Jackson State University

Jackson State University
Former names
Natchez Seminary
Jackson College
Jackson State College
Motto "Challenging Minds, Changing Lives"
Type Public, HBCU
Established October 23, 1877 (1877-10-23)
President Roderick Paige (interim)
Academic staff
450
Administrative staff
1,200
Students 9,811[1]
Location Jackson, Mississippi, United States
32°17′46″N 090°12′28″W / 32.29611°N 90.20778°W / 32.29611; -90.20778Coordinates: 32°17′46″N 090°12′28″W / 32.29611°N 90.20778°W / 32.29611; -90.20778
Colors Navy blue and White[2]
         
Athletics NCAA Division ISAC
Nickname Tigers
Mascot Bengal the Tiger
Website www.jsums.edu

Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a historically Black college and university ("HBCU") in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It was founded during the Reconstruction era in 1877 in Natchez, Mississippi as Natchez Seminary by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York City. The Society moved the school to the capital, Jackson, in 1882, renaming it Jackson College. It developed its present campus in 1902.

It became a state-supported public institution in 1940. The university is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Jackson State University is classified as a research university with high research activity.[3] In the fall of 2015, Jackson State University reached a student population of nearly 10,000 students, an increase of 11% since Fall 2012. The university ranked as the fourth-largest HBCU in the nation.[4]

Campus

The campus contains 51 academic and administrative buildings on 245 acres (0.99 km2). The main campus is located on JR Lynch Street (named for the African-American Congressman of the 19th century) between Prentiss and Dalton streets in the central region of the city.

Ayer Hall was constructed in 1903 and is the oldest structure on campus. It was named in honor of the first president of the institution. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Green-Gibb Pedestrian Walkway (Plaza) was named in honor of those who died in the Jackson State killings in 1968. The Walter Payton Health & Wellness Center was constructed in 2006.

Jackson State also has satellite campuses throughout the Jackson Metropolitan area, including the Universities Center (Ridgewood Road location), JSU-Madison campus, JSU-Holmes campus, JSU- Mississippi E-Center, and JSU Downtown (Building 100 on Capital Street).

Academics

University rankings
National
Forbes[5] 462
Washington Monthly[6] 32[7]

JSU colleges and schools include:

In 2015, JSU became the first university in Mississippi approved by the legislature to establish a School of Public Health.[8]

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.[9] Since 2012, Jackson State University has provided all first-time, full-time freshmen brand new iPads to increase technology usage on campus.[10]

JSU is the first and only HBCU in Mississippi to support a bachelor's and master's level engineering program.[11]

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

Diverse Issues in Higher Education ranked JSU as among the top universities in the nation for producing African Americans with bachelor's degrees in education, biology, and physical science.[12]

The W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College is an interdisciplinary college at the university that curates a unique academic experience for high-achieving undergraduate students.[13]

Jackson State University consistently ranks in the top 20 of HBCUs out of over 100 in the nation according to the US News and World Report annual HBCU ranking.[14]

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and 14 other accreditation granting institutions to offer bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and education specialist degrees.[15]

Student life

Athletics

Official Athletics logo
Main article: Jackson State Tigers

Athletic teams are a member of the NCAA Division I-FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference, commonly known as the SWAC. All SWAC sports are DI with Football being FCS. Currently, the university fields teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, soccer, and bowling; women's volleyball; and men's football. The university's mascot is the Tiger, and the teams are sometimes referred to as the "Blue Bengals."

The Tiger men's football team has a heralded history, winning and sharing 16 SWAC titles, including 2007.[16] Its most famous alumni includes NFL Hall of Famers Lem Barney, Jackie Slater and Walter Payton, and former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith. Former NFL wide-receiver, five-time Pro Bowler and Jackson State alumnus Harold Jackson, served as head football in 2014 and 2015.

JSU's well-known rivals include Southern, Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, Tennessee State, and Texas Southern.

Sonic Boom of the South

The Jackson State University Marching Band, "The Sonic Boom of the South" is one of the largest marching bands in Mississippi.

