Jackson State University
Jackson State University, sometimes known simply as Jackson State or JSU, is a publicly funded and mostly Black institution of higher education located in Jackson, Mississippi. In terms of total student enrolment, it is the fourth biggest institution in Mississippi and ranks as one of the most prestigious historically black colleges and universities in the United States. The university has been categorised as a "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" institution and is a participant in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. As members of the Southwestern Sports Conference, the Jackson State University athletic teams, which are known as the Tigers, compete at the highest level of NCAA Division I competition (SWAC). In addition, the institution is home to a marching band known as the Sonic Boom of the South, which was established in the 1940s. Their accompanying danceline, known as the Prancing J-Settes, are renowned for their one-of-a-kind style of dance, which is referred to as J-Setting.
Natchez Seminary, which was established on October 23, 1877 in Natchez, Mississippi, eventually expanded into Jackson State University. The American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York was responsible for establishing the seminary "for the moral, religious, and intellectual improvement of Christian leaders of the coloured people of Mississippi and the neighbouring states." The seminary was affiliated with the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The institution relocated from Natchez to its current location in Jackson, the state capital, in 1883 and changed its name to Jackson College at that time. The campus of Millsaps College may be found at that location as of today.
Early in the 20th century, Jackson College made the relocation to its present site, and since then it has blossomed into a fully fledged state institution.
The Baptist Society stopped providing financial assistance in 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression. In 1940, the institution changed its name to the Mississippi Negro Training School and became a publicly funded and sponsored educational establishment. Since then, the name has been modified to reflect the progress of the institution, and it is now known as Jackson College for Negro Teachers (1944). After desegregation, Jackson State College (1967) was established; later, Jackson State University was established with the inclusion of graduate programmes and an enlarged curriculum (1974).