MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

'Mississippi College', also known as MC, is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College is comprised of the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson. It is the oldest college in the state of Mississippi and the second-oldest Baptist affiliated university in the world.
Mississippi College has been included in the ''U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges", the ''New York Times'' "Best Buys in College" and the ''Barron's'' "Best Buys in College Education".

Accolades

★ For 13 consecutive years, MC has been selected on the Honor Roll of Character Building Institutions as selected by the John Templeton Foundation.

★ MC ranks in the top 2.5% in the field of education, top 3.5% in the non-sciences, and the top 17% in the sciences.

★ 85% acceptance rate into medical school. This includes students who have, or are working toward, a Masters when they are accepted. This acceptance rate is more than twice the national average according to the Association of American Medical Colleges for 1997-1998.

★ 76% acceptance rate into dental school for the past five years has been. MC has supplied 16% of the dental students to the University Medical Center during that period of time.

★ With less than 5% of the total student population in the state, Mississippi College has averaged MC students filling more than 10% of the medical school class at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine for the past five years.

★ MC ranks #19 in the nation in the number of undergraduate students who have pursued and have been awarded doctoral degrees in all fields.

Historical overview

Mississippi College, originally known as Hampstead Academy, received its first charter, signed by Governor David Holmes, on January 24, 1826. The name was changed to Mississippi Academy in 1827 at the request of the Board of Trustees.
Three years later, on December 18, 1830, having become an institution of collegiate rank, the name was changed to Mississippi College. It was the third such institution in Mississippi, but as the other two institutions no longer exist, Mississippi College today has the distinction of being the oldest institution of higher learning in the state.
Mississippi College, during its early years, was not church-related and was once offered to be 'the' State University. It has past affiliations with the Methodist and Presbyterian church, but since 1850 it has been operated by the Mississippi Baptist Convention through an elected Board of Trustees.
A private institution, in 1831 Mississippi College became the first coeducational college in the U.S. to grant a degree to a woman. In 1850 the Female department was discontinued; and in 1853 a Central Female Institute, later renamed Hillman College, was established in Clinton. In 1942 Mississippi College purchased and absorbed Hillman College, and the institution was again coeducational.
The Civil War caused Mississippi College to suffer: its endowment was destroyed, its student body disbanded, and its buildings deteriorated. Under the leadership of Dr. Warren S. Webb (1873-1891) the college stabilized. Under the administration of Dr. W. T. Lowrey (1898-1911), the endowment fund was renewed and the plant was greatly improved.
The administration of Dr. J. W. Provine (1911-1932) was a fruitful period, seeing the completion of Provine Science Building (largely constructed in Dr. Lowrey's administration), and the construction of Lowrey Hall, Alumni Hall, Farr-Hall Hospital, Jennings Hall, Ratliff Hall and Crestman Hall. The endowment was increased to more than $500,000 and in 1922 the College was initially accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The enrollment reached 400.
During the twenty-five year administration of Dr. D. M. Nelson (1932-1957), the college successfully withstood the depression and emerged stronger. During World War II, women were once again admitted and the enrollment increased rapidly. The physical plant was expanded and Nelson Hall Administration Building, Hederman-Gunter Residence Hall and Mary Nelson Residence Hall were erected; Lowrey Hall and Ratliff Residence Hall were enlarged and improved.

In 2004, MC adopted the phrase 'A Christian University' to reflect both its' university status and Christian beliefs.

