MS HR43

Commemorates the 155th anniversary of Alcorn State University, founded May 13, 1871, in Lorman, Mississippi, as America's first Historically Black Land-Grant University and the oldest land-grant institution in Mississippi

First president was Hiram R. Revels, who resigned as the first African-American U.S. Senator to lead the institution at its founding

University contributes over $187 million annually to Mississippi's economy, supports more than 3,000 jobs statewide, and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs including the only nursing program at an HBCU in Mississippi

Notable alumni include civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers (1952 graduate) and NFL player Steve McNair, selected third overall in the 1995 NFL Draft—the highest draft selection for an offensive player from an HBCU at that time

Ten current Mississippi legislators and the Commissioner of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning are Alcorn graduates, reflecting the university's influence on state leadership