest single gift in Alcorn State's history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Story Details - Alcorn State University|url=https://www.alcorn.edu/newsevents/news/story-details/~board/broadcast-news/post/alcorn-state-university-announces-the-largest-single-gift-in-the-schools-history|access-date=2021-06-19|website=www.alcorn.edu|date=December 29, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2020, [[MacKenzie Scott]] donated $25 million to Alcorn State. Her 2020 donation is the second largest gift in Alcorn's history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Story Details - Alcorn State University|url=https://www.alcorn.edu/newsevents/news/story-details/~board/broadcast-news/post/alcorn-state-university-announces-the-largest-single-gift-in-the-schools-history|access-date=2021-06-19|website=www.alcorn.edu|date=December 29, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>


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&nbsp;million.<ref>[http://www.alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=559 "About"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119110756/http://alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=559 |date=November 19, 2010 }}, Alcorn University</ref>
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&nbsp;million.<ref>[http://www.alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=559 "About"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119110756/http://alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=559 |date=November 19, 2010 }}, Alcorn University</ref>
On October 11, 2025, a shooting at the university during homecoming weekend killed one person and injured two others.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 11, 2025 |title=One dead and two injured in Alcorn State shooting |url=https://www.wlbt.com/2025/10/12/shooting-reported-alcorn-state-university/ |access-date=October 11, 2025 |publisher=[[WLBT]]}}</ref>  The gunman was soon after arrested and denied bond.<ref>https://www.wapt.com/article/mbi-arrests-suspect-in-deadly-alcorn-state-university-shooting/69049743</ref> Also in October 2025, MacKenzie Scott donated an additional $42 million to Alcorn which is the largest gift in its history.<ref>https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/education/2025/10/29/mackenzie-scott-gives-hbcu-alcorn-state-largest-single-donation-in-school-history/86960908007/</ref>


===Presidents===
===Presidents===
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==Locations==
==Locations==
[[File:Alcorn State University Entrance Sign.jpg|thumb|280px|upright=1.15|Alcorn State University entrance sign]]
[[File:Alcorn State University Entrance Sign.jpg|thumb|280px|upright=1.15|Alcorn State University entrance sign]]
The main campus is located in Alcorn State University [[census-designated place]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st28_ms/place/p2800680_alcorn_state_university/DC20BLK_P2800680.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Alcorn State University CDP, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-08-14|quote=Alcorn State Univ (in blue text)}}</ref> an [[unincorporated area]] in [[Claiborne County, Mississippi]].  The campus is often referred to as "The Reservation".<ref>https://safe.menlosecurity.com/https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/sioux-nickname-alcorn-state-still-home-of-the-braves</ref> It is {{convert|45|mi|km}} south of Vicksburg,<ref name="Searcy"/> {{convert|40|mi|km}} north of Natchez, and {{convert|80|mi|km}} southwest of [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20090726050958/http://www.alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=565 Driving Directions]." Alcorn State University. Retrieved on April 25, 2012.</ref> It is near [[Lorman, Mississippi|Lorman]].
The main campus is located in Alcorn State University [[census-designated place]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st28_ms/place/p2800680_alcorn_state_university/DC20BLK_P2800680.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Alcorn State University CDP, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-08-14|quote=Alcorn State Univ (in blue text)}}</ref> an [[unincorporated area]] in [[Claiborne County, Mississippi]].  The campus is often referred to as "The Reservation".<ref>{{cite web | title=Menlo Security | url=https://safe.menlosecurity.com/https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/sioux-nickname-alcorn-state-still-home-of-the-braves }}</ref> It is {{convert|45|mi|km}} south of Vicksburg,<ref name="Searcy"/> {{convert|40|mi|km}} north of Natchez, and {{convert|80|mi|km}} southwest of [[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20090726050958/http://www.alcorn.edu/about/default.aspx?id=565 Driving Directions]." Alcorn State University. Retrieved on April 25, 2012.</ref> It is near [[Lorman, Mississippi|Lorman]].


