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Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi, supported by the United Methodist Church. The college was founded by a Confederate veteran, Major Reuben Webster Millsaps in 1889-90 by the donation of the college's land and $50,000. Dr. William Belton Murrah was the college's first president, and Bishop Charles Betts Galloway of the United Methodist Church organized the college's early fundraising efforts. Both men now have halls named in their honor. Major Millsaps and his wife are both interred in a tomb on campus. Dr. Frances Lucas, Millsaps' current President, was named to her position in 2000 and is the 10th person to hold the Millsaps position of President. She is the first female President of Millsaps in the college's history.
Academics Despite its religious affiliation, the curriculum is secular. This has often been a source of criticism among many Mississippians, who see Millsaps as a more politically and socially liberal despite the state's conservative tendencies. The writing-intensive core curriculum requires each student to compile an acceptable portfolio of written work before completion of the sophomore year. Candidates for an undergraduate degree must also pass oral and written comprehensive exams in most major fields of study. These exams can last up to three hours, and may cover any required or elective course offered by the major department. Unacceptable performance on comprehensive exams will prevent a candidate from receiving a degree, even if all course work has been completed. "Comps" are usually associated with graduate degree requirements, so their inclusion at the undergraduate level is a source of pride (and possibly pressure) for Millsaps students. Millsaps offers B.S., B.A., B.B.A., and M.B.A. degrees and corresponding programs. Millsaps sends large numbers of graduates to graduate schools, law school, and medical school. The current undergraduate population is around 1100 students on 103 acres (417,000 m²) of campus in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The student to faculty ratio is 12:1 with the average class size being 15 students. Millsaps offers 28 academic majors and has 19 different academic departments. Approximately 99% of the professors on the tenure track have the highest degree in their field. The college offers research partnerships for undergraduate students along with a variety of Study Abroad programs. Millsaps reports that 45% of their student body comes from outside Mississippi; a large portion of the out-of-state students are from neighboring Louisiana. The college also offers the Continuing Education program and the Community Enrichment Series for adults in the Jackson area. Campus The Millsaps campus is close to downtown Jackson. It is bordered by Woodrow Wilson Avenue to the north, North State Street to the east, West Street to the west, and Marshall Street to the south. The center of campus is dominated by "The Bowl", where many events take place, including Homecoming activities, concerts, the Multicultural Festival, and Commencement activities. Adjacent to the Bowl is the Campbell College Center, renovated in 2000, which contains the campus bookstore, post office, cafeteria, and Student Life offices. Also in this central section of campus are the Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex, Olin Science Hall, Sullivan-Harrell Hall, and the Millsaps-Wilson Library. The north part of campus includes the Hall Activities Center (commonly known as the HAC), the sports fields, and the freshman dormitories. On the far northwestern end of campus is the James Observatory, currently the oldest building on campus. Operational since 1901, the observatory underwent major renovations in 1980. Upperclassmen dormitories are located on the south side of campus, which also includes Fraternity Row and the Christian Center. Originally constructed as a memorial to former students and graduates who died in service during World War II, the Christian Center currently houses an auditorium and the departments of Performing Arts, History and Religious Studies. Between the Christian Center and Murrah Hall, which houses the Else School of Management, is the tomb of Major Millsaps and the "M" Bench, erected by the classes of 1926, 1927, and 1928. The Nicholson Garden was added to improve the aesthetics of this area. Statistics (as of 2005) Enrollment: 1,064 Average GPA: 3.52 Average SAT: 1183 Average ACT: 26 Student to Faculty Ratio: 12:1 Rankings and Distinctions Millsaps is ranked as number 81 on U.S. News & World Report's list of Best Liberal Arts Colleges In U.S. News, Millsaps was featured alongside Harvard, Amherst, and Duke among 17 schools that stress writing in all aspects of academics. Princeton Review ranked Millsaps as number 14 in Class Discussions Encouraged and number 3 in Administration Under Best Bargains Millsaps was one of 40 schools in Loren Pope's Colleges that Change Lives. Athletics The school's sports teams are known as the Majors, and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Men may participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, soccer, tennis, golf, and cross country. Women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, dance team, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, cross country, and volleyball. The Majors had a fierce football and basketball rivalry with Mississippi College in nearby Clinton through the 1950s before the rivalry ended due to an infamous brawl between students at a basketball game. Campus legend says that the brawl was sparked by the supposed theft of the body of Millsaps founder Major Millsaps by Mississippi College students. The rivalry was considered by many as the best in Mississippi, featuring a prank by Mississippi College students who painted "TO HELL WITH MILSAPS" (sic) on the Millsaps Observatory. The football rivalry resumed in 2000 as the "Backyard Brawl", with games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The rivalry took a one-year hiatus in 2005 but will resume in 2006. The New Orleans Saints have conducted summer training camps here. Organizations The school is home to six different fraternities: Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Lambda Chi Alpha; as well as six sororities: Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, Chi Omega, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Delta Sigma Theta. Notable Alumni Important Dates in Millsaps History List of Presidents of Millsaps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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