Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of student enrollment. The university is a member of the

Thurgood Marshall College Fund The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is an American non-profit organization that supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), med ...

and

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among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Jackson State University's athletic teams, the Tigers, participate in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

athletics as a member of the

Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates ...

(SWAC). The university is also the home of the

Sonic Boom of the South The Sonic Boom of the South is the marching band of Jackson State University (JSU) located in Jackson, Mississippi, US. History The marching band began in the 1940s at what was then Jackson State College, under the directorship of Frederick D. Ha ...

, a marching band founded in the 1940s. Their accompanying danceline, the ''Prancing J-Settes'', are well known for their unique style of dance, known as J-Setting.

History

Jackson State University developed from Natchez Seminary, founded October 23, 1877, in Natchez, Mississippi. The seminary was affiliated with the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York, who established it "for the moral, religious, and intellectual improvement of Christian leaders of the colored people of Mississippi and the neighboring states". In 1883, the school changed its name to Jackson College and moved from Natchez to a site in Jackson, the capital. Today that site serves as the campus of Millsaps College. Jackson College moved to its current location early in the 20th century, where it developed into a full state university. In 1934, during the Great Depression, The Baptist Society withdrew financial support. The school became a state-supported public institution in 1940, known as the Mississippi Negro Training School. The name has since been changed to express development: Jackson College for Negro Teachers (1944). After desegregation, Jackson State College (1967); with the addition of graduate programs and expanded curriculum, Jackson State University (1974).

1970 student killings

Many students at Jackson State College became active in the civil rights movement. Work to gain integrated practice and social justice continued after civil rights legislation was passed in the mid-1960s. During an on-campus protest on May 14, 1970, two students were killed by police gunfire. An additional 12 students were injured by gunfire during the clash. A dormitory still bears the bullet marks fired on that day.

Campuses

The main campus contains over 50 academic and administrative buildings on . It is located at 1400 John R. Lynch Street between Prentiss and Dalton Streets. Ayer Hall was constructed in 1903 and is the oldest structure on the main campus. It was named in honor of the first president of the institution, Charles Ayer. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1977. Green-Gibb Pedestrian Walkway was named in honor of the two young men who died in the Jackson State shooting in 1970. As a result of the landmark "Ayers Settlement" in 2002, the university, along with the other two public HBCUs in the state, has completed extensive renovations and upgrades to campus. Jackson State has satellite campuses throughout the Jackson Metropolitan area: * Universities Center (Ridgewood Road) * Madison campus * Holmes campus * Mississippi E-Center * Downtown (100 Capitol Street)

Organization and administration

Governance

The board of trustees is the constitutional governing body of the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning. This body appoints the president of the university. There are 575 faculty and 1,431 staff; 54% of the faculty are tenured, teaching approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

JSU presidents

''Interim presidents excluded'' #1877–1894: Charles Ayer #1894–1911: Luther G. Barrett #1911–1927: Zachary T. Hubert #1927–1940: B. Baldwin Dansby #1940–1967: Jacob L. Reddix #1967–1984: John A. Peoples, Jr. #1984–1991:

James A. Hefner James Arthur Hefner (June 20, 1941 – August 27, 2015) was president of Tennessee State University from 1991 to 2005. Before serving as the president of Tennessee State University he served as president of Jackson State University in Jackson, M ...

#1992–1999: James E. Lyons, Sr. #2000–2010:

Ronald Mason Jr. Ronald Francis Mason Jr. (born January 15, 1953) is an American lawyer and university administrator, serving as the ninth president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He took office in July 2015. This is Mason's third presidentia ...

#2011–2016:

Carolyn Meyers Carolyn Winstead Meyers is the former president of Jackson State University. Meyers, a native of Newport News, Virginia, earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University. She earned a master's degree in mechanical enginee ...

