Copiah–Lincoln Community College (Co–Lin) is a public

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

with its main campus in

Wesson, Mississippi Wesson is a town in Copiah and Lincoln counties, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,925 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town of Wesson was founded in 1864, during the Civil Wa ...

. The Co–Lin District serves a seven-county area including Adams, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson,

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

and

Simpson Simpson most often refers to: * Simpson (name), a British surname *''The Simpsons'', an animated American sitcom **The Simpson family, central characters of the series ''The Simpsons'' Simpson may also refer to: Organizations Schools *Simpso ...

counties. The college provides academic college-level courses for the first two years of four-year degree programs as well as career and technical programs.

History

Copiah–Lincoln Agricultural High School, through the joint efforts of Copiah and Lincoln Counties, was established in the fall of 1915 in Wesson, Mississippi, at the edge of Copiah County. Copiah–Lincoln Junior College was organized during the summer of 1928. Since its establishment in 1928, Copiah–Lincoln has continued to grow in size and prestige and now occupies a prominent position in the state's educational system with an enrollment of over 3,200 and a physical plant valued at more than $35 million. Five counties have joined in the support of Copiah–Lincoln: Simpson County in 1934; Franklin County in 1948; Lawrence County in 1965; Jefferson County in 1967; and Adams County in 1971. In the fall of 1972, upon the request of local and state officials, Copiah–Lincoln opened a branch at Natchez, Mississippi, to better meet the educational needs of the citizens of that area. In the fall of 1997 the Simpson County Center opened in downtown Magee. Academic Evening Classes, Employment Training and an LPN class were offered in that facility until the fall of 2005, when a new facility was opened at Legion Lake, between Magee and Mendenhall. The new facility, named in honor of the late Sidney Parker, opened in the fall of 2005 with a comprehensive academic program, along with three Career-Technical programs. Copiah–Lincoln Junior College became Copiah–Lincoln Community College on July 1, 1988, as approved by the state and the Board of Trustees. The name change reflects Co–Lin's continuing service to the community, its young people, adults, and senior citizens.

Accreditation

Copiah–Lincoln Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate in Arts and Associate in Applied Science degrees. Copiah–Lincoln is also an active member of the

American Association of Community Colleges The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), headquartered in the National Center for Higher Education building in Washington, D.C., is the primary advocacy organization for community colleges at the national level and works closely wit ...

, the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, the Mississippi Association of Colleges, and the Southern Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

Campuses

* Natchez Campus, Natchez, Mississippi * Simpson County Center,

Mendenhall, Mississippi Mendenhall is a city in Simpson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,504 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Simpson County. Mendenhall is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mendenhall has one of the h ...

* Wesson Campus,

Athletics

Co–Lin sponsors six men's sports (

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, football,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

, and archery), and five women's sports (basketball,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

, tennis, soccer and archery). It also sponsors a

cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

squad which is one of the most competitive squads in the state, winning numerous awards at junior college coed division at the University of Alabama UCA cheer camp. The athletic teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack. The teams compete in

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

Region 23, which includes colleges in Mississippi and

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. The baseball, golf and softball teams participate in Division II. All other sports, except football, play in Division I. Bryan Nobile is the college's athletic director. The women's tennis team was the NJCAA Number 1 Academic Team of the Year in 2019. Co–Lin has produced over 100 NJCAA Academic All-Americans since 2000. The football team won the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges in State Championship in 2012. The Lady Wolves basketball team, coached by Gwyn Young, the NJCAA's second winningest active coach, has made numerous trips to the NJCAA National Tournament. The baseball team has finished fourth in both the 2000 and 2005 NJCAA World Series.

Notable alumni

* Greg Briggs, former NFL player * Tony Bryant, former NFL player *

Jim Carmody James Edward Carmody Jr. (August 24, 1933–January 5, 2023) was a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1982 to 1987, compiling a career record of 37–29. C ...

, football coach for Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles *

Nick Fairley Nicholas Lachester Fairley (born January 23, 1988) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for Auburn University, where he was recognized as an All-American and was a member of a BCS National Championship tea ...

, former NFL player * Mary Lou Godbold (1912–2008), Mississippi state senator *

Victor Green Victor Bernard Green (born December 8, 1969) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a Safety (American football position), safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the ...

, former NFL player * Cindy Hyde-Smith,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

* Nook Logan, baseball player for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

* DeQuan Menzie, former NFL player * Cleveland Pinkney, former NFL player * Montez Sweat, NFL player * Randy Thomas, former NFL player * M. K. Turk, basketball coach for Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles * Reggie Williams, Basketball player for the Golden State Warriors

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Copiah-Lincoln Community colleges in Mississippi Educational institutions established in 1928 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Copiah County, Mississippi Education in Adams County, Mississippi Education in Simpson County, Mississippi Universities and colleges in the Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi NJCAA athletics 1928 establishments in Mississippi