Delta State University
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| Delta State University | |
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| Delta State University logo | |
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| Established: | 1924 |
| Type: | Public, Co-ed |
| President: | John Hilpert |
| Students: | 4,392 [1] |
| Location: | Cleveland, Mississippi () |
| Campus: | Rural 332 acres (1.34 km²) |
| Sports teams: | football, basketball, baseball, swimming, diving, tennis, soccer, golf, fast-pitch softball and cross-country |
| Colors: | Forest Green and White |
| Mascot: | Official: Statesmen/Lady Statesmen Unofficial: Fighting Okra (Mr. Okra) |
| Website: | www.deltastate.edu |
Delta State University is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta; one of eight publicly funded universities in the state. Delta State is commonly referred to as "DSU".
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[edit] History
Established in 1924 by an act of the Mississippi Legislature, Delta State Teachers College first opened its doors to students in 1925. The name was later changed to Delta State College (1955) and then Delta State University (1974).
In 1947, Under-Secretary of State in Truman's administration, Dean Acheson, delivered a speech on campus that unveiled the Marshall Plan, detailing postwar relief for Europe.[1]
[edit] Campus
DSU is located on 332 acres (1.34 km²) at 1003 W Sunflower Rd (Highway 8 West), Cleveland, MS, 38733.[2]
Approximately 4,000 students enroll annually in Delta State's undergraduate degree programs, with an additional 600 enrolled in post-graduate or professional level courses. Almost 40 percent of students reside in on-campus housing. Delta State provides both men's dormitories and women's dormitories, as well as apartments for married students. The university also has Greek fraternal organizations, but none have houses.
The official colors are green and white. Since its inception, Delta State's mascot had been officially known as the "Statesman" because of the role State Sen Walter Sillers played in the location of the school in Cleveland. However, in recent years, the student body has embraced a mascot that depicts a piece of okra (a Southern vegetable). The "Fighting Okra" was featured in the "Okraphobia" episode of the Food Network show Good Eats.
[edit] Academics
Delta State provides a strict, rigorous undergraduate curriculum, offering 12 baccalaureate degrees in 42 majors. The university also advances student training through certain fields by providing graduate programs of study for eight master's degrees, the Education Specialist degree and the Doctor of Education degree. Delta State has a fairly large flight school and is also the only university in the state to offer a degree in Commercial Aviation.
[edit] Athletics
The Delta State University Department of Athletics sponsors thirteen intercollegiate sports, competing at the NCAA Division II level. DSU is affiliated with the Gulf South Conference and New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference. The institution competes intercollegiately in men’s football, basketball, baseball, swimming, diving, tennis, soccer, and golf. The women’s intercollegiate program consists of basketball, tennis, fast-pitch softball, cross-country, swimming, soccer, and diving.[3]
One of Delta State's most notable sports coaches was (Lily) Margaret Wade (1912-1995)[2]. She coached the women's basketball team to three consecutive AIWA national championships and a 93-4 record, including a 51 game winning streak[4]. Wade was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. Today, the Division I women's basketball player of the year receives the Margaret Wade Trophy.
Another very important figure was former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dave "Boo" Ferriss who coached the baseball program for nearly thirty years and led them to three appearances in the NCAA Division II College World Series before retiring in 1988. Boo was born in Shaw, Mississippi.
Baltimore Orioles catcher Eli Whiteside played baseball for the University. Matt Miller of the Cleveland Indians also played for the Statesmen.
One notable would-be baseball player and student who was cut during tryouts was writer John Grisham.[5] In 2008, Grisham returned to the campus to join Ferris in an evening of baseball tales, raising more than $100,000 for the athletic program.
Delta State alumni Jeremy Richardson is an NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks.
Delta State won the 2004 NCAA Division II national baseball championship.
Delta State won the 2000 NCAA Division II national football championship. Delta State's football team won the Gulf South Conference Championship in 2007.
[edit] List of Presidents of Delta State
- James Wesley Broom - 1925-1926
- Dr. William Marion Kethley - 1926-1956
- Dr. James Milton Ewing - 1956-1971
- Dr. Aubrey Lucas - 1971-1975
- Dr. Kent Wyatt - 1975-1999
- Dr. David Potter - 1999-2002
- Dr. John Thornell - 2002 - 2003 (interim)
- Dr. John Hilpert - 2003-present
[edit] References
- ^ DSU Fan Guide
- ^ See location on Google Maps
- ^ Athletics on DSU website
- ^ Official Website of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - Hall of Famers
- ^ Delte State University
[edit] External links
- Delta State University – Official site
- DSU Department of Athletics
- DSU Department of Music
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