WE ARE ALCORN

Alcorn State University (Alcorn) is the first and oldest public historically Black land-grant institution in the United States. Founded to support the education of formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants, it is today a dynamic, resilient, and distinguished institution.

A leading university in the nation, Alcorn offers associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees in over 40 disciplines, ranging from biology to agricultural science to business administration. Today, the institution enrolls almost 3,000 students of various ethnic backgrounds (representative of more than 65 counties, more than 30 states, and at least 18 countries) and employs over 700 faculty members.

As a land-grant institution, Alcorn focuses on education, research, and community outreach and development with an emphasis on agriculture, science, and engineering. Education and research programs focus on addressing the issues and concerns affecting small farm populations and rural residents of Mississippi. The programs are run by the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and include, among others, the Center for Conservation Research, the Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, and a Small Farm Incubator.

Extension programs, i.e. community education programs, are provided at several locations throughout the Southwest Mississippi region, and are aimed at supporting small farmers, ranchers, and limited-resource stakeholders through the dissemination and application of researchgenerated knowledge. Current programs include the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center, the Global Food Security and Hunger education program, the Youth, Family, Nutrition and Health, Fitness and Wellness Planned program, and a Climate Change program.

History

Alcorn was founded in 1871as Alcorn University by the Mississippi state legislature and established on the site of the former Oakland College, in today’s Claiborne County. Hiram R. Revels, the first African American to be appointed to either house of the U.S. Congress, resigned his seat as a senator to serve as Alcorn’s first president. As a land-grant institution, Alcorn was established with a focus on agriculture and mechanics and initially offered a four-year college track, a two-year college track, and a three-year graded track. Over the decades, programs and research flourished, and in 1974 the institution was granted university status and renamed Alcorn State University.

Since its founding in the 19th century, the campus grew from the original purchase of 255 acres and three buildings, to a 1,700-acre campus with over 80 structures, including academic and administrative buildings, housing, athletic facilities, and agricultural fields and facilities. In addition to the main campus in Lorman, Alcorn operates a satellite campus in Natchez, Mississippi, which houses the School of Nursing, ASU Family Clinic, Natchez Library Learning Resource Center, and a residence hall.

Source: alcorn.edu