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
President	Carolyn Meyers
Academic staff	450
Administrative staff	1,200
Students	9,802[1]
Location	Jackson, Mississippi, United States 32°17′46″N 090°12′28″W / 32.29611°N 90.20778°WCoordinates: 32°17′46″N 090°12′28″W / 32.29611°N 90.20778°W
Colors	Navy blue and White[2]
Athletics	NCAA Division I
Nickname	Tigers
Mascot	Bengal 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. Founded in 1877 in Natchez, Mississippi as Natchez Seminary by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York, the Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state-supported public institution in 1940, and it 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 which placed the university 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 St between Prentiss and Dalton St 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 and was named to 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. The Walter Payton Health & Wellness Center was constructed in 2006. Jackson State also has satellite campus throughout the Jackson-Metropolitan area which includes, 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]
Global

JSU colleges and schools include:

• College of Business
• College of Education and Human Development
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Public Service
• College of Science, Engineering and Technology
• School of Journalism and Media Studies
• W.E.B. Du Bois Honors College

In 2015, JSU became the first university in Mississippi approved 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 incorporates technology into its curriculum.^[9]

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

JSU ranks among the top in the nation for producing African-Americans with education, biology, and physical science bachelor's degrees by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.^[10]

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and 14 other accreditation granting institutions to offer bacherlor's, master's, doctoral, and education specialist degrees.^[11]

Student life

Athletics

Official Athletics logo

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.^[12] 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 collegiate marching bands in the nation with more than 300-members.

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, The 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 five drum majors traditionally collectively referred to as 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.^[13] 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 (154). 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.^[14]

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	[15]
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	[16]
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, GA

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.	[17]
Flossie Boyd-McIntyre	1960	Member North Carolina House of Representatives (1994-2002)	[18]
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		Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi	[19]

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.	[20]
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	[21]
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		current 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	[22]
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	[23]
Karen Taylor		Played professionally in Europe, mother of Stanley Johnson	[24]
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	[25]

See also

• Jackson State University Botanical Garden
• Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium

References

1. "Mississippi Public Universities - Mississippi Public Universities See Largest Fall Enrollment On Record". Ihl.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
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. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
6. "2015 National Universities Rankings". Washington Monthly. n.d. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
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://diverseeducation.com/top100/BachelorsDegreeProducers2015.php?AppKey=38d31000g2h3a9a0b3f1b9i5j0e0&ComparisonType1_1=%3D&MatchNull1_1=N&school=Jackson+State+University&ComparisonType2_1=%3D&MatchNull2_1=N&state=zip&ComparisonType3_1=%3D&MatchNull3_1=N&major=zip&ComparisonType4_1=%3D&MatchNull4_1=N&race=zip
11. "Accreditations and Memberships | Division of Academic and Student Affairs". Jsums.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
12. "Oliver leads Jackson State to SWAC title". The ClarionLedger.
13. "Student Organizations | Student Affairs". Jsums.edu. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
14. http://www.jsums.edu/institutionalresearch/files/2010/06/Factbook-2014-2015-Final-1_2016.pdf
15. "Vivian Brown". The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
16. "Annie Hawkins-Turner LinkedIn profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
17. "Malcolm D. Jackson, Chief Information Officer and Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information".
18. "Flossie Boyd-McIntyre Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
19. "Office of the Mayor". City of Jackson, Mississippi. Retrieved April 2014.
20. "Former Jackson State golfer Shasta Averyhardt qualifies of LPGA tour".
21. "Robert Lorenzo Brazile". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
22. "Donald Francis Reese". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
23. "Jimmy Lee Smith". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
24. Bruce Pascoe (7 November 2013) Johnson fulfills mom’s hoops wishes Arizona Daily Star. Accessed 7 July 2015.
25. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/04/23/michelle-obama-urges-jsu-grads-go-high/83430202/

External links

• Official website