MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Mississippi State is a comprehensive land-grant MSU’S ACADEMICS & DEGREES institution and the largest university in Mississippi, • COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES with a statewide enrollment of more than 16,000 - Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business, Agricultural Information students. Science and Education, Agricultural Pest Management, Agricultural Science, Agronomy, Animal and Dairy Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biological Engineering, Established in 1878 as the Agricultural and Food Science and Technology, Horticulture, Human Sciences, Mechanical College of Mississippi, the univer- Landscape Architecture, Landscaping Contracting and Management, Poultry Science sity has traditional strengths in engineering and • COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE scientific agriculture but has evolved into a - Architecture comprehensive institution with a diverse array of • COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES - Anthropology, Art, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, programs in teaching, research, and service. Communication, Economics, English, Foreign Languages, General Liberal Arts, General Science, Geosciences, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Business (with Business ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE and Industry), Mathematics, Medical Technology, Microbiology, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology Mississippi State students consistently earn hon- • COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY - Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Information ors such as the prestigious Harry S. Truman Systems, Economics, General Business Administration, Insurance, Scholarship, awarded for those who will enter International Business (with Arts and Sciences), Management, Management of Construction and Land Development, public service, and, with 16 Truman Scholars to Marketing, Real Estate and Mortgage Appraisal Financing date, the university has been recognized as a • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - Educational Psychology, Elementary Education, Industrial Truman Honor Institution. In the past year, a stu- Technology, Music Education, Office Systems and Technologies, dent team competed for and won first place in a Physical Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, national Challenge X competition to redesign a Technology Teacher Education, Trade and Technical Studies • COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly SUV. - Aerospace Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Recently initiated programs are providing oppor- Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering tunities to develop leadership potential and • COLLEGE OF FOREST PRODUCTS - Forest Products, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries global study options. The university’s Global • COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Leadership Continuum provides “cradle-to-CEO” - Veterinary Medicine (graduate and professional degrees only) programming designed to develop leadership • PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS across a “global” spectrum that begins with - Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Health Information Management, Pre- Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Ministry, Pre-Nursing, Pre-Occupational high school and continues through the university Therapy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physical Therapy, experience and into professional life. Included Pre-Veterinary Medicine are the Young Guns Leadership Camp for rising high school seniors; the Day one Leadership Community for incoming freshmen, focusing on Based on the latest rankings available from the shared academic and service experiences; and National Science Foundation, MSU ranks 7th the highly competitive Appalachian Leadership in the nation in agricultural sciences research Honors Program for sophomores and juniors. expenditures and 44th in engineering. Last year MSU faculty and staff disclosed 80 To complement these efforts, the new technologies resulting in three university has launched a minor new start-up companies, nine in leadership studies open to licenses, and 22 patent applica- students in all majors. A uni- tions. The university now holds versity honor code adopted in 77 patents. 2007 institutionalizes a cam- pus culture of integrity and In recent years, MSU personal responsibility in aca- has established the Thad demic studies. Through the Cochran Endowment for Global Leadership Program, Entrepreneurship, as well as col- students may experience sig- laborating with federal agencies nificantly expanded study-abroad and industries to help increase - opportunities nology-oriented start-up companies. Among the collaborators and sponsors are RESEARCH the U.S. departments of Defense and Energy, NASA, General Electric, Northrop Grumman, Mississippi State faculty researchers attracted EADS/American Eurocopter, Boeing, Raytheon, $186.5 million in external funding for 2006-07, General Dynamics, Israeli Aerospace Industry, up from about $155 million during the previous and the Mississippi Technology Alliance. year. This funding supported 1,691 sponsored projects in 2007. In a key area of economic interest to Mississippi, MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, established in 2001, continues research and 66 MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

bers in the U.S. military serving our country in Iraq.

The MSU Extension Service maintains offices in almost every county of the state, and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station operates 10 branch stations throughout Mississippi. Four strategically located research and extension centers coordi- nate the delivery of services statewide.

‘Dawgs Day Out,’ an interactive get together for student-athletes at Davis Wade Stadium, is a very popular annual event. development supporting a goal of attracting automotive industries to the state. The center is conducting research in areas that include materi- als processing, human and systems engineering, alternative power systems, computational manu- facturing and design, and advanced learning technologies.

