Mississippi University For Women Case Study

Mississippi University for Women was established 1884 in the township of Columbus, Mississippi by the Mississippi Legislature. This institution is known for beginning the first all-female university in the United States. The association was formally named the Industrial Institute and College for the Education of White Girls and then renamed for the first time to Mississippi State College for Women in 1920. Over time, the college was changed for the third and final time to Mississippi University for Women to represent the development of the studies offered from the university, in addition to a graduate program in 1974. In the supreme court case, Mississippi University v. Hogan was the defendant in the case, being sued for not allowing admission

The fourteenth amendment states in the equal protection clause that states may not discriminate against any citizen for any reason, and must allow the same privileges, rights, and conservation. Hogan was on a mission to gain relief as well as compensation for the damages caused. The case was argued on March 22, 1982. The argument from Joe Hogan was proposed by advocate, Wilbur Colom. The petitioner’s side was presented by Hunter M. Gholson, in representation for Mississippi University for Women. The institution based their argument around the fact that was stated into the school’s policy that it was a school for women only and that by having this school, it balanced the discrimination of women. This argument was not very powerful in the swaying of the court. It was not a struggle for a women to be successful and have many job opportunities when it came to work. Men struggled more than women in this particular field. The court’s first chose to continued to endorse the university’s entrance arrangement. The court of appeals reversed and the final decision fell in Joe Hogan’s favor, winning with a five to four decision. The judges that favored Hogan were judges Brennan, White, Marshall, Stevens, and O’Connor. The university was after the fact mandated to change their policy, allowing males to be able to

Since the case trial, almost twenty-five percent of the student population is made up of males. In addition to the growth of male students, the nursing field still continues to be the top degree earned awarded by Mississippi University for Women till this day. Also in 2002, the university’s president proposed to changed the official title of the college to just “Mississippi University” and take out the “for women” but this was denied by the council. As of today, the university now offers sport and educational scholarships each year for both men and women. A similar case occurred in the late 1990s, United States v. Virginia, in which a school in Virginia excluded women from educational opportunities. Virginia military institute was forced to change their policy for accepting women just as Mississippi University had to do the same for males. The only single-sex institutions that are still up and running still as of today are private