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Alabama State University
Established	1867
President:	Dr. Joe A. Lee
Students:	4,600 undergraduates // 1,000 graduates
Location	Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Colors:	Black and Old Gold
Nickname:	Hornets
Mascot:	Hornet
Website:	http://www.alasu.edu/

Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU was originally founded in Marion as the Lincoln Normal School. In 1887, the university opened in its new location in Montgomery but an Alabama State Supreme Court ruling forced the school to change its name; thus, the school was renamed the Normal School for Colored Students. In 1954, the school changed its name to Alabama State College. The college gained university status in 1969.

Alabama State University has an enrollment of more than 5,000 students from 42 states and 7 countries. One-third of the students are non-Alabama residents and 11 percent are minorities. With a student-faculty ratio of 18 to 1, instructors are able to work closely with students, encourage ambition, and challenge students to meet their academic success. Alabama State University has 7 degree-granting colleges or schools or divisions.

• College of Arts and Sciences

• College of Business Administration

• College of Education

• College of Health Sciences

• College of Visual and Performing Arts

• Division Of Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC)

• School of Graduate Studies

Alabama State University offers 47 degree programs including 31 Bachelors’, 11 Masters’, and two Education Specialists and three Doctoral programs.

• Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law

• Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy

• Doctorate in Microbiology

Alabama State University's colors are black and gold and their nickname is the Hornets. Alabama State University sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (FCS - Football Championship Subdivision for football) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), which it joined in 1982. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.

The Alabama State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors Men's Intercollegiate football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, track and cheerleading along with Women's Intercollegiate basketball, soccer, softball, bowling, tennis, track, volleyball and cheerleading.

Contents 1 History 2 Campus 3 Student Life 4 Fight Song 5 Marching Hornets 6 Stingettes 7 Notable Alumni 8 Notable faculty 9 References 10 External links

Alabama State University founded in 1867 as the Lincoln School of Marion in Marion, Alabama, a private institution for blacks, by nine former slaves. The founders and original trustees were Joey P. Pinch, Thomas Speed, Nicholas Dale, James Childs, Thomas Lee, John Freeman, Nathan Levert, David Harris and Alexander H. Curtis. The Lincoln School was incorporated on July 18, 1867 and opened November 13, 1867 with 113 students. In 1868, the Alabama State Board of Education designated the school a Normal School and it became known as Lincoln Normal School. In December 1873, the State Board accepted the transfer of title to the school after a legislative act was passed authorizing the state to fund a Normal School, and George N. Card was named President. Thus, in 1874, this predecessor of Alabama State University became America's first state-supported educational institution for blacks. This began ASU’s rich history as a “Teacher’s College.”

In 1878, the second president, William Paterson, was appointed. He is honored as a founder of Alabama State University and was the president for 37 of the first 48 years of its existence. Paterson was instrumental in the move from Marion to Montgomery in 1887. In the decades that followed Lincoln Normal School became a junior college and in 1928 became a full four-year institution. In 1929 it became State Teachers College, Alabama State College for Negroes in 1948 and Alabama State College in 1954. In 1969, the State Board of Education, then the governing body of the university, approved a name change; the institution became Alabama State University. The 1995 Knight vs. Alabama remedial decree transformed ASU into a comprehensive regional institution paving the way for two new undergraduate programs, four new graduate programs, diversity scholarship funding and endowment, funding to build a state-of-the art health sciences facility and a facility renewal allocation to refurbish three existing buildings.

WVAS-FM was launched on June 15, 1984, beaming 25,000 watts of power from the fifth floor of the Levi Watkins Learning Center for two years before moving to its current location at Thomas Kilby Hall. Today, WVAS has grown to 80,000 watts and enjoys a listenership that spans 18 counties, reaching a total population of more than 651,000. In recent years, the station has also begun streaming its broadcast via the Web, connecting a global audience to the university.

In the early 1990s witnessed the beginning of WAPR-FM (Alabama Public Radio), which Alabama State University and Troy University, both of which already held station licenses of their own, cooperated with the University of Alabama in building and operating. WAPR-FM 88.3--Selma - The signal reaches the region known colloquially as the Black Belt, about 13 counties in the west central and central parts of Alabama, including the city of Montgomery.