OUTREACH AND SERVICE

From its academic programs to the work of countless individuals, Mississippi State has “extended farther” and gone “beyond the limit” to make a difference in the lives of citizens around the state. In 2006, the university formed the Mississippi State Community Action Team to organize university resources and expertise for quick response to local issues around the state. MSU’s Extension Service is the first in the nation to have an interactive videoconferencing system in every county Extension office. Through the Freedom Calls program, the system is being used to connect Mississippians with family mem-

STUDENTS RANKINGS • We average nearly 1,900 new freshmen each year. • MSU’s undergraduate program in landscape architec- • New transfer students typically number 1,500. ture is listed among the top 15 programs in the country by • Around 16,000 students enrolled. DesignIntelligence, a national publication that promotes • African-Americans make up nearly 20 percent of the quality design education. university’s enrollment. • MSU ranks among the top 15 in the nation in awarding • Students from 70 countries attend MSU. bachelor’s degrees in both engineering and education to • Out-of-state students number more than 3,200. African-Americans. • MSU ranks 24th in engineering expenditures according to FACULTY the National Science Foundation. • More than 1,000 faculty members. • MSU’s dairy products judging team placed first in the 2004 • Approximately 85 percent of our faculty hold terminal International Collegiate Dairy Products Judging competition. degrees. • The student-faculty ratio is 17-to-1. ACADEMICS • Two MSU researchers have invented and are seeking a • Some 3,000 degrees are awarded each year, bachelor’s- patent on a device that can test for diabetes by analyzing a doctorate. person’s breath. • Comprised of eight colleges. • Aerospace engineering professors are working to help • First university in the country to offer a degree program in design and build the next generation of unmanned aerial land-scape contracting and management. vehicles - airplanes flown by remote control during military • Our cooperative education program is one of the largest operations too dangerous for human operators. in the Southeast • Since 2000, five professors have been recognized by the • Our Professional Golf Management program is the National Academic Advising Association for their academic second-oldest sanctioned by the Professional Golfers’ counseling of students. Association of America. • Mitchell Memorial Library is the largest library facility in the state.

