MC Turns 200
Founders Week celebrations put on hold as MC prepares for severe weather.
Mississippi College, the Magnolia State’s oldest institution of higher learning, marked its 200th anniversary on Founders Day, Jan. 24. The university planned a multi-day celebration, which started on Wednesday, Jan. 21. This celebration was cut short by the threat of severe winter weather. Events scheduled for Friday were called off.
Friday’s postponed celebration would have included the grand opening of the university’s bicentennial exhibition, the reveal of a time capsule, and MC’s 200th birthday party, the culminating event of Founders Week. A university-wide announcement made a day prior by MC President Blake Thompson read in part,
“Many people across our campus community and MC family, including many out-of-town guests who are not able to travel due to the weather, want to celebrate this important milestone with us. The postponement will allow us to celebrate our 200th birthday when travel and event logistics can occur in better weather.”
A new date for these events was not immediately announced. While weather conditions may have halted some of January’s scheduled celebrations, the university’s effort to recognize the bicentennial extends far beyond a single week. The institutional milestone has garnered statewide recognition and marks a key transition point for the university.
MC’s Milestone Recognized at the State Capitol
“Let’s move along today,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said as he presided over the Mississippi Senate. On Thursday, amidst an ever-occupied calendar, legislators in the chamber took a moment to pause and recognize MC’s bicentennial milestone. Members of MC’s administration stood at the front of the chamber as Senate Resolution 10 was presented to President Blake Thompson.
The resolution “commemorate[s] the bicentennial celebration of the founding of Mississippi College.” Senator Hillman Frazier of the 27th District, who represents major portions of Clinton and Mississippi College, sponsored the measure.
Thompson was permitted to address the assembled Senate after the resolution title was read. In his address, the university president spoke about how MC first began and acknowledged the full circle moment. “This week, we are 200 years old. And it’s appropriate that we are here in front of the legislature, you actually chartered Mississippi College 200 years ago,” Thompson said from the Senate floor.
Beyond 200: MC Looks Forward
MC’s bicentennial celebration brings the university closer to a major name change. While a strategic plan for renaming was announced in Nov. 2024, the institution will remain Mississippi College throughout the spring semester. MC will officially become Mississippi Christian University on June 1, 2026.
The institution is using the bicentennial celebration to make the transition more seamless. University faculty and staff were instructed to phase out the use of certain Mississippi College branding elements. A special bicentennial logo was made available for use during the transitional period. This logo was also seen on new banners and signage throughout the Clinton campus.
The upcoming name change complements a rebrand of the university’s main logomark, which occurred in 2022. Even then, the university was foward focussed in their redesign. “We expect this branding initiative to be a long runway,” Nick Stafford, then director of marketing, said. “It is one of many steps we are taking towards MC’s bicentennial, which will be a big celebration at the University.” The Mississippi College Office of Marketing and Communications explained how these transitions work together: “[The] current logo mark will continue to be utilized as MC’s brand mark. The university will continue to be referred to as ‘MC.’”
The university president pointed to the bicentennial as the perfect time to undergo this major change. Thompson has served as the 20th president of MC since 2018 and has been part of several major institutional changes during his tenure. He expressed his excitement for the university’s 200th year and emphasized that driving MC’s future is the most important part of these transitions.
“I think a lot of what we are doing is looking to the next 200 years. I talk about that a lot, we’re celebrating the past 200 years, but we’re looking to the next 200 years,” Thompson said. “There is no better time to do a name change than a bicentennial. We’ve been Mississippi College for a long time, and we will continue to be MC... It’s also important that for the next 200 years, we clearly articulate who we are. Mississippi Christian University captures exactly who we are.”
The History and Impact of Mississippi College
While this year’s renaming will be the first in over 190 years, “Mississippi College” is the third name that the university has carried. First known as Hampstead Academy, the institution was chartered by the Mississippi state legislature in the early 19th century. In 1827, the college was renamed to Mississippi Academy, then, three years later, to Mississippi College (MC). Since its establishment, the institution has been the heart of the city of Clinton. Mississippi College expanded its presence in 1975 by opening MC Law in downtown Jackson.
MC’s president said that the university has worked hard to be the center of the Clinton community. “We really have strengthened an already strong relationship with the city of Clinton,” Thompson said.
While Clinton is home to the university, Thompson emphasized MC’s impact and commitment statewide, especially to the Jackson community. “We have committed the law school to the future of Jackson, and I’m excited about that, too. I’m very positive about the future of Jackson, Mississippi, and our law school is an anchor,” Thompson said. “We’re helping to build the economy of Clinton and Jackson and, by doing that, the state of Mississippi.”
The university, having aged alongside a growing nation, has witnessed a majority of American history and is credited with several major achievements. In 1831, MC became the first American coeducational college to grant a degree to a woman. MC became affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention in 1850 and is now the second-oldest Baptist college.
The university plans to resume the celebration of MC’s 200th birthday once weather conditions allow safe travel for attendees.