ASU's campus has Georgian-style red-brick classroom buildings and architecturally contemporary structures. ASU is home to the state-of-the-art 7,400 seat academic and sports facility the Joe L. Reed Acadome; the Levi Watkins Learning Center; a five-story brick structure with more than 267,000 volumes, the state-of-the-art John L. Buskey Health Sciences Center; which is 80,000 square-feet facility which houses classrooms, offices, an interdisciplinary clinic, three therapeutic rehabilitation labs, state-of-the-art Gross Anatomy Lab, Laboratory for the Analysis of Human Motion (LAHM), a Women’s Health/Cardiopulmonary lab, and a health sciences computer lab, and WVAS-FM 90.7; the 80,000-watt, university operated public radio station.

Alabama State University charters more than 70 student organizations, including nine Greek Letter Organizations, a full range of men’s and women’s sports and 17 honors organizations. In addition to social, cultural and religious groups, there are musical opportunities, such as the Marching Hornets and the University Choir, and departmental organizations for most majors. Men’s intercollegiate athletic programs include baseball, basketball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, softball, golf, bowling, and cross country. The ASU Hornets are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, SWAC, and compete at the NCAA Division 1 level.

The official name for the university's fight song is "Hail Alabama Fight Song"

Hail, Alabama State University
How we love your name.
Your spacious halls respond with knowledge
Deeds extol your fame.
Hurrah, hurrah for the Black and Gold!
Hurrah, hurrah for heroes bold!
Dear Alma Mater, we adore you,
In one loud acclaim.

(Chorus)
Alabama! Alabama!
Hail, hail, hail, hail college so dear
Alabama, Alabama!
'tis for you we'll cheer
All hail the men who fight on the field
All hail your glory that can't be repealed;
So hail, hail, hail Alabama!
Hail, hail, hail!

(Trio)
To the Black and Gold
Let our giant echoes roll
In the breeze, on the air,
Let our banner wave so fair,
Sing Hurrah, Sing Hurrah,
Sing Hurrah, rah-rah-rah-rah
Hey!
(Back to Chorus)

The Marching Hornets have gained national recognition as a result of their presentation of a sparkling halftime show on NBC's national televised professional football games between the NY Jets vs. KC Chiefs, December 10, 1967; CBS's nationally televised professional football game between the New Orleans Saints vs. the Green Bay Packers in 1969 and was twice televised on the Blue-Gray Football Classic, Montgomery, AL, December 1976 and 1977; halftime for the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints October 1976 and 1977; and the pre-game and halftime for the Cincinnati Bengal vs. Houston Oilers at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, 1976.

In 1980, The Marching Hornets put together a halftime show saluting the late, great Joe Louis. In 1985, the Marching Hornets were invited to perform at the second annual Freedom Bowl classic in Fulton Stadium, Atlanta, GA, representing the SWAC Conference. They also performed for the Atlanta Falcon vs. Chicago Bears in 1986, were they presented a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and were the Exhibition Band for the South Central Marching Band Classic in Homewood, AL., November 1, 1986 The Marching Hornets also performed at other classics and games such as the Bronze Classic in Atlanta 1991, the Motor City Classic in Pontiac Michigan 1991, Alma Heritage Bowl in Miami 1991, the Circle City Classic of Indianapolis 1992, Battle of the Bands in Mobile, AL 2000,the Detroit Football Classic 2003 and 2004, and Battle of the Bands in Atlanta, Ga. in 2006. The band appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres' talk show in 2007.

The Marching Hornets Band motto is: "THE PRICE OF GLORY IS HIGH"

The Stingettes is the name of Alabama State University's dance line. Their name is derived from the stinger of the Hornet mascot.

• Rosa Parks — civil rights pioneer
• Rickey Smiley — comedian/actor
• Tarvaris Jackson — quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings^[1]
• Africa Miranda — singer^[2]
• Dr. Joe L. Reed — civil rights pioneer
• Reggie Barlow — wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars & current head coach of ASU football
• Jesse White — the 37th Secretary of State of Illinois
• Dr. Yvonne Kennedy — President of Bishop State Community College
• Tangy Miller — actress with The WB's Felicity
• Darryl Lassiter — Producer and Director
• Dr. Fred Shuttlesworth — clergy, civil rights legend
• Fred Gray — Famed attorney who represented Rosa Parks during the Montgomery Bus Boycott
• Erskine Hawkins — musician
• Dr. Ralph Simpson, first black to earn the Ph.D. in music from Michigan State University; was Dean of the School of Music at Tennessee State U.
• Dionne Walters — contestant on America's Next Top Model.
• London "Deelishis" Charles — Winner of reality show Flavor of Love 2
• Marcus Winn — Linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
• Togo Coles — former USTA Pro Circuits tennis player.

