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]
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, 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, as Mississippi 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 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 Walter Sillers, Jr., Fielding Wright, and J. H. White.[14]
Campus
The campus is on a 450-acre (180ha) tract of land adjacent to U.S. Highway 82.[8]
MVSU includes faculty and staff apartments and other residential apartments.[16] Dependent children living in these units are within the Greenwood-Leflore School District. These apartments were formerly served by the Leflore County School District.[17] Effective July 1, 2019 this district consolidated into the Greenwood-Leflore School District.[18]
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 honors program for high-achieving undergraduate students on campus.[19]
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 moniker 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 the Tournament of Rosesparade, which it achieved in 1965.[21][22]
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]
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
Leflore County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,339. The county seat is Greenwood. The county is named for Choctaw leader Greenwood LeFlore, who signed a treaty to cede his people's land to the United States in exchange for land in Indian Territory. LeFlore stayed in Mississippi, settling on land reserved for him in Tallahatchie County.
Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,049 at the 2010 census. The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase iti bina, meaning "forest camp". Itta Bena is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area. It developed as a trading center of an area of cotton plantations.
Morgan City, Mississippi is a town in Leflore County along Mississippi Highway 7. The population was 255 at the 2010 census, down from 305 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area.
Rice–Totten Stadium is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium location in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States. It serves as the home field of the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team of Mississippi Valley State University. The stadium opened in 1958 as Magnolia Stadium and was renamed in 2000 in honor of former MVSU football players Jerry Rice and Willie Totten, who set many NCAA Division I-AA records in the 1980s. Rice went on to a 20-year career in the National Football League (NFL) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Totten played professional football for several years after college and then went into coaching, serving as the head football coach at Mississippi Valley State from 2002 to 2009. He is one of the few college football coaches to have coached a game at a facility named after themselves
R.W. Harrison HPER Complex is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Constructed in 1977, it is home to the Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils basketball and volleyball teams.
The Greenwood Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan area in the northwestern Delta region of Mississippi that covers two counties - Leflore and Carroll. As of the 2000 census, the USA had a population of 48,716.
The Leflore County School District (LCSD) was a public school district headquartered in Greenwood, Mississippi, United States.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represents Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and plays home games in the Harrison HPER Complex.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States. The team is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at Magnolia Field in Itta Bena, Mississippi. CJ Bilbrey is the team's head coach starting in the 2024 season.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and Devilettes represent Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi in intercollegiate athletics. They field thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field; women's-only soccer, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball and football. The Delta Devils and Devilettes compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Mississippi Valley State University is a census-designated place in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 805. It is the location of Mississippi Valley State University and is adjacent to Itta Bena.
The Mississippi Valley State Devilettes basketball team represents Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and plays home games in the Harrison HPER Complex.
Leflore County High School or LCHS is a public high school in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States. It is a part of the Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District.
The 2018–19 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represented Mississippi Valley State University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Delta Devils were led by fifth-year head coach Andre Payne, and played their home games at the Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Mississippi as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 6–26 overall, 4–14 in SWAC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They failed to qualify for the 2019 SWAC tournament, as only the top eight teams are eligible to participate.
Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District (GLCSD) is a school district serves Greenwood, Mississippi and the rest of Leflore County. It was established on July 1, 2019, as a merger of the Greenwood Public School District and the Leflore County School District.
The 2019–20 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represented Mississippi Valley State University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Delta Devils were led by first-year head coach Lindsey Hunter and played their home games at the Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Mississippi as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 3–27, 3–15 in SWAC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They failed to qualify for the SWAC tournament.
The 2020–21 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represented Mississippi Valley State University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Lindsey Hunter, and played their home games at Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Mississippi as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In March, they were the worst ranked team in NCAA Division I according to Kenpom, with the least efficient offense and defense.
The 2021–22 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represented Mississippi Valley State University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Delta Devils were led by third-year head coach Lindsey Hunter for the first 25 games of the season and by interim head coach George Ivory for the final three games of the season. They played their home games at the Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Mississippi as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 2–26, 2–13 in SWAC play to finish in last place. They failed to qualify for the SWAC tournament.
The 2022–23 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils basketball team represented Mississippi Valley State University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Delta Devils were led by first-year head coach George Ivory. They played their home games at the Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Mississippi as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
↑ "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)
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