Delta State University has reached the centennial mark, and federal lawmakers are joining in on the celebration.
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of Delta State University in conjunction with the school’s official celebration currently underway.
The resolution notes the school’s launch as Delta State Teacher’s College in 1925 to its transformation into Delta State University in 1974 and its subsequent growth as a modern institution with a “commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the students it serves with world-leading, industry-acclaimed programs.”
“It’s an honor to recognize Delta State University as it commemorates its history and looks ahead to an even brighter future,” Hyde-Smith said. “Delta State continues to be a cornerstone of opportunity for students, a source of pride for Cleveland, and a vital asset for the entire Mississippi Delta and our state.”
“For the last century, Delta State has been an asset to the Magnolia State,” Wicker added. “Its alumni have been a boon to our workforce and a gift to the arts. In the next hundred years, I am confident Delta State will remain an engineer of opportunity and excellence. I look forward to seeing its continued contributions and achievements.”
While Delta State was founded as a school focused on training educators, it now not only continues to produce schoolteachers but also has achieved success in programs such as aviation and music, among others. Last month, its Delta Music Institute was named one of the top music business schools in the world by Billboard. Its Division of Commercial Aviation holds Mississippi’s only undergraduate and graduate aviation programs.
The resolution, if approved by the entire chamber, would put the U.S. Senate on record as commending Delta State “for 100 years of service to the State of Mississippi and the United States” while recognizing the school “for its academic, cultural, and athletic excellence.”
The year-long centennial celebration began at Delta State on Monday with a ceremony and reception inside the university’s Bologna Performing Arts Center Auditorium. More events are scheduled to take place over the next year with a calendar available here.