67 UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

ROBERT H. „DOC‰ FOGLESONG THE FOGLESONG FILE PERSONAL Birthdate: July 13, 1945 obert H. 2007-08 OFFICERS OF Birthplace: Williamson, WV Foglesong is the Hometown: Williamson, WV R18th president THE UNIVERSITY Family: Wife (former Mary Thrasher); fo Mississippi State Children (sons David and Mark; three University, a land-grant JOHN RUSH grandchildren) university committed to Vice President for excellence in learning, research and service. His vision Development and Alumni is for MSU to become the most respected land-grant EDUCATION school in the Southeast. As president, he is responsi- Bachelor’s: West Virginia, 1968 ble for planning, budgeting, and executionfor the larg- WILLIAM L. KIBLER Master’s: West Virginia, 1969 est university in the state of Mississippi. He is also the Vice President for Ph.D.: West Virginia, 1971 president and executive director of the Appalachian Student Affairs Leadership and Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization operating to identify our next generation MIKE MCGREVEY AIR FORCE ASSIGNMENTS of leaders in Appalachia and mento/financially support Chief of Staff 1972-73 student, undergraduate pilot training, their journey toward academic, leadership, and charac- Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. ter excellence. He’s a direcor of Massey Energy, of of PETER W. RABIDEAU 1973-76 T-41 instructor pilot, 557th Flying Training the largest producers of coal in the nation, and a direc- Squadron, Perterson Field, Colo., and U.S. Air Force tor of the Michael Baker Corp., an international energy Provost and Academy, Colorado, Springs, Colo. and engineering firm. He also has been designated Vice President for Academic Affairs 1976-77 Aide-De-Camp o the Commander, Air by President George W. Bush to co-chair the United Forces Korea, 314th Air Division, Osan Air Base, South State-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. KIRK SCHULZ Korea Previously, he was nominated by the President, Vice President for Research 1977-79 AT-33 and EB-57 instructor pilot, flight confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and served as a four- examiner and assistant operations officer, 17th Defense star general in the United States Air Force. He had and Graduate Studies Systems Evaluation Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont. responsibility for policy recommendations and imple- 1979-80 AT-33 instructor pilot and Commander, mentation of policy relative to personnel, operations, VANCE WATSON Detachment 1, 24th Air Defense Squadron, Malmstrom infrastructure and intra/inter governmental affairs for AFB, Mont. an organization of 358,000 uniformed members and Interim Vice President for Agriculture, 1980-82 F-15 pilot and squadron sheduler, 9th 158,000 civilian employees. He was responsible for Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine Tactical Fighter Squadron; chief of quality assurace, planing/programming for future strategies involving an 49th Tactical Fighter Wing; and Commander, 49th annual budget of $90 billion (equivilant to the position Component Repair Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M. of chief operating oficer for a company ranked No. 9 1983-85 Special Assistant for Tactical Isues and on the Fortune 500 list). His jobs required almost daily Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff For interface with members of Congress, the White House, PAST MSU PRESIDENTS Research, Development and Acquisition,Headquarters and many governmental interagency offices. U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Foglesong spent a significant amount of the past General Stephen D. Lee...... 1880-1899 1985-87 Special Assistant to the Commander and decade as a national security advisor at Cabinet and ...... 