The College continued to grow under the administration of Dr. R. A. McLemore (1957-1968). Enrollment increased and the following buildings were constructed: Leland Speed Library, Aven Fine Arts Building (both of which were begun before Dr. Nelson retired), B. C. Rogers Student Center, Hederman Science Building, Latimer-Webb Residence Hall, Whittington Residence Hall, Self Hall and Hendrick House (President's home). The old cafeteria was converted into a women's gym; the Old Chapel (now Provine Hall) was restored; Ratliff and Crestman residence halls were renovated.
Dr. Lewis Nobles's administration (1968-1993) saw continued growth in the areas of enrollment and quantity and qualifications of faculty. An addition to the library was made and the electronic media center emerged. Other construction included: Cockcroft Hall for the School of Nursing and Department of Home Economics, A. E. Wood Coliseum, and the James Moody Adams Field House. The Law School building in downtown Jackson was remodeled and was occupied by the School of Law in 1981. The Latimer House, a Victorian home, was dedicated in 1991.
Unfortunately, Dr. Nobles's legacy was tarnished in its last years by the revelation of improprieties in the administration of athletic scholarships and mishandling of institutional funds. The first set of revelations resulted in the school having to surrender the NCAA Div. II National Championship in football and the second resulted in Dr. Nobles resigning the presidency while under criminal investigation. With the resignation of Dr. Nobles on August 3, 1993, Dr. Rory Lee, Vice President for Institutional Advancement was named Acting President, and ably served the college, maintaining student, staff and faculty morale during trying times.
Dr. Howell Todd began his administration July, 1994, and began physical improvement to maintain and replicate the architectural character of the campus. Renovations and remodeling have transformed Nelson Hall, Alumni Hall, Jennings Hall and Jennings Annex, Self Hall, Farr Hall, and Latimer-Webb Residence Hall. Remodeling will soon be complete on B. C. Rogers Student Center, Hederman Science Building, Mary Nelson Residence Hall, and Hederman-Gunter Residence Hall. New construction included: The New Men's Residence Hall, The New Women's Residence Hall and the MC connector building between Self Hall and Hederman Science Building. The grounds have also undergone a makeover, including The Piazza between Jennings and Alumni. New parking lots have emerged and plans are underway for the ground floor of a parking garage.
A 106,000 square foot (9,800 m²) Healthplex now stands in place of the old tennis courts and football field. New tennis courts, a baseball and softball field and practice fields have been built.
In July 2002, Dr. Lee G. Royce began his administration as the 19th president of Mississippi College.
In September 2006, Mississippi College announced a record enrollment of 4,162 making MC the fastest growing private university in the state[2]. This was the second straight year that MC's enrollment topped 4,000.

Facts

President Royce

Dr. Lee Royce came to Mississippi College from Anderson College in Anderson, South Carolina, where he served as President. Prior to his assuming the presidency of Anderson, Dr. Royce was Vice President for University Relations, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Royce holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University's George Peabody College. He also holds two other degrees from Vanderbilt — a Master's degree in Business Management from the Owen Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History.
Dr. Royce was married in 1975 to Rhoda Russell Royce, former editor of Open Windows magazine and other publications for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a 1971 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Belmont University. Rhoda Royce holds an M.A. from the University of South Carolina and is an adjunct instructor of Business at Mississippi College. The Royces have one son, Mark.

Academics

Department of Music

'The Mississippi College Singers' is a 50-55 voice auditioned ensemble that is the premier choral group of the Department of Music. This ensemble has performed throughout the United States and abroad, with recent concert engagements in England, Italy and Slovenia. In March 2002, this ensemble was invited to sing the feature concert at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Convention of American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference. The Singers were invited by the Washington National Cathedral to represent the state for Mississippi Day at the cathedral in 2003 and sang for the Southern Division Convention of ACDA in Nashville, TN in February 2004. In February 2005, the Singers performed on the program of the ACDA National Convention in Los Angeles, CA and in April 2006, performed on the stage of Carnegie Hall. The MC Singers are directed by Dr. Jamie Meaders.
The department is primarily located in Aven Hall, which was renovated in 2006, and features a state-of-the-art recital hall. Other recent upgrades in the facilities include a piano lab, computer lab, practice room pianos, and a renovation of the pipe organ in the Chapel.

