Description

In 1871, Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn recommended the formation of Alcorn University. The campus of Oakland College, a school founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1830, was purchased and designated for the education of black youth. Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College was established in 1878 and became Alcorn State University in 1974. This pictorial retrospective explores over one hundred years of growth and change at Alcorn. Vintage photographs showcase the students and faculty who have shaped the school’s history. From early classes and sporting events to distinguished alumni and leaders, these images depict a university dedicated to educating and inspiring young African Americans. Alcorn’s picturesque campus, with its moss-draped trees and scenic lakes, offers a setting where students have had countless opportunities to grow for over a century. As the first land-grant institution for blacks in the United States, Alcorn is a public university committed to academic excellence. The challenges faced by its students and faculty in the early days have fostered a determined spirit that still resonates among its diverse student body today.