1899-1900 CHief, Combat Analysis Division, Headquarters Tactical Presidential levels. In this capacity, he had opportuni- Air Command, Langley AFB, Va. ties to travel extensively with the most senior members John Crumpton Hardy ...... 1900-1912 1987-88 F-16 pilot and Assistant Deputy of the government and directly engage with the most George Robert Hightower ...... 1912-1916 Commander for Operations, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, senior civilian and military levels of foreign govern- ...... 1916-1920 Homestead AFB, Fla. ments around the globe. 1988-90 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Chair and Foglesong has spent 33 years in public service ...... 1920-1925 Professor of Joint and Combined Warfare,National War with a clear understanding of the role leadership plays Buz M. Walker ...... 1925-1930 College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington in establishing a sense of integrity/ethics, encourag- 1990-91 F-16 pilot and Chief of Maintenance, 347th ing service above self, and fost. He has received Hugh Critz ...... 1930-1934 Tactical Fighter Wing, Mood AFB, Ga. numerous awards for his demonstrated leadership. In ...... 1934-1945 1991-93 Director, Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s addition, he has continued his education by attend- Fred Tom Mitchell ...... 1945-1953 Staff Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, ing professional military education schools, as well as D.C. advanced civilian education forums. He is a member Benjamin F. Hilbun ...... 1953-1960 1993-93 Commander, 14th Fling Training Wing, of several professional aviation organizations and a Dean W. Colvard ...... 1960-1966 Columbus AFB, Miss. membe of the Council on Foreign Relations. His 57 1994-95 Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, publications cover a range of subjects including techni- William L. Giles ...... 1966-1976 South Korea cal and leadershp topics. A graduate of West Virginia James D. McComas...... 1976-1985 1995-97 Deputy Director for Politico-Miltary Affairs, University (bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate), he was Donald W. Zacharias ...... 1985-1997 the Joint Sraff, Washington, D.C. a member and president of Tau Beta Pi, the national 1997-99 Assistant to the Chairman,Joint Chiefs of engineering honorary, as well as numerous other aca- Malcolm A. Portera...... 1998-2001 Staff, Washington, D.C. demic honoraries. J. Charles Lee ...... 2002-2006 1999-2000 Comander, 12th Air Force and U.S. He has accumulated 30 military awards for lead- Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan AFV, ership and technical skills. He holds an honorary Ariz. Doctorate of Strategic Intelligence. He is married to 2000-01 Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Mary Thrasher Foglesong. They have two sons--David, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, married to Laura, and father of two sons (Robert and D.C. David), and Mark. David is in the United State Air 2001-03 Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, as is Laura. Mark is in the television business. Force, Washington, D.C. Foglesong’s hobbies include running marathons, col- 2003-04 U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Comander, lecting slide rules, collecting potato mashers and Allied Air Component Command Ramstein; and Air public speaking. Component Commander, U.S. European Command, Ramstein AB, Germany 2004-06 Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, Allied Air Component Command Ramstein; Air Component Commander, U.S. European Command, Ramstein AB, Germany; and Director, Multinational Joint Air Power Competence, Kalkar, Germany