#2017–2020: William B. Bynum #2020–present: Thomas Hudson

Academics

JSU colleges and schools include: * College of Business * College of Education and Human Development * College of Liberal Arts * College of Health Sciences * College of Science, Engineering and Technology * W.E.B. Du Bois – Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey Honors College * School of Life Long Learning

Teaching and learning

In 2015, JSU became the first university in Mississippi approved by the legislature to establish a School of Public Health which is housed under the College of Health Sciences. JSU is the only university in Mississippi to earn two consecutive "Apple Distinguished School" distinctions. Apple Inc. biennially acknowledges schools that uniquely incorporate technology into its curriculum. Since 2012, Jackson State University has provided all first-time, full-time freshmen brand new iPads to increase technology usage on campus. JSU is the first and only HBCU in Mississippi to support a bachelor's and master's level

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

program. JSU is one of only two universities in Mississippi with a comprehensive

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...

undergraduate level degree program. The W.E.B. Du Bois – Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey Honors College is a selective

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

college at the university that provides a unique academic experience for the most high-achieving undergraduate students.

Academic Centers

*The Margaret Walker Center is an archive and museum dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of African American history and culture *The COFO Civil Rights Education Center focuses on hosting conversations on civil rights and developing future leaders and community developers *The Richard Wright Center was established to help students improve their writing and presentation skills through various types of resources and tutoring

Military Science

Tiger Battalion, the university's Army ROTC program is the host

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, c ...

ROTC program for Belhaven University, Delta State University, Hinds Community College, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi College School of Law, Mississippi Valley State University, Tougaloo College, and University of Mississippi Medical Center's School of Nursing. Air Force Detachment 006 is the Air Force ROTC Component for the Jackson metropolitan area. Hosted at Jackson State, it also serves students from Belhaven University, Millsaps College, Mississippi College and Tougaloo College.

Athletics

Jackson State is a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and the

. Currently, JSU fields teams in basketball, track and field, cross country, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, soccer, bowling, volleyball, and football. The university's mascot is the Tiger, and the teams are sometimes referred to as the "Blue Bengals." JacksonStateTigers

The Tiger men's football team has a heralded history, winning and sharing 16 SWAC titles, most recent in 2021. Its most famous alumni includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Lem Barney,

Jackie Slater Jackie Ray Slater (born May 27, 1954), nicknamed "Big Bad Jackie", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career with the Rams fra ...

and Walter Payton, and former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith. JSU participates in a number of notable football games with rival colleges. These include: *Jackson State's homecoming football game is annually one of the highest attended and most anticipated home games * Jackson State–Southern University rivalry – played on a rotating home-and-home schedule * Soul Bowl (formerly Capital City Classic) – played against Alcorn State University on a rotating home-and-home schedule JSU Sonic Boom of the South at Halftime

Sonic Boom of the South

The marching band began in the 1940s at what was then Jackson State College, under the directorship of Frederick D. Hall, who had directed a band at the college as early as the 1920s, in addition to the chorus and orchestra. It was initially made up of students from Jackson College and Lanier High School. Founded as the Jackson State University Marching Band, the name "Sonic Boom of the South" was adopted by the school in 1971, after having been suggested by band members. The first full-time band director, William W. Davis, was appointed in 1948, replacing Charles Saulsburg, who had been director since 1947. Davis had previously played trumpet in

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocali ...

's band, and Calloway's musical style and showmanship influenced Davis's conceptualization of the marching band. The band at this time had around 20 members, increasing to 88 in 1963. Davis retired as director in 1971, but remained the chief arranger for the band. He was replaced by Harold J. Haughton. Haughton was instrumental in the creation of the ''Prancing J-Settes'', the band's accompanying danceline.

Student life

Student body

As of fall 2017, 75% of Jackson State's student community was from Mississippi, with the majority from

Hinds County Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents. Hinds Co ...

and Madison County. The top three feeder states were

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

(419 students),

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

(227), and

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

(192). China accounted for the highest number of international students on campus. 90% of students identified as Black, 6% identified as white, and 4% identified with various race categories. 34% of students were male, and 66% of students were female.

Student organizations

Jackson State University offers over 100 registered student organizations on campus. There are academic, residential, religious, Greek, and special interest groups established to serve the diverse interests of JSU's student community. All student organizations are governed under the Student Affairs division.

