History

Locally, Mississippi State University-Meridian is directed by the Associate Vice Provost of Health Sciences and Interim Head of Campus in collaboration with various academic leaders in the areas of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Health Sciences.

MSU-Meridian got its start at Meridian Community College in what is now Hardin Hall, a building initially constructed to house 450 students. Recognizing the value of MSU-Meridian to the region, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors spearheaded funding for a new building project in 1990. The state followed with an appropriation, and a private fund-raising campaign netted the remainder of the construction costs.

On August 29, 1993, the MSU-Meridian facility was dedicated on a picturesque 26-acre campus across the street from its original location adjacent to Highway 19 North and College Drive. This structure has become known as the College Park Campus.

A few years later, Meridian community leaders again joined with Mississippi State University to develop a vision for the city’s long abandoned Grand Opera House and the adjoining Marks Rothenberg and Newberry buildings in downtown Meridian. The renovation project gained significant momentum in January 2000, when The Riley Foundation anchored a $10 million contribution to restore the buildings, stipulating that Mississippi State University own and operate the center. Donations by local, state, and federal agencies followed, resulting in a $27 million restoration project that culminated in the creation of the MSU-Riley Center, a performing arts and conference center and educational facility.

The MSU-Riley Center opened its doors in September 2006 as a fully restored 1889 grand opera house theatre, studio theatre, and 30,000-square-foot conference space.

In 2009, The Riley Foundation again stepped in to assist the university with a $4.5 million commitment to expand the University’s presence in downtown Meridian. The gift included the donation of the Newberry Building, a historic landmark adjacent to the MSU Riley Center. Work on renovating the four-story building began in 2010, providing the University with an additional 20,175 square-foot academic facility that included classroom and office space to house the MSU-Meridian Division of Business. The building was occupied in January of 2012, and the facility was dedicated and renamed the Deen Building.

In 2012, The Riley Foundation made another significant investment of $11 million to renovate the Kress Building, slated to become the home of MSU-Meridian's Health Sciences program. Now known as the Rosenbaum Building, the facility houses state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms as well as a new library made possible by a grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation. The Rosenbaum Building is home to Mississippi’s first publicly funded Master of Physician Assistant Studies program.

Success of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program spearheaded a new purpose for the entire Riley Campus. In 2022, the university made a strategic decision in redirecting that campus to create innovative programs aimed at addressing critical needs of health disparity in the state. The Riley, Phil Hardin, and Broadhead Foundations have since committed nearly $15 million toward the expansion of healthcare programs on the Riley Campus. Most recently, the university received Phase II approval from the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning to launch the state's first accelerated Master of Science in Nursing entry licensure program. The initial cohort of nursing students matriculated in August 2024, complementing the campus’ launch of its first Doctor of Psychology program. Plans are underway to open the MSU-Meridian Mental and Behavioral Health Center, a downtown community mental health clinic, which, in keeping with Mississippi State University’s land grant mission, will address healthcare disparity gaps.