68 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION

Larry Templeton Ann Carr Director of Athletics Associate AD/Women’s Sports reating an atmosphere for student-athlete achieve- ississippi State Director of Athletics Larry Cment on the playing field and in the classroom, MTempleton has named Ann Carr the school’s providing the means for a healthy financial bottom line, Senior Woman Administrator. and keeping personnel achieving at a productive best are just some of the requirements of the collegiate director A veteran of 12 years in athletic administra- of athletics. On all accounts, Mississippi State University’s tion at MSU and a former Lady ath- Larry Templeton is a resounding success. lete, Carr succeeds Samye Johnson, who retired Mississippi State competes for championships in every as the university’s SWA this past June. sport program while its athletes continue to excel in the Carr is in her second stint within the State classroom. The department has operated in the black athletic department. She assumes her new while expanding its varsity athletic sport program and drastically improving its facilities. role following seven years as Assistant Athletic Templeton has overseen all that and more as the Director for Student Life. In that position, she head of the program. He is the third-longest-tenured worked with the personal development of MSU’s AD in MSU history and the longest in the Southeastern student-athletes in addition to continuing her Conference with 19 seasons under his belt, and the prior responsibilities as academic counselor for university’s athletic program has reached heights never before achieved under his guidance. the Bulldog football team. Carr serves as the On the playing field, the decade of the ‘90s saw virtu- director of the department’s Life Skills program, ally every State sport establish a best-ever finish. The start of the new millennium has been no which includes the support systems and career programs for all MSU student- different with MSU sports teams having qualified for postseason play 47 times during the past athletes, and its CHAMPS program (Challenging Athletes’ Minds for Personal six seasons. A school-record 12 did so in 2004-05 and 1999-2000. Success). During the 2004-05 school year, team and individual athletic accomplishments continued As SWA, Carr will oversee the operation and supervision of MSU’s women’s to reach new heights. Men’s and women’s basketball qualified for postseason competition in 2004-05, a fourth-straight NCAA appearance by the men and the seventh postseason showing sport program. in eight years for the women. Baseball won the SEC Tournament title in 2005, marking the Hired in 1993 as an assistant director in the athletic academic office, she sport’s second conference title since 2001. Softball remained an NCAA Tournament fixture, returned full-time to MState in 1999 following a one-year stay in a similar qualifying for its fifth NCAA Regional appearance in six years, while the men’s tennis program capacity at the University of Southern Mississippi. earned its 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. A native of Brookhaven, Miss., Carr was a four-year letter winner on the But State’s student-athletes are not just succeeding on the playing field. MSU’s men’s and women’s athletes recorded the highest combined grade point average during the 2004-05 Mississippi State women’s basketball team (1986-90). A 1990 graduate of academic year in the 15 years in which student-athlete grades were tracked. In 12 of the last 14 State, she later earned her master’s degree in counseling from the institution in years, the Bulldog football team has been one of just a handful of schools cited by the American 1992. Football Coaches Association for having a graduation rate exceeding 70 percent. MSU is the When Carr finished her women’s basketball playing career in 1990, she ranked only school in the SEC to make that list with that much frequency. In Spring, 2005, 141 of the first on the career leaders list in free-throw percentage, shooting 75.8 percent 269 scholarship student-athletes at Mississippi State (52 percent) earned a grade point average over a four-year span. She also ranked 12th on the career points list, having scored of 3.00 or higher. Seventy-five scholarship student-athletes made either the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) or the President’s Scholar List (3.8 GPA). 762 points in her tenure, averaging 8.3 points per contest. In rebounding, Carr MSU has produced the ’s Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of brought down 597 boards (6.5 per game) to finish her career sixth on the all-time the Year three times each during Templeton’s tenure. State is second among league schools in list in rebounds and rebounding average. She also finished her career holding the number of Academic All-SEC selections in the sports in which MSU competes. individual record in most three-point field goals made (five) in a single game. Templeton oversaw Mississippi State’s move to come into compliance with the SEC’s Gender Equity plan, adding women’s soccer and softball to the school’s varsity sport menu. The first season of soccer was in 1995, while softball began competition in 1997. Since that time, the soccer team has won the SEC Western Division title (2001) and the softball team has never had a losing season and has qualified for NCAA postseason play five of the last seven years. And for the 18th year in a row this past year, the MSU athletic program joined just a small group of NCAA Division I schools nation-wide to finish in the black financially at year’s end. Both the local and national media have noticed the work done by Templeton at MSU. The State men’s program was ranked second-best in the SEC in a 1996 New York Times poll. And Templeton was chosen 1998 Sports Person of the Year in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. Templeton’s work also stretches far from the Starkville campus. He serves as chairman of the SEC’s athletic directors and is serving a second team on the NCAA Baseball Committee. He is a former member of the NCAA Championship Committee and the NCAA Bowl Certification Committee. Templeton is married to the former Linda Jo Nichols. They have a son, Brian, who received his second degree (landscape architecture) at Mississippi State in May 2002. A second son, Stephen, received his doctorate from Mississippi State in August 2002, and a daughter, Nici, is an attorney in Columbia, S.C.

