Midwestern State University

Short description: Public university in Wichita Falls, Texas

Midwestern State University

Former names

| Wichita Falls Junior College (1922–1937)
Hardin Junior College (1937–1946)
Hardin College (1946–1950)
Midwestern University (1950–1975)
Motto| Per Scientam ad Excellentiam

Motto in English

| Through Knowledge to Excellence
Type| Public liberal arts university
Established| 1922; 104 years ago (1922)

Parent institution

| Texas Tech University System

Academic affiliations

| Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
President| Stacy Haynie
Provost| Margaret Brown Marsden
Students| 6,102
Undergraduates| 5,372
Postgraduates| 730
Location|

Wichita Falls, Texas

U.S.

[ ⚑ ] : 33°52′26″N 98°31′16″W﻿ / ﻿33.87389°N 98.52111°W﻿ / 33.87389; -98.52111
Campus| Suburban, 255 acres (103 ha)
|u}}rs| Maroon and gold[1]

Nickname| Mustangs
Mascot| Maverick T. Mustang
Website| msutexas.edu

Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is a public liberal arts university in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 2020 it had 5,141 undergraduate students.[2] It is the state's only public institution focused on the liberal arts.[3]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Academics
* 2.1 Dalquest Desert Research Station
* 3 Athletics
* 4 Student life
* 4.1 Housing and dining services
* 5 Notable alumni
* 5.1 Arts and entertainment
* 5.2 Athletics
* 5.3 Business and nonprofit
* 5.4 Government
* 5.5 Journalism and literature
* 5.6 Religion
* 5.7 Science and education
* 6 Notable faculty lecturers and staff
* 7 Controversies
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## History

Founded in 1922 as Wichita Falls Junior College, it was renamed Hardin Junior College in 1937 when it moved to its present location off Taft Boulevard. In 1946, a senior division was added and it was renamed Hardin College. In January 1950, the name changed to Midwestern University, with the junior college division remaining Hardin Junior College. In March 1948, the university became a member of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In January 1959, the university added a graduate school which received full approval from the State Board of Education in August of that year.[4]

Midwestern State University Hardin Tower

A further change in the school's status came September 1, 1961, when by action of the 56th session of the Texas State Legislature, Midwestern University became part of the Texas Colleges and Universities System and the junior college division was dissolved. In 1975, the Texas Legislature changed the name to Midwestern State University.[4]

From its beginnings as a municipal junior college housed in a high school building, Midwestern has become a state university whose campus of 255 acres and 70 buildings offers a wide variety of academic programs in liberal and fine arts, mathematics, sciences, business, and applied sciences.[4]

On March 9, 2015, the university announced that Suzanne Shipley was selected to become its next president, following Jesse Rogers' retirement after 48 years of service to the school.[5]

On December 13, 2016, the university broke ground on a new campus in Flower Mound, Texas. The two-story facility shares space with North Central Texas College and opened in June 2018.[6]

An inside look of the new Robert and Carol Gunn Health Sciences and Human Services building glass classrooms.

The Robert and Carol Gunn College of Health Sciences and Human Services officially opened up their new building, Centennial Hall, on September 6, 2019.[7]

On August 6, 2020, the Texas Tech University System and Midwestern State University agreed to a memorandum of understanding to begin the process of MSU Texas becoming the fifth university to join the system.[8] The process was completed on September 1, 2021, when HB 1522 went into effect.[9]

## Academics

University rankings

Regional
U.S. News & World Report[10] | 75
Master's University class
Washington Monthly[11] | 235

Midwestern State University is organized into seven colleges with 16 undergraduate programs offering 43 majors and 30 minors, and 9 graduate programs offering 28 majors and 15 minors.

MSU is the only university in Texas with membership in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and was the first public university in Texas to establish a core curriculum. The university is also a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Association for Core Texts and Courses.

### Dalquest Desert Research Station

The Dalquest Desert Research Station[12] is located on 3,000 acres of West Texas soil north of the Big Bend Ranch State Park. The land was a gift from Walter W. Dalquest, a professor at MSU, and his wife, Rose, on the condition that it be used for scientific research by biologists and geologists. Today, the site is used by professors, students, naturalists, scientists, and educators.

Dalquest Desert Research Station

## Athletics

Midwestern State fields 13 intercollegiate NCAA Division II athletic teams. MSU is a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The school mascot is the mustang.

The basketball and volleyball teams play at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The football team plays at Memorial Stadium (Wichita Falls). The soccer teams play at the MSU Soccer Field. The softball team plays at Mustangs Park. The tennis teams play at the MSU Tennis Center.

Mustangs Park was redesigned with turf for the 2016 season. The Midwestern State University Mustangs celebrate after scoring a late-goal during the 2016 playoffs.