Undergraduate degrees offered

'Art' ★ Studio Art ★ Art Education ★ Graphic Design ★ Interior Design 'Biology' ★ Biology Teacher Education ★ General Biology ★ Biology- Medical Sciences ★ Research 'Business' ★ Accounting ★ Business Administration ★ Business Administration/Law 3/3 ★ Business Education ★ Marketing 'Chemistry & Biochemistry' ★ Biochemistry ★ Chemical Physics ★ Chemistry-American Chemical Society ★ Chemistry-Career ★ Chemistry Teacher Education ★ Chemistry-Medical Sciences 'Christian Studies & Philosophy' ★ Bible Concentration ★ Biblical Languages Concentration ★ Ministry Studies Concentration ★ Philosophy Concentration 'Communication' ★ Interpersonal and Public Communication ★ Journalism ★ Mass Media ★ Public Relations ★ Theatre 'Computer Science' ★ Computer Science ★ Computing & Information Systems 'English' ★ English ★ English Education ★ English/Law 3/3 'Foreign Languages' ★ Foreign Languages & International Trade ★ French ★ Modern Languages ★ Spanish 'History & Political Science' ★ Administration of Justice ★ Administration of Justice/Law 3/3 ★ History ★ History/Law 3/3 ★ History/Pre-Legal ★ Paralegal Studies ★ Political Science ★ Political Science/Law 3/3 ★ Political Science/Pre-Legal ★ Social Studies Education	'Kinesiology' ★ Exercise Science ★ Sports and Fitness Science ★ Physical Education ★ Sports Management 'Mathematics' ★ Mathematics ★ Mathematics Education 'Music' ★ Church Music-Instrumental ★ Church Music-Keyboard ★ Church Music-Vocal ★ Music ★ Music Composition ★ Music Education-Instrumental K-12 ★ Music Education-Piano K-12 ★ Music Education-Voice K-12 ★ Organ ★ Piano ★ Voice ★ Wind Instrument 'Nursing' ★ Nursing 'Physics' ★ Physics ★ Secondary Education: Physics 'Psychology' ★ Psychology 'Sociology' ★ Social Work ★ Sociology ★ Sociology/Law 3/3 'Teacher Education & Leadership' ★ Elementary Education ★ Special Education 'Study Abroad Programs' ★ Brazil Study Abroad Program ★ British Summer Study Program ★ France Study Abroad Program ★ France Summer Program ★ Hong Kong Baptist University ★ London Study Abroad ★ Mainz Exchange Program (Germany) ★ Nursing Mission Trip to Mexico ★ Salzburg Study Abroad Program (Austria) ★ Spain Study Abroad Program ★ Spring Break in Europe 'Schools of the College' ★ School of Business ★ School of Christian Studies & the Arts ★ School of Education ★ School of Humanities and Social Sciences ★ School of Nursing ★ School of Science and Mathematics

Graduate programs

★ Art ★ Biological Sciences ★ Biology ★ Business Administration ★ Business Administration, Accounting ★ Chemistry ★ Computer Science ★ Communication ★ English ★ Educational Leadership ★ Elementary Education ★ Fine Arts - Visual Arts ★ Health Services Administration ★ Higher Education Administration ★ History ★ JD/MBAS ★ Liberal Studies ★ Marriage and Family Counseling ★ Mathematics	★ Mental Health Counseling ★ Music ★ Music Education ★ Music Performance ★ Political Science ★ Public Relations and Corporate Communication 'Secondary Education' ★ Art ★ Biological Sciences ★ Business Education ★ Computer Science ★ English ★ Mathematics ★ History ★ School Counseling ★ Sociology ★ Teaching Arts