The Nursing School is located in [[Natchez, Mississippi]]. The university also has technology centers at the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology (MCITy) in [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]].
The Nursing School is located in [[Natchez, Mississippi]]. The university also has technology centers at the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology (MCITy) in [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]].
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==Demographics==
==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: Alcorn State University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?175342-Alcorn-State-University|website=College Scorecard |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=July 26, 2025 }}</ref>
|-
! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|96|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[International student]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:#008080}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|77|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|23|%|2||background:black}}
|}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
|name                    = Alcorn State University CDP
|name                    = Alcorn State University CDP
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Alcorn State University CDP is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) and the official name for an area covering the Alcorn State University campus, in [[Claiborne County, Mississippi|Claiborne County]], [[Mississippi]], United States.
Alcorn State University CDP is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) and the official name for an area covering the Alcorn State University campus, in [[Claiborne County, Mississippi|Claiborne County]], [[Mississippi]], United States.


It first appeared as a CDP in the [[2010 U.S. Census]].<ref name=2010CensusP2/> The population at the 2020 census was 1,120.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alcorn State University CDP, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2800680|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=March 13, 2022}}</ref> while the Fall 2019 enrollment at Alcorn State University was 3,523.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alcorn At-A-Glance|url=https://www.alcorn.edu/uploaded/files/oaa/ira/Fall_19_Alcorn_At_a_Glance_for_webpage_II_Work_Copy_use_this_one.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=June 19, 2021|website=www.alcorn.edu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219002847/https://www.alcorn.edu/uploaded/files/oaa/ira/Fall_19_Alcorn_At_a_Glance_for_webpage_II_Work_Copy_use_this_one.pdf |archive-date=February 19, 2020 }}</ref>
It first appeared as a CDP in the [[2010 U.S. census]].<ref name=2010CensusP2/> The population at the 2020 census was 1,120.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alcorn State University CDP, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2800680|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=March 13, 2022}}</ref> while the Fall 2019 enrollment at Alcorn State University was 3,523.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alcorn At-A-Glance|url=https://www.alcorn.edu/uploaded/files/oaa/ira/Fall_19_Alcorn_At_a_Glance_for_webpage_II_Work_Copy_use_this_one.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=June 19, 2021|website=www.alcorn.edu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219002847/https://www.alcorn.edu/uploaded/files/oaa/ira/Fall_19_Alcorn_At_a_Glance_for_webpage_II_Work_Copy_use_this_one.pdf |archive-date=February 19, 2020 }}</ref>


{{US Census population
{{US Census population
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{{Alum|name=[[Katie G. Dorsett]]|year=|nota=Member of the [[North Carolina Senate]] from the 28th district|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Katie G. Dorsett]]|year=|nota=Member of the [[North Carolina Senate]] from the 28th district|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Medgar Evers]]|year=1948|nota=First [[NAACP]] field secretary and assassinated civil rights activist|ref=<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/media-jan-june02-evers_04-18 | title=The Medgar Evers Assassination | website=[[PBS]] | date=April 18, 2002 }}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Medgar Evers]]|year=1948|nota=First [[NAACP]] field secretary and assassinated civil rights activist|ref=<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/media-jan-june02-evers_04-18 | title=The Medgar Evers Assassination | website=[[PBS]] | date=April 18, 2002 }}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Cornelius J. Jones]]|year=1870s|nota=Attorney, voting rights activist, politician. Mississippi state legislator. One of the first African American attorneys to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court|ref=<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Catalogue/L1oXAQAAIAAJ?gbpv=1 | title=Catalog of the Officers and Students at Alcorn University, at Oakland, Mississippi, Third Year, 1873-74 | website=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Cornelius J. Jones]]|year=1870s|nota=Attorney, voting rights activist, politician. Mississippi state legislator. One of the first African American attorneys to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court|ref=<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L1oXAQAAIAAJ | title=Catalog of the Officers and Students at Alcorn University, at Oakland, Mississippi, Third Year, 1873-74 | website=[[Google Books]] | date=1874 }}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Ed Smith (alderman)|Ed Smith]]|year=|nota=Former alderman of the 28th ward in Chicago, Illinois 1983–2010|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Ed Smith (alderman)|Ed Smith]]|year=|nota=Former alderman of the 28th ward in Chicago, Illinois 1983–2010|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Charles Tillman (politician)|Charles Tillman]]|year=1958|nota=Mayor of [[Jackson, Mississippi]]|ref=<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jacob |last=Fuller |authorlink=  |title=  Charles Tillman: Speak Softly |newspaper=[[Jackson Free Press]]|date=August 29, 2012 |url=https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/aug/29/charles-tillman-speak-softly/  |via=}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Charles Tillman (politician)|Charles Tillman]]|year=1958|nota=Mayor of [[Jackson, Mississippi]]|ref=<ref>{{Cite news|first=Jacob |last=Fuller |authorlink=  |title=  Charles Tillman: Speak Softly |newspaper=[[Jackson Free Press]]|date=August 29, 2012 |url=https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/aug/29/charles-tillman-speak-softly/  |via=}}</ref>}}
{{AlumniEnd}}
{{AlumniEnd}}