The band was organized in the early 1940s. As early as the mid-1920s, the University had a well-organized orchestra. The group was given the nickname "The Sonic Boom of the South" by band director Harold J. Haughton, Sr. in 1971. In 1971, the majorettes abandoned their batons and became a dance team known as the "'Prancing J-Settes"', also named by Haughton. In 1974, "Get Ready," an old Motown favorite was selected as the band's theme song. Also, during the mid-1970s, the "Tiger Run-On" was perfected. Created by Haughton, the "Tiger Run-On" is a fast, eye-catching shuffle step that blends an adagio step with an up-tempo shuffle (200 steps per minute), then back to adagio—a "Sonic Boom" trademark that brings fans to their feet during halftime performances. Oct 1990, Under the direction of Dowell Taylor and staff, five Sonic Boom of the South performed in Los Angeles, California for Motown 30-What's Going on. This was the event that set the wheels in motion for the national attention of the Sonic Boom.

The Sonic Boom of the South is led by four drum majors collectively referred to as the "Fab Four". which they downgraded after last year it was the j-5

Student organizations

Jackson State University offers over 100 registered student organizations. There are academic, residential, religious, pan Hellenic, and special interest groups established to serve the diverse interests of JSU's student community.[17] All student organizations are governed under the Student Affairs division.

Student body

In 2014, 84% of Jackson State's student community was from Mississippi, with the majority from Hinds County. The top three feeder states were Illinois (278 students), Tennessee (170), and Louisiana (164). Ethiopia had the highest number of international students on campus with 40. 90% of students identified as black, 7% identified as white, and 3% identified with various race categories. 37% of students were male and 63% of students were female.[18]

Student media

Jackson State is home to radio station WJSU-88.5 FM which plays jazz, gospel, news and public affairs programming. Jackson State University's public radio station, WJSU 88.5 FM, now airs one of its most popular programs on the new HBCU Sirius XM channel. Launched November 14, 2013 and airing on station 142, the HBCU Sirius XM channel is powered by Howard University. The WJSU program, Jazz Reflections, hosted by Gerard Howard, presents a spectrum of the traditional pioneers of jazz like Ella Fitzgerald, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Dinah Washington, and Duke Ellington. The program airs Fridays at 2 p.m. CST and is repeated throughout the week. It also presents rare recordings from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. 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

Education

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Dr. Rod Paige 1955 First African-American to serve as Secretary of Education during President George W. Bush administration from 2001–2005, and former head football coach at Jackson State from 1964–1968

Arts, TV and Radio Media, Entertainment and Music

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Vivian Brown Weather Channel meteorologist [19]
Demarco Morgan News anchor for WNBC in New York City.
Percy Greene founded the Jackson Advocate newspaper, Mississippi's oldest black-owned newspaper
Annie Hawkins-Turner (aka Norma Stitz) 1979 Internet Entrepreneur and Fetish Model [20]
Willie Norwood American Gospel singer. He is the father and voice coach of R&B singers Brandy and Ray J
Tonea Stewart Actress and Educator
Cassandra Wilson Jazz vocalist and musician
Gabbie McGee 2001 Jazz vocalist, songwriter, and musician
Kenyatta C. Jones 2002 Reality TV star, Fashion Designer and CEO of Bella Rene' Clothing in Atlanta, Georgia

Politics, Law, and Government

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Cornell William Brooks 1983 18th President and CEO of the NAACP
Emmett C. Burns, Jr. Member of the Maryland House of Delegates

from the 10th district

Robert G. Clark, Jr. Politician who was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1967. He was the first African American elected to the Mississippi State Legislature since the Reconstruction era.
Malcolm D. Jackson CIO at Environmental Protection Agency during President Barack Obama administration. He is a Presidential Appointment. [21]
Flossie Boyd-McIntyre 1960 Member North Carolina House of Representatives (1994–2002) [22]
Carlton W. Reeves 1986 Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
Bennie G. Thompson Member U. S. House of Representatives. Serving from April 1993 to Current
Tony Yarber 2004 Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi [23]

