Murray State University
 | It has been suggested that Murray Independent Filmmaker Association be merged into this article. (Discuss) |
| File:MSUshield.png | |
| Motto | Kentucky's Public Ivy University |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1922 |
Academic staff | 380 |
| Undergraduates | 8,371 |
| Postgraduates | 1,757 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | 236 acres (.95 km²) |
| Athletics | 17 varsity teams, called "Racers" and "Lady Racers" The baseball team retains the original name "Thoroughbreds" or "'breads" |
| Colors | Navy Blue █ and Gold █ |
Murray State University, located in the town of Murray in Kentucky's far-western Jackson Purchase, is an approximately 10,000-student, four-year public university. Having recently adopted the moniker "Kentucky's Public Ivy University," the school has striven to maintain a strong academic reputation and has been rewarded with high marks when compared with other regional public universities in U.S. News & World Report and other college ranking publications.
Campus
An aggressive building campaign on campus has resulted in the construction of the Regional Special Events Center, known as the RSEC (home to its men's and women's basketball teams), a new science building, a special education building, a Student Life & Wellness Center, and a complete overhaul of its main dining facility, Winslow Cafeteria. Its most recent president was F. King Alexander, son of its previous president, Kern Alexander. President Alexander left Murray State at the end of 2005 to accept a position as president of Long Beach State. Kern Alexander took the position of interim president until a new permanent president is found.
Athletics
Murray State, as it is most often referred to, is particularly renowned for its men's basketball program, which has made thirteen appearances in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2006. Its athletic teams are known as the Racers (men) and Lady Racers, with the exception of the baseball team which is known as the Thoroughbreds. All of its athletic teams compete in the Ohio Valley Conference, whose conference roster includes seven other regional public universities and one private university as all-sports members and two other regional public universities as basketball-only members.
Publications
Its student newspaper, The Murray State News, has been awarded two Pacemaker awards in the last decade, the highest award given to collegiate newspapers; in addition, the school yearbook, The Shield, was awarded three Pacemaker awards and two CSPA Silver Crowns in the last ten years.
Notable alumni
- W. Earl Brown, actor
- Joe Fulks, Basketball Hall of Famer and early pioneer of the jump shot (did not graduate; left to join the Marines during World War II)
- Tom Rickman, screenwriter
- Chrishell Stause, actress
- Rex Geveden, Associate Administrator of NASA
- Joe Staton, comic book artist
- Bennie Purcell, NBA Player and Harlem Globetrotter.