Morehead State University
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Morehead State University (MSU) is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in Morehead, Kentucky, United States. The university began as Morehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a two-year residential early college high school on the university's campus, was established in 2014.


History

The university began as Morehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. One student appeared on the first day of class in October 1887, in a little, rented cottage where the Adron Doran University Center now stands. The private school closed in the spring of 1922 when the
Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in th ...
established Morehead State Normal School. The state institution accepted its first students in the fall of 1923, and graduated its first class in 1927. Name changes occurred again 1926, when it was extended to Morehead State Normal School and Teachers College; in 1930, when it was shortened to just Morehead State Teachers College; in 1948, when it was shortened again to Morehead State College; and, finally, to Morehead State University in 1966. Fourteen people, starting with Frank C. Button, have served as president. Joseph A. Morgan assumed office as the 14th president on July 1, 2017.


Presidents

# Frank C. Button, 1923–29 # John Howard Payne, 1929–35 # Harvey A. Babb, 1935–40 # William H. Vaughan, 1940–46 # William J. Baird, 1946–51 # Charles R. Spain, 1951–54 # Adron Doran, 1954–77 # Morris L. Norfleet, 1977–84 # Herb. F. Reinhard Jr., 1984–86 # A.D. Albright, 1986–87 # C. Nelson Grote, 1987–92 # Ronald G. Eaglin, 1992–2004 # Wayne D. Andrews, 2005–2017 # Joseph A. Morgan, 2017–present


Academics

Morehead State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...
. It offers over 212 degree programs at the two-year, four-year, and graduate levels through four colleges: Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences; Elmer R. Smith College of Business and Technology; Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education; and College of Science. It was the first institution in Kentucky to offer a complete degree program online, the Master of Business Administration (MBA). MSU is one of five institutions in the U.S. with a bachelor's degree in
space science Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
. Over 74,000 persons have received degrees from MSU.


Rankings

The 2025 '' U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings'' listed Morehead State at 14th place among public "regional universities" in the South and 33rd overall among all regional universities in the South.


Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics

The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics was established in 2014. It is a two-year residential early college high school serving approximately 220 high school juniors and seniors at Morehead State University. Students live in Craft Tower residence hall on campus and take MSU classes during their time at the academy, graduating with a Craft Academy high school diploma as well as at least 60 hours of MSU college credit, with tuition, room and board, and meal plan all free of charge. The academy is funded in large part by Joe Craft and Ambassador
Kelly Craft Kelly Dawn Craft (; born February 24, 1962) is an American businesswoman, politician, and former diplomat who served as the 30th List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Nations, United States Ambassador to the United Nations from ...
, who donated over $10 million to the academy, the largest donation in MSU history. In 2019, the academy graduated its third class, with an average ACT score of 31.


Campus

Morehead State University is located in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County. The more than 700-acre main campus within the city limits of Morehead includes more than 50 major structures with a total replacement value of more than $650 million. Beyond the city, the university's real estate holdings include the 320-acre Derrickson Agricultural Complex, Eagle Trace, a par-72, 6,902-yard public golf course, and 166 acres of the Browning Orchard. The instructional plant includes 135 classrooms and 150 laboratories. Housing facilities include space for approximately 2,900 students. The second component of the Space Science Center opened in 2009—a $16.6 million instruction and research support facility.


Morehead State University Historic District

A portion of the campus was named as a
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. The contributing properties include the following buildings: the President's Home, Senff Natatorium (demolished in 2008), Button Auditorium, Fields Hall, Camden-Carroll Library, Allie Young Hall, Rader Hall, Grote-Thompson Hall, and the Breckenridge Training School. All were designed by the Olmstead Brothers.


Arts

The Morehead State University Arts and Humanities Council, established in 2003, encourages dialogue and partnerships in the arts. Part of a larger initiative within the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the Council works to develop cultural opportunities both on and off campus. Morehead, long known for its patronage of the arts in
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
with such organizations as the Kentucky Folk Art Center and the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, was the childhood home of philanthropist Lucille Caudill Little. Named after Lucille Little, MSU's Little Company is a touring troupe of students in the Theatre Department that performs plays and conducts workshops for up to 100 schools in the area each year. Along with theatre, Morehead State University has a well-developed dance program.


Morehead State Public Radio

Morehead State Public Radio (MSPR) is governed by the
Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual co ...
at Morehead State University. MSPR is operated by its flagship station WMKY at 90.3 FM in Morehead. WMKY in Morehead is licensed for 50,000 watts and serves more than 20 counties in
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
. The WMKY studios are located in Breckinridge Hall on the campus of Morehead State University. WMKY has operated since 1965.