===Sports===
===Sports===
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===Other fields===
===Other fields===
{{AlumniStart}}
{{AlumniStart}}
{{alum|name=[[Joseph Dunbar]]|nota=Scientist||ref=<ref name=morin>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ydHVdMUqdEC&pg=PA78 |pages=77–80 |title=Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century |editor1-first=Katherine A. |editor1-last=Morin |editor2-first=James H. |editor2-last=Kessler |editor3-first=J. S. |editor3-last=Kidd |editor4-first=Renee A. |editor4-last=Kidd |publisher=Greenwood |year=1996 |isbn=9780897749558}}</ref>}}
{{alum|name=[[Joseph Dunbar (scientist)|Joseph Dunbar]]|nota=Scientist||ref=<ref name=morin>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ydHVdMUqdEC&pg=PA78 |pages=77–80 |title=Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century |editor1-first=Katherine A. |editor1-last=Morin |editor2-first=James H. |editor2-last=Kessler |editor3-first=J. S. |editor3-last=Kidd |editor4-first=Renee A. |editor4-last=Kidd |publisher=Greenwood |year=1996 |isbn=9780897749558}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Michael Clarke Duncan]]|year=attended|nota=Actor|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Michael Clarke Duncan]]|year=attended|nota=Actor|ref=}}
{{Alum|name=[[Alex Haley]]|year=attended|nota=Author|ref=<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firsttribenation.com/post/alex-haley-and-roots-plagiarism-changed-american-indian-identity|title=Alex Haley and 'Roots' Plagiarism Changed American Indian identity|first=Ishmael|last=Bey|date=June 10, 2023|website=FIRST TRIBE ABORIGIN}}</ref>}}
{{Alum|name=[[Alex Haley]]|year=attended|nota=Author|ref=<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firsttribenation.com/post/alex-haley-and-roots-plagiarism-changed-american-indian-identity|title=Alex Haley and 'Roots' Plagiarism Changed American Indian identity|first=Ishmael|last=Bey|date=June 10, 2023|website=FIRST TRIBE ABORIGIN}}</ref>}}
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==Notable faculty==
==Notable faculty==
* [[Melerson Guy Dunham]] – educator, lay minister, civil rights activist, and history; taught at Alcorn until her retirement in 1970; wrote the book ''Centennial History of Alcorn College''<ref name="Alcorn Hist">{{Cite news |date=1971-10-17 |title=Alcorn Historian: Autograph Party for Mrs. Dunham |pages=59 |work=Clarion-Ledger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger/100692150/ |access-date=2023-07-11}}</ref><ref name="Clio">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/cliossouthernsis00unse |title=Clio's southern sisters : interviews with leaders of the Southern Association for Women Historians |date=2004 |publisher=Columbia : University of Missouri Press |isbn=978-0-8262-1541-3 |pages=68}}</ref>
* [[Melerson Guy Dunham]] – educator, lay minister, civil rights activist, and history; taught at Alcorn until her retirement in 1970; wrote the book ''Centennial History of Alcorn College''<ref name="Alcorn Hist">{{Cite news |date=1971-10-17 |title=Alcorn Historian: Autograph Party for Mrs. Dunham |pages=59 |work=Clarion-Ledger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger/100692150/ |access-date=2023-07-11}}</ref><ref name="Clio">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/cliossouthernsis00unse |title=Clio's southern sisters : interviews with leaders of the Southern Association for Women Historians |date=2004 |publisher=Columbia : University of Missouri Press |isbn=978-0-8262-1541-3 |pages=68}}</ref>
==Notes==
{{noteslist}}