Greg Byrne Dr. David C. Boles Jim Ellis Straton Karatassos Duncan McKenzie Assoc. AD/External Affairs Assoc. AD/Student Services Assoc. AD/Mark. & Corp. Dev. Assoc. AD/Athletic Development Assoc. AD/Internal Operations

Ray Berryhill Mike Richey Bobby Tomlinson Pat Wallace Dr. Steven C. Turner Asst. AD/Academic Advising Asst. AD/Bulldog Club Assoc. AD/Event Mngmt., Facilities Asst. AD/Ticket Operations Faculty Athletics Representative 69 ATHLETIC ACADEMICS

he MSU Athletic Academic Office is committed SUPERVISED STUDY to preparing Mississippi State University stu- THE ATHLETIC ACADEMIC STAFF Supervised study is a monitored study program Tdent-athletes for life after college. In order to MONITORS: designed to provide student-athletes with organized accomplish this mission, the Athletic Academic Office • Academic Progress study/tutoring time in flexible environment conducive will provide quality programs and services to facilitate • Class Attendance to successful learning. Study sessions are required for graduation and promote the overall development of • Class Scheduling all first semester freshmen, transfer student-athletes our student-athletes. The student services provided • NCAA Rules to Ensure Academic Eligibility and any student-athlete whom the appropriate coach- by the Athletic Academic Office are designed to pro- Each Semester ing staff and the Athletic Academic Office staff believe mote the personal, educational and career develop- would benefit from the experience. Study sessions are ment of the student-athletes. The Athletic Academic HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR: to provide a more structured environment to assist staff is committed to empowering student-athletes to student-athletes in their transition from high school to • Study Hall Attendance develop independence, self-reliance, personal values, college. Any study area or learning center is available leadership skills, and responsibility for their own lives. • Tutors for use during these times. The hours required by the The primary purpose of the Athletic Academic • Academic Counseling student's adviser will be totaled at the end of each Office is to provide quality academic assistance to • A Computer Lab With 17 Computers week. The ultimate goal of supervised study is to assist MSU student-athletes during their tenure at the uni- • Issue of Textbooks To Scholarship Student- student-athletes in developing their intellectual and versity and beyond. Assisting student-athletes in the Athletes academic potential and to familiarize the student with successful completion of their degrees is our main con- all services offered by the academic center. cern. In order to accomplish this mission, the Athletic academic eligibility. The advisors also secure tutors Academic office has developed programs and activi- and schedule study sessions. TUTORING ties in areas such as CHAMPS/Life Skills, Orientation, Tutors are provided for student-athletes in all sub- Academic Advisement, Academic Mentoring, Tutorial ASSESSMENT ject areas. They are available on a one-to-one basis and Services, Development, Study Skills, Career Exploration The Athletic Academic Office provides educational in small group sessions. The Athletic Academic staff and Development and Life Management Skills. skills assessment for all incoming student-athletes. may recommend tutors for you, or you can request one The assessment process is designed to provide the for yourself. Tutoring services are usually arranged on ADVISEMENT student-athletes and counselors with knowledge of an appointment basis. Student-athletes are expected The Athletic Academic Office assigns counselors by student-athlete's strengths and weaknesses in such to keep all tutoring appointments they schedule. the program participants' sport. Academic Counselors contain areas as reading, writing, and mathematics. assist student-athletes with class advising, tutoring, With this information, Athletic Academic Counselors MEASURING SUCCESS mentoring with career development, and selected can determine if student-athletes possess the neces- Over the past eight academic seasons, MSU trails petition processes. Counselors also serve as a resource sary skills to succeed in standard entry-level courses just Florida in the number of its student-athletes which for students in personal development areas including at MSU. Scores below the established minimum do receive academic all-conference accolades. In the mea- management of test anxieties, personal counseling and not disqualify a student-athlete from continuing and sure of the sport of soccer alone, Mississippi State has developing time management skills. Athletic Academic achieving scholastic success at MSU. It may however, produced a lion’s share of academic all-SEC honorees Counselors assist student-athletes throughout their indicate a need for additional testing, enrollment in since the sport’s inception in 1995. The have educational experience at Mississippi State University developmental courses and/or the use of the vari- decorated 43 different MSU soccer athletes with the and are available on both a walk-in basis and through ous academic services provided on campus for the honor in the nine seasons that any MSU player has scheduled appointments. All student-athletes are student's ultimate collegiate success. The focus of the been eligible for the award. A total of 26 of those encouraged to utilize the Athletic Academic Counselor assessment process is to ensure that all student-ath- athletes have earned the laurel on more than one occa- services. letes have available all appropriate academic support sion. In just eight seasons, the Mississippi State Women’s services to have a successful academic experience. Soccer program has established itself not only on the field, but also in the classroom. The Bulldog soccer team continued a lasting tradition for itself in 2002 as a school record 13 players were named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. The number also brought the total number of Mississippi State athletes that have been honored to 62 in the seven seasons that any SEC soccer player has been eligible for the award. The Bulldog soccer team has played a vital role in helping the overall athletics program at Mississippi State garner national recognition for its high marks in the classroom and in the athletic arena. Each year, Mississippi State University produces a lion’s share of Academic All-Southeastern Conference classroom stars. The goal now is to increase this level of academic success. This is a daunting task for athletes compet- ing with a full load of classes and a full schedule of opponents and practices. However, Bulldog athletes continue to prove that they are up to the challenge as, each year, its number of academic all-SEC honor roll members increase. The secret behind the academic success for Bulldog athletes is Mississippi State’s athletic academic coun- selors, headed by Assistant Athletic Directors Ray Berryhill and Ann Carr, along with academic counselors Lynda Moore and Dow Thomas. Joining this group are two graduate assistants and 40 part-time tutors who work in Hathorne Hall. The Athletics Academic staff works as a liaison between the Athletics Department, undergraduate divisions and the administrative office of Mississippi State University. The staff offers career advice and counseling, makes sure all athletes are maintaining sat- isfactory progress toward their degrees and monitors

AA STAFF

Lynda Moore Victor Parker Brittany Wagner Shelly Ellis Ericka Bazzill Academic Counselor Academic Counselor Academic Counselor Tutorial Services Coordinator Administrative Assistant