Choctaw athletics

For years Mississippi College was a dominant force in NCAA Division II athletics. However, in 1989 Mississippi College's football tournament participation, along with its NCAA Division II national football championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for recruiting violations.
The Board of Trustees of Mississippi College voted in March 1995 for the university to become a member of Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the fall of 1997.
The philosophy of intercollegiate athletics at Mississippi College is much the same as the vision statement of Mississippi College. The vision statement reads: "Mississippi College seeks to be a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ.”
Mississippi College has a tradition of athletic superiority that is continued today in 16 sponsored sports. In the past three years alone the Choctaws and Lady Choctaws have won five American Southwest Conference championships and ten ASC East Division titles. Last season all but three of the varsity teams enjoyed winning seasons, building on an established expectation of success in athletics at MC.
Mississippi College's biggest rivalry is with Millsaps College in nearby Jackson. After a more than 40 year hiatus, the two teams began meeting on the football field again in 2000. The rivalry is dubbed the Backyard Brawl.

;Men's ★ Baseball ★ Basketball ★ Cross-Country ★ Football ★ Golf ★ Soccer ★ Tennis ★ Track	;Women's : ★ Basketball : ★ Cross-Country : ★ Golf : ★ Soccer : ★ Softball : ★ Tennis : ★ Track : ★ Volleyball

Choctaw men's basketball

The Mississippi College Choctaws finished the 2006-2007 season with an 81-55 loss to defending national champion Virginia Wesleyan. For the third consecutive season, the Choctaws were stopped in the "Sweet Sixteen" as the Marlins used a stout defensive effort to come away with the win.
The Choctaws were led by senior Ryan Hudson, who scored a team-high 11 points in the defeat. Seniors Timothy Broomfield and D.J. Jones could never get anything going against the tough Marlin's defense. Virginia Wesleyan was led by senior Brandon Adair, who scored 16 points.
The Choctaws took an early lead, but saw it evaporate into a nine point halftime deficit. The Marlins came out gunning in the second half and built a lead as high as 26 points. The Choctaws could not rally as they suffered the loss.
The Choctaws finished the season with a 27-3 record overall, which was good enough for the second best record in school history, only surpassed by last season's record of 29-2. Eight seniors finished their careers with one of the best resumes in men's basketball history. The Choctaws own the best winning percentage across Division I, II, and III over the past two seasons.
Head Coach Mike Jones will enter the 2007-2008 baketball season in his 7th year as athletic director and 15-year coaching career at Mississippi College.
Mike Jones returned to the coaching bench in the 2006-2007 season to resume his 14-year coaching career at Mississippi College and is also stepping into his sixth season as the athletic director. The Hall of Fame coach has a career record of 400-119 in 18 years of coaching.
As athletic director, Jones has helped build one of the top athletics departments in the American Southwest Conference. In five years overseeing the athletics department, he has given all of MC’s programs an opportunity for suc¬cess with improved facilities through fund-raising. Under his leadership the athletics department was able to raise over one million dollars for the addition of an artificial playing surface to the football field and new surrounding track facility.
“The addition of the artificial playing surface and new track is something that will positively reflect the growth of Mississippi College,” said Jones. “We are very blessed to have alumni willing to support our commitment to excel¬lence in athletics.”
Jones also helped raise over $130,000 this year through the annual Wild Game Dinner and “Trustmark Clas¬sic” golf tournament. The individual programs have used these improvements to find success. During the 2003-04 campaign, MC enjoyed another successful year adding to their total of ASC Championships and East Division titles.
“Last season was an exceptional year for our coaches and athletic programs ”, Jones said. “We have already built a solid foundation in all sports but I believe the potential is there for even greater things.”
As head coach of the Choctaws Jones led MC to 14 consecutive winning seasons, including five straight NCAA Tournament appearances at his alma mater. After 18 years of head coaching experience, his junior college and four-year college combined record stands at 400-119, which calculates into a .780 winning percentage.
Jones wasted no time establishing Mississippi College as a top-flight competitor in the Division II Gulf South Conference and on the NCAA Division III level. In 1995, Jones led the Chocs to a GSC title and the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament. He has earned respect in the American Southwest Conference as the Choctaws as the Choctaws won the 1998 and 1999 ASC Championship. In his 14 seasons at MC, he has compiled a 285-99 (.750) record.
Jones led the Tribe to the NCAA Division III basketball tournament last season, running his streak to five consecutive seasons. His accomplishments on the court were rewarded with two straight ASC Coach of the Year awards in 1998 and 1999 and also another Coach of the Year award for last season. Jones’ players consistently appear on ASC All-Conference and All-Academic teams at the end of the season. Emphasizing defense, the Choctaws led the conference defense and ranked 15th nationally in field goal percentage defense and 28th in scoring defense.
Success seems to follow Mike each year, as he has been proven coach on the Division II and Division III levels.
“We, as a coaching staff at Mississippi College have been very blessed to have great student-athletes, to coach and teach at MC. We demand a lot from them and have responded well, that has been a big part of our success,” said Jones.
The Mississippi College Choctaws were ranked in the Top 30 by the NCAA as having one of the best winning percentages in the 1990’s. A tribute that Jones gives to the student-athlete’s that have been recruited during that time.
Mike made the move to Mississippi College from Copiah-Lincoln Junior College in 1984-85, four distinguished years of state dominance and national prestige. During his tenure at Co-Lin, his teams were ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Top-Twenty poll. During his four-year stay, he took teams to the National Junior College Tournament with the 1988 team finishing seventh. His teams were State Junior College Champions in 1988 and were two-time Region XXIII Champions.
For his accomplishments, Jones was named Region XXIII Junior College Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1988. On October 19, 1996, the Copiah-Lincoln Junior College community gave Jones the ultimate honor; they inducted him in their 1996 Sports Hall of Fame class.
Considering Jones’ background as an assistant coach, his success at Co-Lin takes few by surprise. Before taking on the junior college ranks, Jones spent eight years as an assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi.
After receiving a bachelor of science degree in education at Mississippi College in 1975, Jones served as a graduate assistant at the university and was responsible for all scouting and recruiting. He later received a master of education in school administration, in 1977.
Mike is the son of Juanita Bridges of New Hebron, MS, and is married to Jane Jones of New Hebron. They have son Michael, married to daughter-in-law Amy, and daughter Mandy. They also have three grandchilden, Zach, Ansley Kate and Will.

