Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University
Established	1950
Type	Public, HBCU
President	Dr. Donna H. Oliver
Students	2,500
Location	Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States
Campus	Rural
Former names	Mississippi Vocational College Mississippi Valley State College
Colors	Forest green and White
Athletics	NCAA Division I (FCS)
Sports	football basketball cross country golf tennis track soccer volleyball softball bowling
Nickname	Delta Devils or Devilettes
Affiliations	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Website	www.mvsu.edu

Mississippi Valley State University (commonly referred to as MVSU or "The Valley") is a historically black university located in unincorporated Leflore County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, near Itta Bena.^[1][2] MVSU is a member- school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

History

The institution, which opened in 1950, was created by the Mississippi Legislature as Mississippi Vocational College. The legislature anticipated that legal segregation of public education was in danger (and would in four years be declared unconstitutional in the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education the institution, hoping that its existence would draw African-American applicants who might have otherwise applied to attend Mississippi's premier whites-only institutions—the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Creating separate institutions of higher learning for Mississippi's black population, the state's political leaders hoped, would help ease 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 blacks, those proposing creation of M.V.C. used the term "vocational" to imply that the institution's main purpose would be to train blacks to take on blue-collar jobs.

The original legislative proposal would have located M.V.C. in Greenwood, but the white leadership of that city did not like the idea of hosting an institution that would attract young blacks to the area. Thus, the proposed site was moved to Itta Bena. Even that town, however, objected to too close a proximity of a black institution, so the final site was chosen to place the college away from the downtown area, on cheap, uncultivatable land.

In 1964, Mississippi Vocational College was renamed Mississippi Valley State College.

In 1970, a student boycott was organized to protest President White's administration of the institution. Half the enrolled students of the institution—about 900—were arrested. However, White was ousted as president soon afterward.

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. [William Waller] proposed changing the names of three black institutions from "colleges" to "universities." Thus, in 1974, the institution was renamed again, as Mississippi Valley State University.

In 1998, the university renamed many of the buildings on campus, except for the ones named after Sillers, Wright, and J. H. White.

Campus

The campus is on a 450-acre (180 ha) tract of land adjacent to U.S. Highway 82 in unincorporated Leflore County, in the Mississippi Delta region, 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) of Memphis, Tennessee.^[2]

Student Activities

Activities include theater, orchestra, 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.

NPHC Greek-letter organizations

• Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Epsilon Pi chapter
• Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Zeta Phi chapter
• Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Eta Alpha chapter
• Iota Phi Theta fraternity, Eta Kappa chapter
• Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Zeta Zeta chapter
• Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Beta Theta chapter
• Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Delta Phi chapter
• Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, Kappa Chi chapter
• Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Psi Gamma chapter

Non-NPHC Greek-letter organizations

• Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter
• Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority, Zeta Psi chapter
• Alpha Phi Sigma national criminal justice honor society, Zeta Tau chapter.

Curriculum

Mississippi Valley State University has academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. There are 2 colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Education and Professional Studies, and a Graduate School.

Tuition

2011 Tuition per Semester: $2465.52 (off campus, in-state); $6036.48 (off campus, out-of-state); Room and board: $5234.02 (resident); $8804.98 (non-resident).

Athletics

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.

The Mississippi Valley State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, football, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis and track along with Women's Intercollegiate basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, golf, softball, bowling and track.

Notable alumni

References

External links

	Mississippi portal
	University portal
	African American portal

• www.mvsu.edu — Official web site

Coordinates: 33°30′45″N 90°20′33″W / 33.5125597°N 90.3424215°W / 33.5125597; -90.3424215