## Student life

The university's campus covers 255 acres (1.0 km2) with over 50 buildings uniformly built of red brick with tiled roofs and arched facades.

Students can be members of 14 nationally affiliated fraternities and sororities. Sororities on campus include Kappa Delta Chi, Sigma Kappa, Chi Omega, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Phi, Kappa Delta Chi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, and Sigma Lambda Alpha. Fraternities are Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Nu, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Omega Delta Phi, Kappa Sigma, and Kappa Alpha Order.

More than 100 other student organizations are on campus, such as the Association for Computing Machinery, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, several musical organizations, and sports clubs such as MSU Rugby.

The campus has a newspaper, The Wichitan, and a student-run television channel and production studio, M&G Media. The campus newspaper and production studio are housed in the Mass Communication wing of the Fain Fine Arts Center.[13]

### Housing and dining services

Midwestern State has four residence halls; Legacy Hall, McCullough-Trigg Hall, Killingsworth Hall, and Pierce Hall (the latter of which is currently vacated for construction). It also has two apartments; Sundance Courts and Sunwatcher Village.

Dining services went through a major remodel in 2016, adding new storefronts.[14] Dining halls include the Mesquite Dining Hall and Maverick's Corner. New storefronts in the Clark Student Center include Chick-fil-A & ACE Sushi. Einstein Bros. Bagels is located in the Dillard College of Business Administration. A cafe called Campus Coffee was opened at the Bridwell Activities Center (built in 2021 and completed in 2022) in 2022.

Legacy Hall

## Notable alumni

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (May 2016)

|

### Arts and entertainment

* Phil McGraw — Dr. Phil, television host[15]
* Jaret Reddick — original founder and lead vocalist/guitarist of the popular punk band Bowling for Soup[16]
* JoAnne Worley — Laugh In and many other TV comedy shows[17]

### Athletics

* Marqui Christian — NFL safety[18]
* Eric Dawson — professional basketball player
* Chad DeGrenier — AFL player
* Cotton Fitzsimmons - American college and NBA basketball coach
* Jinh Yu Frey — professional Mixed Martial Artist, current Invicta FC Atomweight Champion[19]
* Bryan Gilmore — NFL wide receiver[20]
* Andrea Hannos — professional cyclist[21]
* Dudley Meredith — NFL defensive end
* Tony Pesznecker — professional soccer player
* Will Pettis — Arena Football Hall of Fame player
* Dominic Rhodes — NFL running back[22]
* Amini Silatolu — NFL offensive tackle[23]
* Chad Smith — professional soccer player (Charlotte Eagles (USL))
* Ray Gene Smith — NFL safety
* Gary Suiter — NBA center
* Craig Sutherland — professional soccer player
* Andy Tanner — professional football player
* Bryce Taylor — professional soccer player
* J. J. Unga — NFL offensive guard
* Randy Waldrum — women's head soccer coach of the Houston Dash (2014-2017)[24]
* Daniel Woolard — Professional soccer player for D.C. United

### Business and nonprofit

* Albert Buckman Wharton III — former owner of the Waggoner Ranch[25]

### Government

* Lanham Lyne — mayor of Wichita Falls, Texas, 2005–2010; state representative, District 69, (2011-2013)
* Andy King — council member for the 12th District of the New York City Council (2012–present)
* Dan Kubiak — state representative from Rockdale, (1969–1983 and 1991–1998)
* Mark Boulware — U.S. ambassador to Mauritania (2007–2010)[26]
* Walter Wilson Jenkins — American political figure and longtime top aide to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson

### Journalism and literature

* John Edwards Williams — American writer
* Beck Weathers — motivational speaker and a mountain climber involved in the 1996 Everest disaster[27]

### Religion

* Stephen McNallen — American white supremacist and proponent of Heathenry [28]

### Science and education

* Mark Puder — professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School[29]
* Mark Rippetoe — author, strength-training coach[30]
* Michael Obeng, celebrity plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA[31]

## Notable faculty lecturers and staff

* John Tower — United States Senator
* Larry McMurtry — American novelist
* Nathan Jun — American political philosopher [32]

## Controversies

* Since 2018 several incidents of racially-motivated vandalism and harassment have been reported at Midwestern State University.[33][34][35] The university administration has been repeatedly criticized by students of color for its handling of such incidents, as well as for its perceived indifference to issues facing racial minorities more generally.[36]
* In 2018 the Midwestern State University faced widespread criticism from students in response to the administration's perceived indifference to sexual harassment and violence on campus.[37][38][39][40] A university administrator reportedly made a rape joke at a campus forum intended to discuss the issue.[41]
* In 2019 a Midwestern State University graduate student was publicly outed as a white supremacist.[42] The university was roundly criticized for its handling of the ensuing controversy.[43]
* In 2020 Midwestern State University was widely and publicly criticized for its response to a right-wing harassment campaign that had been directed against former philosophy professor Nathan Jun in response to controversial Facebook posts.[44][45][46] The following year the university was again criticized for allegedly forcing Jun to resign his tenured position by denying him a requested disability accommodation.[47][48][49] The allegation prompted an open letter of protest [50][51] that was eventually signed by more than 500 faculty members.[52][third-party source needed]