Athletic facilities

In the summer of 2005 Mississippi College opened new athletic practice fields which support soccer and football. Plans include expansion in the near future which will add an extra practice field as well as two new intramural fields for student flag football, soccer, and general student use.

Choctaw nickname

In a letter dated February 17, 2006 [3], Mississippi College received word that the NCAA has removed its policy restrictions in the use of the name Choctaw for MC athletics.
Lee Royce, President of the college said, ''“We are pleased with the ruling from the NCAA giving their approval of our request to remove Mississippi College from the list of institutions subject to the policy’s restrictions. We are very appreciative of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ support of our use of the Choctaw name, and look forward to continuing our mutual relationship of respect and cooperation.”''

Notable alumnae and alumni

★ Karen Ray, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Arkansas

★ Jalin Wood, Miss Mississippi ''(America)'' 2004-2005, Miss Mississippi ''(USA)'' 2006-2007

★ Ross Barnett, Mississippi Governor (1960-1964) [4]

★ Henry L. Whitfield, Mississippi Governor (1924-1927) [5]

★ Andrew H. Longino, Mississippi Governor (1900-1904) [6]

★ Albert Gallatin Brown, Mississippi Governor (1844-1848) [7]

★ Scott Leehy, state district judge in Monroe, Louisiana

★ Amy Tuck, Mississippi Lt. Governor

★ Barry Hannah, Author

★ Harry Craft, MLB player and manager

★ Bernard Ebbers, Former WorldCom CEO

★ Fred McAfee, of the NFL's New Orleans Saints

★ Michael Passons, Gospel Music Artist

★ John Whitehead, Reality TV Celebrity

★ Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida ''(America)'' 2004-2005, Miss Florida ''(USA)'' 2006-2007

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