Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Mississippi State University Alumni Association celebrated its 125th anniversary Thursday [June 17].
Founded in 1885 by members of the first three graduating classes of then-Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, the association now includes nearly 118,000 living alumni. The state's largest alumni organization, it currently has 90 chapters throughout the United States and one in Seoul, South Korea.
"This is a major milestone in the history of our great association," said Jimmy Abraham, the association's executive director. "As alumni, we can never give back to our university what she has given to us, but we will never quit trying."
Abraham, also associate vice president for development and alumni, said 17 men gathered on campus during the afternoon of June 17, 1885, to establish an organization meant to carry on the memories and traditions of college life. Even as the association evolved with the changing times, its spirit and purpose remain the same, he added.
"For generations, alumni have helped shape Mississippi State through their time, loyalty and financial contributions," said John P. Rush, vice president for development and alumni. "The Bulldog spirit that was conveyed by early graduates of Mississippi A&M has laid a strong foundation for the MSU Alumni Association of today. We proudly follow in their footsteps."
Founded in 1878, the land-grant institution was created through the Morrill Act passed by Congress in 1862. The college opened its doors Oct. 6, 1880, to an enrollment of 354 young men. Three years later, 13 received the first diplomas and became the first alumni.
"As we look to the future, we must continue to build on our solid foundation and help our beloved university become all that it can be for all those who proudly wear the maroon and white," Abraham said.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.