National Pan Hellenic Council

Jackson State University's National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) includes all nine NPHC organizations: * Gamma Rho, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority * Delta Pi, Delta Sigma Theta sorority * Upsilon Epsilon, Omega Psi Phi fraternity * Delta Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity * Delta Delta, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity * Alpha Beta, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity * Lambda Beta, Zeta Phi Beta sorority * Alpha Tau, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority * Delta Psi, Iota Phi Theta fraternity

Academic honor societies

Jackson State University offers over 30 academic honor societies for excelling students. * Alpha Chi National Honor Society * Alpha Epsilon Lambda National Honor Society * Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor Society * Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society * Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society * Alpha Mu Gamma Foreign Language Honor Society * Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society * Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society * Alpha Sigma Lambda Continuing Education Honor Society * Beta Beta Beta Biological Sciences Honor Society * Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society * Beta Kappa Chi Mathematics/Natural Sciences Honor Society * Blue Key National Honor Society * Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honor Society * Epsilon Pi Tau Technology Honor Society *

Golden Key International Honor Society The Golden Key International Honour Society (formerly Golden Key National Honor Society) is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognize academic achievement among college and university students. Golden Key has ...

* Lambda Pi Eta Speech Communication & Theater Honor Society * Lambda Sigma National Honor Society *

National Society of Black Engineers The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a society that was founded in 1975 at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is one of the largest student-run organizations in the United States, with core activities centered o ...

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is a national non-profit academic honor society for college students in the United States. NSCS has active chapters at over 300 colleges and universities in the United States, including the Distr ...

Phi Alpha Phi Alpha may refer to: * Phi Alpha Literary Society, a men's literary society founded in 1845 at Illinois College * Phi Alpha (fraternity), a historically Jewish fraternity founded at George Washington University on October 14, 1914, which merged ...

Social Work Honor Society *

Phi Alpha Alpha Phi (; uppercase Φ, lowercase φ or ϕ; grc, ϕεῖ ''pheî'' ; Modern Greek: ''fi'' ) is the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet. In Archaic and Classical Greek (c. 9th century BC to 4th century BC), it represented an aspirated voic ...

Public Policy & Administration Honor Society * Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society * Phi Epsilon Kappa Physical Ed. Honor Society * Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society * Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society * Pi Lambda Theta Education Honor Society * Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society * Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society * Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society *

Sigma Pi Sigma Sigma Pi Sigma (), founded at Davidson College on December 11, 1921, is the oldest and only American honor society for physics and astronomy. It is an organization within the Society of Physics Students and the American Institute of Physics a ...

Physics Honor Society * Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society *

Tau Sigma Tau Sigma () is an American honor society for university transfer students. History Tau Sigma was established in 1999 at Auburn University. Part of the impetus for the creation of the organization was to provide a social support network to tr ...

Transfer Honor Society

Campus media

Jackson State is home to radio station WJSU-88.5 FM which plays jazz, gospel, news and public affairs programming. Jackson State University also owns a television station, W23BC known as JSUTV aired on Comcast. Jackson State also publishes the independent ''Blue and White Flash'' weekly student newspaper and the ''Jacksonian'' magazine, which features news and highlights about the university, its students, and alumni.

Notable alumni

File:Robert-Brazile_Six-Legends-Reception-09-04-10.jpg, Robert Brazile

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

player, 7-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

er File:Lindsey_Hunter_in_2009.jpeg, Lindsey Hunter

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 ...

player, 2-time NBA Champion File:Rod_Paige.jpg, Rod Paige
United States Secretary of Education, 2001–2005 File:1986_Jeno%27s_Pizza_-_12_-_Walter_Payton_(Walter_Payton_crop).jpg, Walter Payton

player, 9-time

er, Hall of Fame File:Bennie_Thompson_official_photo.jpg, Bennie Thompson
Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1993–present File:Cassandra_Wilson.jpg, Cassandra Wilson
Singer, 2-time Grammy winner

Education

Arts, TV and radio media, entertainment and music

Politics, law, and government

Sports

Honorary

References

External links

* {{authority control Public universities and colleges in Mississippi Historically black universities and colleges in the United States Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Educational institutions established in 1877 1877 establishments in Mississippi Universities and colleges in the Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi Education in Jackson, Mississippi Buildings and structures in Jackson, Mississippi