## References

1. ↑ "Web Style Guide". Mwsu.edu. 1999-02-22. https://msutexas.edu/webmaster/style-guide/v1/index.
2. ↑ "Midwestern State University". https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/midwestern-state-3592.
3. ↑ "MSU: Texas' only public liberal arts school" (in en-US). The Wichitan. 2016-06-22. http://thewichitan.com/liberal_arts_school/.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "MSU History". https://msutexas.edu/about/history.php.
5. ↑ Dave Emke (March 9, 2015). "Shipley chosen to become next president of Midwestern State". http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/630001/Shipley-chosen-to-become-next-president-of-Midwestern-State.html.
6. ↑ "MSU Flower Mound campus celebrates grand opening". 6 June 2018. https://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/2018/06/06/msu-flower-mound-campus-celebrates-grand-opening/.
7. ↑ Halsey, Torin. "MSU Texas unveils state-of-the-art Centennial Hall" (in en). https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2019/09/05/msu-texas-unveils-state-art-centennial-hall/2225965001/.
8. ↑ "Texas Tech announces MOU with Midwestern State University". https://www.kcbd.com/2020/08/06/texas-tech-announces-mou-with-midwestern-state-university/.
9. ↑ "Texas Tech University System welcomes Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls" (in en). 8 June 2021. https://www.myhighplains.com/news/texas-tech-university-system-welcomes-midwestern-state-university-in-wichita-falls/.
10. ↑ "Best Colleges 2021: Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities.
11. ↑ "2020 Rankings -- Masters Universities". Washington Monthly. https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020college-guide/masters.
12. ↑ "A Love Unearthed" (in en-US). Texas Monthly. 2016-09-21. http://features.texasmonthly.com/editorial/a-love-unearthed/.
13. ↑ Achten, Alex. "MSU Board of Regents members tour latest renovations" (in en). http://www.newschannel6now.com/story/36059279/msu-board-of-regents-members-tour-latest-renovations.
14. ↑ McGinnis, Judith. "Progress: MSU food service offers enticing new choices" (in en). https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/special-reports/2017/02/26/progress-msu-food-service-offers-enticing-new-choices/97331782/.
15. ↑ "Dr. Phil McGraw | HuffPost" (in en). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/dr-phil.
16. ↑ "Jaret Reddick: Punk Soup for the Soul" (in en). VOA. https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2006-07-28-voa17/400275.html.
17. ↑ "Jo Anne Worley". https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941506/bio.
18. ↑ Alper, Josh (2016-09-28). "Rams claim Marqui Christian off waivers from Cardinals". http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/09/28/rams-claim-marqui-christian-off-waivers-from-cardinals/.
19. ↑ "Jinh Yu Frey – Invicta Fighting Championships". http://www.invictafc.com/portfolio-item/jinh-yu-frey/.
20. ↑ "Who Is Bryan Gilmore?". Field Gulls. https://www.fieldgulls.com/2008/7/25/579211/who-is-bryan-gilmore.
21. ↑ "History - MSU Cycling Team". http://mwsu.info/cycling/?page_id=38.
22. ↑ "Russell: Rhodes looks back at MSU career" (in en). http://archive.timesrecordnews.com/columnists/j-scott-russell/russell-rhodes-looks-back-at-msu-career-3bdbcaf3-27da-08aa-e053-0100007f556f-399569971.html/.
23. ↑ "Quiet resolve drives Amini Silatolu". http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Quiet-resolve-drives-Amini-Silatolu-/08381d37-2a7c-4737-bd61-a0cfb1c01d14.
24. ↑ "The Randy Waldrum Era: A Success by Any Account". http://www.und.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/020314aaa.html.
25. ↑ January 2004 1, Gary Cartwright (2004-01-01). "Showdown at Waggoner Ranch" (in en). https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/showdown-at-waggoner-ranch/.
26. ↑ Mark Boulware, U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania
27. ↑ "637 graduate in December - The Wichitan" (in en-US). The Wichitan. 2014-12-13. http://thewichitan.com/graduationf14/.
28. ↑ "About Me – Stephen A. McNallen" (in en-US). https://stevemcnallen.com/about-me/.
29. ↑ "Notable Alumni » Alumni » Midwestern State University" (in en). https://mwsu.edu/alumni/msu-notable-alumni.
30. ↑ "About | Starting Strength" (in en-US). http://startingstrength.com/about/mark-rippetoe.
31. ↑ "Michael Obeng, the First Black Plastic Surgeon in Beverly Hills, is Reportedly Worth $8 Million" (in en-US). 2020-01-07. https://www.blackenterprise.com/michael-obeng-the-first-black-plastic-surgeon-in-beverly-hills-is-reportedly-worth-8-million/.