Sports

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
Shasta Averyhardt 2008 Professional golfer, 1st African-American woman to qualify for the LPGA Tour since 2001, and its fourth African-American woman member in the 60-year history of the tour. [24]
Lem Barney NFL Hall of Fame cornerback with the Detroit Lions
Marcus Benard 2009 Current NFL linebacker
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd former Major League Baseball pitcher
Corey Bradford former National Football League wide receiver
Robert Brazile former 7-time NFL Pro Bowl outside linebacker with the Houston Oilers [25]
Wes Chamberlain former Major League outfielder
Dave Clark former Major League outfielder
Eddie Payton 1973 NFL kick returner; current Jackson State golf coach
Walter Payton 1975 NFL Hall of Fame running back; played entire career for the Chicago Bears
Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley 1962 former head football coach at Mississippi Valley State University, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Norfolk State University, and Paul Quinn College
Leslie "Speedy" Duncan former 4-time NFL Pro-Bowl cornerback with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins.
Marvin Freeman former Major League pitcher
Cletis Gordon former NFL defensive back
Lindsey Hunter Former NBA point guard. Won the 2001–02 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and the 2003–04 championship with the Detroit Pistons. He was formerly the interim heach coach of the Phoenix Suns.
Harold Jackson former Jackson State Head Football Coach;former NFL wide receiver; played majority career with the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots
Claudis James former NFL player
Jaymar Johnson 2008 current NFL wide receiver
Trey Johnson current NBA/NBA Development League Player
Robert Kent Jackson State and professional quarterback
Ed Manning Drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the 8th round (1st pick, 80th overall) of the 1967 NBA draft, father of Danny Manning
Picasso Nelson Gridiron football player
Audie Norris former NBA Power Forward and superstar for Winterthur FC Barcelona in the late 1980s
Donald Reese NFL Player; played for the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers [26]
Purvis Short former NBA small forward for the Golden State Warriors in the mid-1980s
Jackie Slater NFL Hall of Fame offensive tackle; played entire career with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams
Jimmy Smith Retired NFL wide receiver; played majority career with the Jacksonville Jaguars [27]
Karen Taylor Played professionally in Europe, mother of Stanley Johnson [28]
Michael Tinsley 2006 Track & Field sprinter

Honorary

Name Class year Notability Reference(s)
First Lady Michelle Obama 2016 First African-American to serve as First Lady of the United States. She was given an honorary doctorate from Jackson State University where she served as the keynote speaker for its 2016 Spring undergraduate commencement ceremony [29]

See also

References

  1. "Mississippi Public Universities – Mississippi Public Universities Enrollment". washington times. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  2. "JSU Color Scheme | Style Guide". Jsums.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  3. Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research (2014). "Carnegie Classifications". Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  4. September 28, 2015 (2015-09-28). "Jackson State Becomes the 4th Largest HBCU by Enrollment". Hbculifestyle.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  5. "America's Top Colleges". Forbes. July 5, 2016.
  6. "2016 Rankings - National Universities". Washington Monthly. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  7. "2014 National Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. n.d. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  8. May 4, 2015 (2015-05-04). "JSU to Create the 1st School of Public Health in Mississippi". Hbculifestyle.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  9. "JSU blossoms again as Apple Distinguished School for 2015-2017 | Jackson State Newsroom". Jsumsnews.com. 2015-12-18. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  10. http://www.jsumsnews.com/?p=25102
  11. "Best Historically Black Engineering Colleges", US News & World Report
  12. Education, Diverse Issues in Higher. "Top 100 Bachelor's Degree Producers". diverseeducation.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  13. "W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College - Jackson State University". jsums.edu. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  14. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/hbcu
  15. "Accreditations and Memberships | Division of Academic and Student Affairs". Jsums.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  16. "Oliver leads Jackson State to SWAC title". The ClarionLedger.
  17. "Student Organizations | Student Affairs". Jsums.edu. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  18. http://www.jsums.edu/institutionalresearch/files/2010/06/Factbook-2014-2015-Final-1_2016.pdf
  19. "Vivian Brown". The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  20. "Annie Hawkins-Turner LinkedIn profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  21. "Malcolm D. Jackson, Chief Information Officer and Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information".
  22. "Flossie Boyd-McIntyre Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  23. "Office of the Mayor". City of Jackson, Mississippi. Retrieved April 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  24. "Former Jackson State golfer Shasta Averyhardt qualifies of LPGA tour".
  25. "Robert Lorenzo Brazile". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  26. "Donald Francis Reese". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  27. "Jimmy Lee Smith". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  28. Bruce Pascoe (7 November 2013) Johnson fulfills mom’s hoops wishes Arizona Daily Star. Accessed 7 July 2015.
  29. "First lady Obama slams Mississippi's anti-LGBT law". clarionledger.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

External links

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