Doug Williams - Comedian/Actor

Ralph David Abernathy - Civil Rights Leader

Eddie Robinson - former American football linebacker who played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and the Buffalo Bills. He started for the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Woody McCorvey - Assistant Head Football Coach for The Mississippi State University Bulldogs

• Tonea Stewart — actress, playwright, and Dean of Performing Arts
• Ms. Webb-Christburg - notable civil rights activist, author of Selma Lord Selma! and Dr. Martin Luther King's proclaimed "smallest freedom fighter".
• Chief Arthur D. Baylor — first black police chief of Montgomery, Alabama
• Dr. Alvin Holmes — famous Alabama legislator, also an alumnus
• Dr. Ralph J. Bryson — English professor and Grand Historian of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity

• Alabama State University
• College of Business Administration
• Alabama State University WVAS-FM Radio Station
• ASU National Alumni Association (Only works with IE)
• The Official Athletic Website of Alabama State University
• Alabama State University Library and Learning Resources Center
• Alabama State University's National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture
• Erskine Hawkins Biography
• Bama State Collegians
• Tribute to Dr. Thomas E. Lyle and the Mighty Marching Hornets of yesterday and today
• ASU in the 2007 Honda Battle of the Bands

v • d • e Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Alabama A&M • Alabama State • Alcorn State • Arkansas – Pine Bluff • Grambling State • Jackson State • Mississippi Valley State • Prairie View A&M • Southern • Texas Southern

v • d • e Public Colleges and Universities in Alabama
Alabama • Alabama A&M • Alabama State • Auburn • Auburn-Montgomery • Jacksonville State • Montevallo North Alabama • South Alabama • Troy • UAB • UAH • West Alabama

v • d • e Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Alabama A&M  • Alabama State  • Albany State  • Alcorn State  • Allen  • Arkansas Baptist  • Arkansas, Pine Bluff  • Benedict  • Bennett  • Bethune-Cookman  • Bishop  • Bluefield State  • Bowie State  • Central State  • Cheyney  • Claflin  • Clark Atlanta  • Coahoma CC  • Concordia, Selma  • Coppin State  • Delaware State  • Denmark Technical  • Dillard  • Edward Waters  • Elizabeth City State  • Fayetteville State  • Fisk  • Florida A&M  • Florida Memorial  • Fort Valley State  • Gadsen State CC  • Grambling State  • Hampton  • Harris-Stowe  • Hinds CC (Utica campus)  • Howard  • Huston-Tillotson  • Interdenominational Theological Center  • Jackson State  • Jarvis Christian  • Johnson C. Smith  • Kentucky State  • Knoxville  • Lane  • Langston  • LeMoyne-Owen  • Lewis College of Business  • Lincoln, Missouri  • Lincoln, Pennsylvania  • Livingstone  • Maryland, Eastern Shore  • Medgar Evers  • Meharry Medical College  • Miles  • Mississippi Valley State  • Morehouse  • Morehouse School of Medicine  • Morgan State  • Morris Brown  • Morris  • Mount Hermon Female Seminary  • Norfolk State  • N.C. A&T  • N.C. Central  • Oakwood  • Paine  • Paul Quinn  • Philander Smith  • Prairie View A&M  • Rust  • Saint Paul's  • Savannah State  • Selma  • Shaw  • Shelton State CC  • South Carolina State  • Southern  • Southern (New Orleans)  • Southern (Shreveport)  • Southwestern Christian  • Spelman  • St. Augustine's  • Stillman  • Storer  • Straight  • Talladega  • Tennessee State  • Texas College  • Texas Southern  • Tougaloo  • Tuskegee  • UDC  • UVI  • Virginia State  • Virginia Union  • Virginia, Lynchburg  • Voorhees  • West Virginia State  • Wilberforce  • Wiley  • Winston-Salem State  • Xavier (Louisiana)