Few People Know America Got Its First State-Supported Women’s College Right Here In Mississippi In 1884

Long before the women’s suffrage movement in 1920 and the women's rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Mississippi had the foresight to recognize the importance of educating young women. And so, in 1884, Mississippi made history in a big way when it chartered one of America's first women’s colleges.

Mississippi University for Women in Columbus was chartered in 1884, making it the first state-supported college for women in America.

Opening the college was no easy feat.

Activist Sallie Reneau began campaigning for legislative approval back in the 1860s! A decade later, Olivia Valentine Hastings and Annie Coleman Peyton picked up where Reneau left off, lobbying legislators and journalists in support of a public women’s college.

When seeking a location for the college, Columbus was the perfect fit. Not only did the city have an early interest in women’s education, but it had an ideal locale, too.

In 1847, the Columbus Female Institute opened. It closed by the time Mississippi University for Women was chartered. Columbus donated the institute's vacant buildings and grounds to the state for the new college.

In October of 1885, the college held its first session, welcoming 341 students.

Originally known as The Industrial Institute and College, it offered a unique hybrid education.

The college promised "a high quality collegiate education for women coupled with practical vocational training."

The college has changed a lot since its first semester back in 1885.

In 1920, its name was changed from The Industrial Institute and College to Mississippi State College for Women.

The name was changed again in 1974, at which time it became Mississippi University for Women, or simply, The W.

Another huge change came again in 1982, when the university began admitting men.

So, did you know about the Mississippi University for Women? Or that it was the first state-supported women’s college in America? Know of another institution in Mississippi that’s revered as "America’s first?" If so, tell us! To learn more about The W, visit the Mississippi University for Women website.

This isn’t the state’s only site that’s among the most unique in the nation. Click here to read about Mississippi’s Friendship Oak, which is one of the oldest living things in America.