==References==
==References==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Alcorn State University}}<!-- Per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
{{Commons category}}<!-- Per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
{{Portal|Mississippi|Education}}
{{Portal|Mississippi|Education}}
*{{Official website|https://www.alcorn.edu/}}
*{{Official website|https://www.alcorn.edu/}}
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[[Category:Alcorn State University| ]]
[[Category:Alcorn State University| ]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Historically black universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Historically black universities and colleges in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Land-grant universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Land-grant universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1871]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1871]]

Latest revision as of 19:01, 5 November 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".

File:Alcorn State University, Oakland Chapel, Alcorn State University Campus, Alcorn vicinity (Claiborne County, Mississippi).jpg
Oakland Chapel on the campus of Alcorn State University
File:Literary Society Building, Alcorn State University.jpg
The Literary Society Building on the campus of Alcorn State University

Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Alcorn State's athletic teams are known as the Braves and compete in the NCAA's Division I. All teams compete as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

History

Alcorn State University was the first black land grant college in the country. Mississippi's Reconstructionist legislature, dominated by Republicans sympathetic to the cause of educating the formerly enslaved, established the college on the site of Oakland College, a college that had gone defunct due to the Civil War.[1] Alcorn University started with what is recognized as three historic buildings.[2][3][4]

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 Template:Convert 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.[2] After a group of white Democrats known as Redeemers took over the legislature, Alcorn's appropriation was slashed by almost 90 percent, to $5,500 per year, and an all-white board of trustees was appointed.[1]

In 1878, the name Alcorn University was changed to Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. The university's original Template:Convert of land have been expanded to develop a Template:Convert 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.

File:Levi J. Rowan.jpg
Levi J. Rowan

At first the school was exclusively for black males, but women were admitted in 1895. 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 2,933 students from all over the world.[5]

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 1994 Jay Searcy of the Philadelphia Inquirer said that except for its football team, Evers, and "an occasional Olympic athlete," "Alcorn rarely gets mentioned outside the state of Mississippi" although attention on the university increased after Steve McNair's athletic successes.[6]

In 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $25 million to Alcorn State. Her 2020 donation is the second largest gift in Alcorn'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]

On October 11, 2025, a shooting at the university during homecoming weekend killed one person and injured two others.[9] The gunman was soon after arrested and denied bond.[10] Also in October 2025, MacKenzie Scott donated an additional $42 million to Alcorn which is the largest gift in its history.[11]

Presidents

Name Years[12][13] 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. 2014–2018 No
Donzell Lee 2018–2019 Yes
Felecia M. Nave 2019–2023 No
Ontario Wooden 2023 Yes
Tracy M. Cook 2023– NoTemplate:Efn

Template:Notelist

Academics

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.

  • College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
  • College 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.[14]

Alcorn State University is the only HBCU in Mississippi with a comprehensive nursing program, and the first institution in Mississippi and at an HBCU nationwide offering a STEM MBA.[15]

The Myrlie Evers-Williams Honors Program is available to highly motivated undergraduate students seeking to enhance their academic experience and leadership skills.[16]

Master of Business Administration (MBA) & STEM MBA programs

Alcorn State University's School of Business offers a Traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with a general business management emphasis and a concentration in tourism and hospitality management, as well as a STEM Master of Business Administration program with four concentrations in accounting, healthcare management, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Both programs are 30 hour credited and structured on an eight-week model, allowing students to complete their degree within one year. All classes are conducted online through Alcorn's learning management system, CANVAS. The MBA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global accrediting body for business degree programs.

