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S. C. R. No. 525 *SS08/R905* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2
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To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Simmons (13th), Simmons
(12th), England, Hopson
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 525
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE CENTENNIAL 1
CELEBRATION OF THE FOUNDING OF DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY. 2
WHEREAS, we join the students, alumni, faculty and 3
administration of Delta State University on the occasion of its 4
Centennial Celebration, memorializing a century of academic 5
excellence; and 6
WHEREAS, on February 19, 1924, Mississippi Senator W. B. 7
Roberts and Mississippi Senator Arthur L. Marshall introduced 8
Mississippi Senate Bill 263 to create Delta State Teachers 9
College, and it was signed by Mississippi Governor Henry L. 10
Whitfield on April 9, 1924; and 11
WHEREAS, Delta State Teachers College opened its doors 12
officially on September 15, 1925, to 97 students and 11 faculty. 13
Delta State's first graduation was held in June 1928 with 13 14
students receiving Bachelor of Science degrees. Delta State 15
Teachers College officially became Delta State College on February 16
16, 1955. In the summer of 1965, Delta State added a graduate 17
program, which was a great step forward in providing additional 18
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training for the excellent teachers it had been educating since 19
its establishment. On March 15, 1974, Delta State College became 20
Delta State University; and 21
WHEREAS, Delta State University if a four-year public 22
institution whose nearly 2,700 students come from most U.S. states 23
and more than 35 countries; and 24
WHEREAS, acknowledging its beginning as a teacher's college, 25
the university sustains excellence in teacher education while 26
continuing to expand offerings in traditional, as well as, unique 27
fields of study; and 28
WHEREAS, programs such as those available through the Delta 29
Music Institute, the Commercial Aviation Department, and the 30
Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information highlight the 31
university's commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the 32
students it serves with world-leading, industry-acclaimed 33
programs; and 34
WHEREAS, Delta State University Statesmen and Lady Statesmen 35
have a strong tradition of excellence in athletics, serving as a 36
charter member of the Gulf South Conference, and boasting 14 37
national championships, including six in women's basketball, one 38
in baseball, one in football, and six in swimming and diving; and 39
WHEREAS, situated in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, 40
Delta State offers top-notch academic programs in business, arts, 41
sciences, nursing, education, and more; and 42
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WHEREAS, the Delta Council was organized at Delta State 43
University on March 5, 1935, and Delta State President William M. 44
Kethley served as its first president; and 45
WHEREAS, the Marshall Plan was first announced at Delta State 46
by Under-Secretary of State Dean Acheson on May 8, 1947; and 47
WHEREAS, Delta State worked to create the Mississippi Delta 48
National Heritage Area, which was officially designated by 49
Congress in 2009. It is one of 55 National Heritage Areas in the 50
United States designated by Congress that tell nationally 51
important stories, celebrating our nation's diverse heritage 52
through community-based partnerships and local collaboration; and 53
WHEREAS, Delta State University partnered with the local 54
community to attract the Grammy Museum Mississippi, a museum 55
focused on the musical achievements of Mississippians, to 56
Cleveland, Mississippi, which opened on March 5, 2016; and 57
WHEREAS, Delta State University has earned state, regional 58
and national recognition as an exemplary institution dedicated to 59
academic excellence, affordable access and accountability in the 60
pursuit of its mission and the delivery of university, liberal 61
arts, career/technical, workforce and adult education programs, 62
and made possible, in part, by the commitment of the Mississippi 63
Legislature to provide operating and capital funding support; and 64
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the legacy 65
and contributions of a great university which has brought honor to 66
the Mississippi Delta and to the entire State of Mississippi: 67
S. C. R. No. 525 *SS08/R905* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Centennial Celebration of the founding of
Delta State University; commemorate.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 68
MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 69
we do hereby commemorate the Centennial Celebration of the 70
founding of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, and 71
extend to the students, alumni, faculty and administration our 72
best wishes on this auspicious occasion. 73
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 74
Dr. Daniel J. Ennis, President of Delta State University, 75
forwarded to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher 76
Learning and made available to the Capitol Press Corps. 77