Athletics

The Morehead State athletic teams are called the Eagles. The eagle mascot is named Beaker, and the school colors are blue and gold. The university is a member of the
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
ranks (for football, the
Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Bowl Subdivision (F ...
), primarily competing in the
Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in partnership with ...
(OVC) since the 1948–49 academic year; while its football team competes in the
Pioneer Football League The Pioneer Football League (PFL) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I Fo ...
(PFL). The Eagles previously competed in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC; now currently known as the River States Conference (RSC) since the 2016–17 school year) of the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...
(NAIA) from 1933–34 to 1947–48; and in the defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) from 1929–30 to 1932–33. Morehead State competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf and track & field; while women's include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance and rifle. With 2017–18 being its initial season and the OVC not yet sponsoring the sport, the beach volleyball team will compete as an independent. The football team competes as a member of the
Pioneer Football League The Pioneer Football League (PFL) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I Fo ...
, a non-scholarship Division I (FCS) league.


Accomplishments

The MSU Eagles basketball won the 2009 OVC tournament championship, sending them to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984. At the
2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2010-11 ...
, 13th-seeded Morehead State upset Louisville 62–61. It was the second NCAA Tournament win for Morehead State in a three-year span. The Eagles also beat Alabama State in the 2009 Opening Round game. The Eagles then faced 12th-seeded Richmond in the third round, which was only the ninth time in tournament history that a 12–13 match-up occurred in the round of 32. The coed cheerleading squad has won 23 national championships, and the all-female squad has won 10 national titles.


Greek life

There are several fraternities and sororities on campus.


Notable alumni

* Rocky Adkins – senior advisor to Governor
Andy Beshear Andrew Graham Beshear ( ; born November 29, 1977) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 50th attorney gen ...
, former Kentucky state representative (D-District 99) and House minority floor leader * Henry Akin – basketball player, drafted by
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
, became one of "Original Sonics" in Seattle, played with ABA's
Kentucky Colonels The Kentucky Colonels were an American professional basketball team based in Louisville, Kentucky. They competed in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky Colonels. The Colo ...
* Nelson Allen – former
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
state senator * Chris Bailey – meteorologist at WKYT-TV * Desi Banks – comedian * William E. BarberMarine Corps colonel * John Blanton – Kentucky politician * Dennis M. Cavanaugh-United States District Judge * Raymond Collins – American politician and educator * Denny Doyle
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
second baseman, 1970–1977 * Kenneth Faried – former NBA player for the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
,
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
, and
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, selected 22nd overall in 2011 NBA draft * Mike Gottfried – football coach * Steve Hamilton (1934–1997) – baseball and basketball player * Demonte Harper (born 1989) - basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Jimmy HigdonRepublican member of Kentucky State Senate since 2009, businessman from Marion County * David Hyland – defensive back for
San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
of
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
* Steve Inskeep (born 1968) – NPR ''
Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...
'' host replacing Kentuckian Bob Edwards * Liz Johnson – bowler * Steve Kazee
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
–winning actor for Best Musical *
Kelly Kulick Kelly Kulick (born March 16, 1977) is an American professional bowler, bowling coach and sportscaster. She has won ten professional women's bowling titles (six of them majors), one PBA Tour title (a major) and a professional mixed doubles tit ...
– bowler and first-ever female winner of regular
PBA Tour The PBA Tour is the major professional tour for tenpin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). Headquartered in Mechanicsville, Virginia, over 3,000 members worldwide make up the PBA. While most of the PBA members are Reg ...
event (2010 PBA Tournament of Champions) * Karam Mashour (born 1991) – Israeli basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Terry McBrayer – 1979 candidate for
governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; sinc ...
, former chairman of Kentucky Democratic Party, attorney in
Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
* Bob McCann – basketball player * Lori Menshouse – 1997 Miss Kentucky, 1999
Miss Kentucky USA The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. It is currently directed by Proctor Productions and it was formerly directed by Connie Clark Harrison, Miss Ken ...
* Chris Offutt – writer * Amber Philpott – news anchor * Jon Rauch – MLB pitcher 2002–13, Olympic gold medalist * Phil SimmsNFL
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
for
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, MVP of
Super Bowl XXI Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
, 15-year pro career, football analyst for CBS television * Janet Stumbo – first woman elected to
Kentucky Supreme Court The Kentucky Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Prior to its creation by constitutional amendment in 1975, the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. The Kentucky Court of Ap ...
* Dan Swartz – former NBA player with
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
* David A. Tapp – judge,
United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal courts, United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government. It ...
* Walt Terrell – MLB pitcher, 1982–1992 * Donnie Tyndall (born 1970) – basketball head coach,
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, Southern Miss, Morehead State * Robin L. Webb – former Kentucky state representative (District 96) and current state senator (18th District) and attorney *
Chuck Woolery Charles Herbert Woolery (March 16, 1941 – November 23, 2024) was an American television host, actor, and musician. He had long-running tenures hosting several game shows. Woolery was the original host of the original daytime '' Wheel of Fortun ...
– television
game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
host


References


External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control Public universities and colleges in Kentucky Universities and colleges established in 1887 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Rowan County, Kentucky Buildings and structures in Rowan County, Kentucky 1887 establishments in Kentucky Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Rowan County, Kentucky