32. ↑ "The Professional Website of Nathan J. Jun: Home" (in en). http://www.nathanjun.com/home.html.
33. ↑ "MSU Texas responds to poster marked with racially charged vandalism" (in en-US). https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2018/11/03/msu-texas-responds-poster-marked-racially-charged-vandalism/1862504002/.
34. ↑ "MSU officials, students address apparent threatening, racist blog posts" (in en-US). 2019-11-22. https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/local-news/msu-officials-students-address-apparent-threatening-racist-blog-posts/.
35. ↑ ComplicitMSU. "ComplicitMSU is back". https://thewichitan.com/64708/op-ed/complicitmsu-is-back/.
36. ↑ Wabbington, Dallas. "#BlackatMSUTexas". https://thewichitan.com/67890/news/campus/blackatmsutexas/.
37. ↑ Manning, Tyler. "Students raised concerns over campus safety at forum". https://thewichitan.com/49990/news/campus-safety-forum/.
38. ↑ "Action needs to be taken about sexual misconduct". https://thewichitan.com/50048/op-ed/admin-needs-to-act/.
39. ↑ Reilly, Bridget. "SGA stands with ComplicitMSU". https://thewichitan.com/50172/news/sga-stands-with-complicitmsu/.
40. ↑ Braxton-Johnson, Markell. "#ComplicitMSU needs a second look". https://thewichitan.com/50220/op-ed/critical-look-into-administrators/.
41. ↑ "Midwestern State's handling of sexual assault cases under fire" (in en). https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/23/midwestern-states-handling-sexual-assault-cases-under-fire.
42. ↑ says, Erbel Obell. "Tyler Ray Glasscock aka "PetroFash" on Iron March Forum Leak | Fash Finder" (in en-US). https://fashfinder.blackblogs.org/tyler-ray-glasscock/.
43. ↑ Wynne, Brendan. "Administration offers follow-up statements regarding the fascist on campus". https://thewichitan.com/64779/news/administration-offers-follow-up/.
44. ↑ "Midwestern State University: Professor's Criticisms of Police and 'White People' Violate 'Respect' Policy" (in en-US). https://www.thefire.org/cases/midwestern-state-university-professors-criticisms-of-police-and-white-people-violate-respect-policy/.
45. ↑ "Texas University Calls on State AG to Investigate Professor's Speech" (in en). 2020-10-07. https://pen.org/press-release/texas-university-calls-on-state-ag-to-investigate-professors-speech/.
46. ↑ Pettit, Emma; Zahneis, Megan (August 9, 2020). "These Scholars Denounced the Police. Do Their Universities Have Their Backs?". chronicle.com. https://www.chronicle.com/article/these-scholars-denounced-the-police-do-their-universities-have-their-backs.
47. ↑ Weinberg, Justin (2021-09-17). "A Tale of Two Resignations" (in en-US). https://dailynous.com/2021/09/17/tale-two-resignations/.
48. ↑ Weinberg, Justin (2021-12-17). "What a Cancellation Looks Like (guest post)" (in en-US). https://dailynous.com/2021/12/17/what-a-cancellation-looks-like-guest-post/.
49. ↑ Pothast, Emily (2021-10-05). "The Right-Wing Takeover of the American University" (in en). https://medium.com/form-and-resonance/the-right-wing-takeover-of-the-american-university-f82ddbe1ddc7.
50. ↑ Weinberg, Justin (2021-09-23). "Letter Protesting Midwestern State University's Treatment of Nathan Jun (updated)" (in en-US). https://dailynous.com/2021/09/23/letter-protesting-midwestern-state-universitys-treatment-of-nathan-jun/.
51. ↑ "Open letter protesting Midwestern State's treatment of Nathan Jun". https://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2021/09/open-letter-protesting-midwestern-states-treatment-of-nathan-jun.html.
52. ↑ "FACULTY LETTER PROTESTING MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY'S TREATMENT OF PROFESSOR NATHAN JUN" (in en). https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PnHzVHu2SpGDrm_PDa17D_lhuLOcXMB_g9tGzSA4iXE/edit?usp=embed_facebook.

## External links

* Midwestern State Athletics website

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Texas state universities

University of Houston System|

* University of Houston
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* University of North Texas
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University of Texas System|

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Texas State System|

* Lamar
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Texas Tech System|

* Angelo State
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Independents|

* Midwestern State
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See also: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

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* Alberta Augustana
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