Jackson State University

Jackson College in 1889 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". [ 10 ] [ 11 ] In 1883, the school changed its name to Jackson College and moved from Natchez to a site in Jackson, the capital. [ 12 ] The college moved to its current location early in the 20th century, where it developed into a full state university. [ 12 ] Its original site in Jackson is now the location of Millsaps College . In 1934, during the Great Depression, the Baptist Society withdrew financial support. The school became a state-supported public institution in 1940 as the Mississippi Negro Training School . The name has changed over time: Jackson College for Negro Teachers in 1944;. Jackson State College in 1967, after desegregation; and with the addition of graduate programs and expanded curriculum, Jackson State University in 1974. [ 13 ] 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 , [ 14 ] and an additional 12 students injured by gunfire. [ 15 ] A dormitory still bears the bullet marks fired on that day. The university drew national attention in 2023 when the faculty senate voted " no confidence " in university president Thomas Hudson. They alleged that he "repeatedly failed to respect shared governance, transparency, and accountability". [ 16 ] Shortly thereafter, the university's board of trustees placed Hudson on administrative leave and appointed Elayne Hayes-Anthony the acting president. [ 17 ]

Ayer Hall on main campus The main campus contains over 50 academic and administrative buildings on 245 acres (0.99 km 2 ) . 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 in 1977. Gibbs-Green 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. [ 18 ] Jackson State has satellite campuses throughout the Jackson Metropolitan area: Universities Center (Ridgewood Road) Jackson Medical Mall (Woodrow Wilson) Mississippi E-Center Downtown (100 Capitol Street)

Governance The board of trustees is the constitutional governing body of the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning. [ 19 ] This body appoints the president of the university. There are 575 faculty and 1,431 staff; 54% of the faculty are tenured, teaching approximately 6,500 undergraduate and graduate students. [ 20 ]

1877–1894: Charles Ayer 1894–1911: Luther G. Barrett 1911–1927: Zachary T. Hubert 1927–1940: Buddy Baldwin Dansby 1940–1967: Jacob L. Reddix 1967–1984: John A. Peoples Jr. 1984–1991: James A. Hefner 1992–1999: James E. Lyons Sr. 2000–2010: Ronald Mason Jr. [ 21 ] 2010: Leslie Burl McLemore (interim) [ 21 ] 2011–2016: Carolyn Meyers [ 21 ] 2016–2017: Rod Paige (interim) [ 21 ] 2017–2020: William B. Bynum [ 22 ] [ 23 ] 2020–2023: Thomas Hudson [ 21 ] [ 24 ] 2023: Elayne Hayes–Anthony (acting) 2023–2025: Marcus L. Thompson [ 25 ] 2025–present: Denise Jones Gregory (interim) [ 26 ]