70 MSU TRADITIONS

THE BULLDOG STORY ississippi State University athletic teams are called Bulldogs, a name earned and main- Mtained over the decades by the tough, tena- cious play of student-athletes wearing the Maroon and White. The official school mascot is an American Kennel Club registered English Bulldog, given the inherited title of ‘.’ As with most universities, Mississippi State University teams answered to different nicknames through the years. The first squads representing Mississippi A&M College were proud to be called Aggies. When the school officially became Mississippi State College in 1932, the nick- name Maroons, for MSU’s uniform color, gained prominence. Bulldogs became the official title for State teams in 1961, not long after State College was granted university status. Yet references to school teams and athletes as Bulldogs actually go back to early in the century, and this nickname Bully XIX, “TaTonka Gold,” is State’s current live mascot, while a costumed Bully often makes his presence was used almost interchangeably known at all of Mississippi State’s athletic events with both Aggies and Maroons, since Days of campus mourning followed, as Bully lay in in fraternities, today the official university mascot is at least 1905. state in a glass coffin. A half-mile funeral procession housed at the School of Veterinary Medicine when On November 30 accompanied by the Famous Maroon Band and three not on duty at State home football games. For all of that year, the A&M ROTC battalions went to Scott Field where Bully was their fierce appearance and reputation, today’s mas- football team shut buried under the bench at the 50-yard line. Even Life cot bulldogs are good-natured, friendly animals and out their arch-rivals magazine covered the event. Other Bullys have since favorites with children. from the University been buried by campus dorms, fraternity houses, and A student wearing a Bulldog suit, also answering of Mississippi 11-0 in also at the football stadium. to Bully, is part of the cheerleading team and assists Jackson, Miss. The For years Bully was a target for kidnappers, the in stirring up State spirit at games and pep rallies. campus newspa- last incident occurring prior to the 1974 State-Ole per, The Reflector, Miss game. The Bulldog team won anyway, 31-13. reported: “After the While early Bullys once roamed campus freely or lived game, filled with that emotion that accom- panies every great victory, there was nothing left for the Final Tribute Paid To Bully cadets to do but to complete the great victory by showing sympathy for the The Reflector dead athletic spirit November 22, 1939 of the University, by having a military ————————————————— funeral parade. Bully, beloved English Bulldog mascot of “A coffin was secured, decorated Mississippi State Athletic teams, was buried with University col- beneath the gridiron turf of Scott Field on ors and a bulldog Tuesday’s cold and cloudy afternoon as more pup placed on top. than 2,500 students and citizens of Starkville and It was then placed State College joined in singing “Tention Maroon on the shoulders of a dozen cadets, and White,” State’s fighting song. and the procession Seldom, if ever, has a dog ever been given started down Capitol such an elaborate burial. Killed when run over Street, preceded by by a bus Sunday afternoon (Nov. 19), Bully was the brass band play- embalmed and his body lay in state in a campus ing a very pathetic funeral march.” building (Lee Hall) until noon today. The glass- Other newspaper top casket was surrounded by more than a dozen reports of the vic- wreaths of beautiful flowers. tory commented on The entire cadet corps, three battalions the ‘bulldog’ style strong, the Maroon band of 86 pieces, the foot- of play by the A&M eleven, and the ball squad, every student and many visitors took Bulldog was soon part in the half-mile procession and paid Bully a publicly accepted final tribute as he was buried beneath the State as a school athletic players’ bench on Scott Field. symbol. Accounts of The Colonel Club, student service organi- a 1926 pep rally in Meridian, Miss., had another bull- dog parading with students. zation, bore the Maroon and White-covered Use as an official game mascot began in 1935 casket to the burial place. John Beard, student when coach Major , on ‘orders’ from his president, placed a wreath on the grave as Sam team, went to Memphis, Tenn., to select a bulldog. Wilhite read the late Senator Vest’s “An Eulogy Ptolemy, a gift of the Edgar Webster family, was to a Dog.” The big crowd gave the now famous chosen and the Bulldogs promptly defeated Alabama 20-7. ‘Bully Growl’ and, after members of the football A litter-mate of Ptolemy became the first mascot team had dropped flowers on the grave, the called ‘Bully’ shortly after Sasse’s team beat mighty procession headed back to the campus chanting Army 13-7 at West Point that same year - perhaps the “Beat Ole Miss.” greatest victory in MSU football history. But Bully I earned other fame the hard way, in 1939 when a cam- pus bus cut short his career. 71 MSU TRADITIONS