Global programs

Besides coordinating study-abroad opportunities, Global Programs brings worldwide perspectives to campus through exchange programs and special events.[17]

Pre-professional programs

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.[18]

Accreditation

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, Specialist's, and Doctorate 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

File:Alcorn State University Entrance Sign.jpg
Alcorn State University entrance sign

The main campus is located in Alcorn State University census-designated place,[19] an unincorporated area in Claiborne County, Mississippi. The campus is often referred to as "The Reservation".[20] It is Template:Convert south of Vicksburg,[6] Template:Convert north of Natchez, and Template:Convert southwest of Jackson.[21] It is near Lorman.

The Nursing School is located in Natchez, Mississippi. The university also has technology centers at the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology (MCITy) in Vicksburg.

Campus housing

Male residence halls include Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village Complex A and B, Hiram Revels Hall and Albert Lott Hall.[22] Female residence halls include Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village Complex buildings C and D, John Burrus Hall, Beulah Robinson Hall, and the Female Honors Residence Hall.[23] D Faculty housing, which is open to full time employees,[24] and their dependents, is zoned to the Claiborne County School District.[25] Port Gibson High School is the comprehensive high school of the district.

The county is in the district of Copiah–Lincoln Community College, and has been since 1967.[26]

Athletics

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File:Alcorn.png
Alcorn athletics logo

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Alcorn State is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and participates in NCAA Division I FCS. Alcorn sponsors 15 athletic programs.[27]

Sounds of Dyn-O-mite

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 band was invited to perform in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[28]

The "World Renowned Golden Girls" (GGs) is the danceline that has been featured with SOD since its inception. Founded in 1968, they are the first danceline (no twirling batons) featured with a HBCU marching band hence why they often refer to themselves as "The Mother of HBCU dancelines."[29]

Demographics

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023[30]
Race and ethnicity Total
Black Template:Bartable
White Template:Bartable
Hispanic Template:Bartable
International student Template:Bartable
Economic diversity
Low-incomeTemplate:Efn Template:Bartable
AffluentTemplate:Efn Template:Bartable

Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Main other

Alcorn State University CDP is a census-designated place (CDP) and the official name for an area covering the Alcorn State University campus, in Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States.

It first appeared as a CDP in the 2010 U.S. census.[31] The population at the 2020 census was 1,120.[32] while the Fall 2019 enrollment at Alcorn State University was 3,523.[33]

Template:US Census population

2020 census

Alcorn State University CDP, Mississippi – racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop. 2010[31] Pop. 2020[34] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 15 5 1.47% 0.45%
Black or African American alone (NH) 953 1,107 93.71% 98.84%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1 0 0.10% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 12 0 1.18% 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some other race alone (NH) 1 1 0.10% 0.09%
Mixed race/multi-racial (NH) 16 1 1.57% 0.09%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19 6 1.87% 0.54%
Total 1,107 1,120 100.00% 100.00%

Notable alumni

Politics and activism

Template:AlumniStart Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:AlumniEnd

Sports

Template:AlumniStart Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:Alum Template:AlumniEnd

Other fields

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Notable faculty

  • Melerson Guy Dunham – educator, lay minister, civil rights activist, and history; taught at Alcorn until her retirement in 1970; wrote the book Centennial History of Alcorn College[35][36]

Notes

Template:Noteslist

References

Template:Reflist

External links

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Template:Alcorn State University Template:Navboxes

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Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b Searcy, Jay. "A Phenom Puts The Middle Of Nowhere On The Map Alcorn State's Steve Mcnair Is An Out-of-this-world Qb In An Out-of-the-way Place. He's Getting It A Lot Of Attention." Philadelphia Inquirer. November 1, 1994. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ "About" Template:Webarchive, Alcorn University
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ https://www.wapt.com/article/mbi-arrests-suspect-in-deadly-alcorn-state-university-shooting/69049743
  11. ↑ https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/education/2025/10/29/mackenzie-scott-gives-hbcu-alcorn-state-largest-single-donation-in-school-history/86960908007/
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ "Driving Directions." Alcorn State University. Retrieved on April 25, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Male residence halls Template:Webarchive." Alcorn State University. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Female Residence Halls" Template:Webarchive, Alcorn State University. Retrieved on April 25, 2012.
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". - Text list
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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