As part of a historic bicentennial celebration, Mississippi College will be moving forward with changing its name to Mississippi Christian University in 2026. Dr. Blake Thompson, the school’s president, recently sat down with us to share details on what will be a new era for the state’s longest-standing institution of higher learning.
“There will be a celebration, a birthday party we will have at some point, and we will have the actual name change take place, so we will commemorate that,” Thompson said.
A look into the university’s past
Founded in 1826, Mississippi College is the state’s oldest higher education institution with a soon-to-be 200-year legacy. Originally established as a Presbyterian university before transitioning to a Baptist institution, Hillman College presently known as Mississippi College has been affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention for 175 years. The incoming celebration will also highlight the university’s commitment to education and faith-based learning.
Name change
According to Thompson, for decades, there have been persistent conversations about the transition from Mississippi College to Mississippi Christian University. The shift aims to better reflect the institution’s Christian mission and emphasize its wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, which puts MC in the “university” category.
“Mississippi Christian University makes all kinds of sense. We can keep the MC logo – I’m very proud of that logo,” Thompson expressed, “We will be known as Mississippi Christian most likely, but I love is that we get to keep the name ‘Mississippi.’ We have been rooted deeply in this state for 200 years, I do feel like we serve the state of Mississippi.”
Academic and economic impact
Mississippi College is deeply invested in the future of its students and their impact on Mississippi. One major initiative driving the university’s enrollment is the “Leland Speed Scholarship.” Named after a dedicated supporter of the institution, the scholarship has played a resourceful role in making higher education accessible to all and more students ever since the challenges that arose from COVID-19.
Aside from academics, the school has made some significant investments in economic development with the “Rising Spring” project, a 50-acre mixed-use development. Between campus and Interstate 20, the grounds are set to enhance the Clinton community with new restaurants, hotels, and retail spaces. This initiative further shows commitment to the city of Clinton, which Dr. Thompson refers to as a “remarkable small town.”
Ongoing commitment to legal education
Located in downtown Jackson, the university’s law school will retain its name as the MC School of Law. According to Thompson, the university recently announced an approximately $10 million renovation to its law school facilities and its strategic proximity to the Mississippi legislature and state courts, reinforcing its commitment to students and their legal education.
Thompson affirmed that the institution’s dedication will help strengthen Jackson, stating: “We’ve made this commitment to the city of Jackson, the capital city. I think there is widespread consensus that we, as a state, need a strong capital city, and we have a role in doing that it’s a couple of city blocks. I think we made that strategic decision that it made sense for Jackson it made sense for the state of Mississippi it made sense for all those constituents that we serve out in our law school to be located there so I’m very thankful for that.”
Athletic changes
In addition to the name change, Mississippi College has made other strategic decisions regarding its academic and athletic programs. Notably, the university announced its decision to discontinue its football program to concentrate on resources in areas where the university excels.
“What we’re trying to do is get ahead of the curve and anticipate some of these changes and make decisions in the best interest of the institution in the long run,” Thompson said. “We want to go ahead and do those and make them and they’re never easy, they were difficult decisions we thought about them.”
Vision for the next 200 years
As MC prepares for its next two centuries, the university wants to remain committed to its academic excellence and its Christian foundation. As a “new” institute, the college wants to be more dedicated to religious thoughts and debates which plan to reinforce its values and faith-based higher education.
“We will continue to do the things we do well. We are committed to academic excellence,” Thompson emphasized, “You can come to MC and get as high-quality and education as anywhere in this country and I’m committed to that and essentially for free–At a cost, that is competitive with anybody we’re very affordable but also very good at what we do and we’ll remain committed to that Christian mission.”