In the 1960s two MSU professors, Earl W. MAROON & WHITE Terrell and Ralph L. Reeves obliged some stu- dents by welding handles on the bells so they he most unique and certainly the most could be rung with much more convenience and resounding symbol of Mississippi State authority. By 1963 the demand for these long- TUniversity tradition is the cowbell. Despite handled cowbells could not be filled by home decades of attempts by opponents and authori- workshops alone so, at the suggestion of Reeves, ties to banish it from scenes of competition, the Student Association bought bells in bulk and diehard State fans still celebrate Bulldog victories the Industrial Education Club agreed to weld loudly and proudly with the distinctive sound of on handles. In 1964, the MSU Bookstore began ringing cowbells. marketing these cowbells with a portion of profits The precise origin of the cowbell as a fixture returning to those organizations. of MSU sports tradition remains unclear to this Today many styles of cowbells are available day. The best records have cowbells gradually on campus and around Starkville, with the top- introduced to the MSU sports scene in the late of-the-line being a heavy chrome-plated model 1930s and early 1940s, coinciding with the ‘gold- with a full Bulldog figurine handle. But experts en age’ of MSU football success prior to World insist the best and loudest results are produced War II. by a classic long-handled, bicycle-grip bell made The most popular legend is that during a of thinner and tightly-welded shells. home football game between State and arch- Cowbells decorate offices and homes of rival Mississippi, a jersey cow wandered onto the Mississippi State alumni, and are passed down playing field. Mississippi State soundly whipped through generations of Bulldog fans. But they are the Rebels that Saturday, and State College stu- not heard at Southeastern Conference games— dents immediately adopted the cow as a good not legally, at least—since the 1974 adoption of luck charm. Students are said to have continued a conference rule against ‘artificial noisemakers’ bringing a cow to football games for a while, until at football and basketball games. On a 9-1 vote, the practice was eventually discontinued in favor SEC schools ruled cowbells a disruption and of bringing just the cow’s bell. banned them. Whatever the origin, it is certain that by the This has done little harm to the cowbell’s 1950s cowbells were common at MSU games, popularity, however, or to prevent cowbells and by the 1960s were established as the spe- from being heard outside stadiums in which the cial symbol of Mississippi State. Ironically, the Bulldogs are playing.They can still be heard at cowbell’s popularity grew most rapidly during the non-conference football contests, as well as other long years when State football teams were rarely sporting events on campus. And bold Bulldog successful. Flaunting this anachronism from the fans still risk confiscation for the privilege of ‘aggie’ days was a proud response by students keeping a unique Mississippi State tradition alive Custom made cowbells can often be seen and and alumni to outsider scorn of the university’s and ringing at SEC affairs. ‘cow college’ history. heard at all of State’s athletic events.

In the 101 years since, every Mississippi State „‰ MAROON & WHITE athlete has donned the Maroon and White in some sort of combination. Often a shade of gray aroon and White are the distinctive col- has been added to the scheme, such as for the ors of Mississippi State athletic teams, numerals. Mdating back over a century to the very Briefly in the 1980s, the men’s and women’s Hail dear ole State! first football game ever played by the school’s basketball teams wore all-gray uniforms with Fight for that victory today. student-athletes. maroon and white trim, while football has at times Hit that line and tote that ball, On November 15, 1895, the first Mississippi sported silver game pants, and baseball will often Cross the goal before you fall! A&M football team was preparing for a road wear all-gray road outfits. And then we’ll trip to Jackson, Tenn., to play Southern Baptist Only once has an MSU team appeared in any yell, yell, yell, yell! University (now Union University) the following other color combination. In 1938, football coach day. Since every college was supposed to have Spike Nelson secretly had cardinal and gold uni- For dear ole State its own uniform colors, the A&M student body we’ll yell like H-E-L-L! forms made for State, a selection that did not requested that the school’s team select a suitable sit well with the team or the college at the first Fight for Mis-sis-sip-pi State, combination. game. Neither the uniforms nor Nelson were Win the game today! Considering this choice to be an honor, the back for the next season. inaugural State team gave the privilege to team captain W.M. Matthews. Reports say Matthews chose Maroon and White without hesitation.

MSU Alma Mater

In the heart of Mississippi, Made by none but God’s own hands, Stately in her natural splendor, Our Alma Mater proudly stands. Mississippi State, we love you; Fondest memories cling to thee, Life shall bear thy spirit ever; Loyal friends we’ll always be. CHORUS: Maroon and White! Maroon and White! Of thee with joy we sing; Thy colors bright, our souls delight; With praise our voices ring. Maroon and White clad fans can regularly be seen at all of Mississippi State’s athletic events.

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