Pearl River College
Alma Mater
O Pearl River College we’re
loyal to you.
To our alma mater we’re
faithful and true.
You stand on the hills with
the tall swaying pines.
The symbol of all honor
you’ll be through all time.
You stand for the highest,
and we will uphold
Your standards and colors
of maroon and gold.
And where’ere we wander
from these halls so dear,
The clear call of our college
we will always hear.
Pearl River Community College
enjoys a rich heritage and holds a distinctive place in Mississippi's educational
history. Founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in
1909, a member of the nation's first state-funded agricultural high school
system, Pearl River College is the oldest publicly funded two-year institution
of higher learning in Mississippi and the 16th oldest in the U.S.
It began offering freshman college classes in September of 1921, which
led educators and progressive thinkers in Mississippi to seek a two-year
system of higher education institutions. Pearl River led the way
in the establishment of the nation's first system of state-funded junior
colleges in the nation.
Holding the honor of being
the state's oldest public community or junior college carries with it the
responsibility to tell its history and the history of the people who founded
it. The area of Mississippi that birthed this college was populated
with people of extreme foresight. It is the fabric that made up these
early educators, parents and students that has been woven into the very
heart of Pearl River College.
Opening its doors to the
county's children on September 8, 1909, Pearl River County Agricultural
High School administrators soon saw the need for further educational opportunities
for its students, which they did in 1921. By 1925, Sophomore classes
were added.
In 1936 Pearl River Junior
College and High School added a military curriculum and a Reserve Officer
Training Corps unit. It was the nation's first junior college to
do so.
It is this dedication to
educational excellence that is showcased in the Pearl River Community College
Museum.
The
museum is housed in the south wing of the 62-year-old Hancock Hall, one
of many fine old buildings on campus. It currently occupies the entire
south wing of the hall.
Featuring American Indian
artifacts along with artifact collections from the school's long past,
the museum is a journey into Pearl River College's history. A timeline
exhibit outlines the complete history of the 
college
and a brief history of the area.
The college's history of
athletics is showcased in one area, while the college's music program occupies
another. A dorm room demonstrates life on campus in the late 40's
and early 50's, while a room is devoted entirely to the founding institution,
Pearl River County Agricultural High School.