User:Cpritchett42/sandbox/Murray State University

'''This page is a work in progress, it's in my personal sandbox. This is the actual article: Murray State University'''

Murray State University (typically Murray State or MSU), located in the town of Murray in Kentucky's far-western Jackson Purchase, is an approximately 10,000-student, four-year public university. Having recently adopted the moniker "Kentucky's Public Ivy University," the school has strived to maintain a strong academic reputation and has been rewarded by its high marks when compared with other regional public universities in U.S. News & World Report and other college ranking publications.

History
In 1926, the Kentucky General Assembly created Murray State Normal School which began accepting students in September of 1923.

Campus
Murray State prides itself in being the first public university in the United States to adopt a campus-wide residential college program, following in the traditions of Yale, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. All students and faculty are members of one of 8 colleges: Clark, Springer-Franklin, Hart, Hester, Regents, Richmond, White, or Elizabeth. The Residential College System at Murray State aims to provide a strong sense of community within the colleges and foster  a greater student interest in campus events.

An aggressive building campaign on campus has resulted in the construction of the Regional Special Events Center known as the RSEC (home to its men's and women's basketball teams), a new science building, a Student Life & Wellness Center, and a complete overhaul of its main dining facility, Winslow Cafeteria.

Athletics
Murray State, as it is most often referred to, is particularly renowned for its basketball program, which has made several appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament in recent years. Its athletic teams are known as the Racers, with the exception of the baseball team which is known as the Thoroughbreds. All of its athletic teams compete in the Ohio Valley Conference, whose conference roster includes seven other regional public universities and one private university as all-sports members and two other regional public universities as basketball-only members.

Awards and Recognition
Its student newspaper, The Murray State News, has been awarded two Pacemaker awards in the last decade, the highest award given to collegiate newspapers; in addition, the school yearbook, The Shield, was awarded three Pacemaker awards and two CSPA Silver Crowns in the last ten years.

Notable Alumni

 * W. Earl Brown, actor
 * Tom Rickman, screenwriter
 * Chrishell Stause, actress
 * Joe Fulks, Basketball Hall of Famer and early pioneer of the jump shot (did not graduate; left to join the Marines during World War II)
 * Rex Geveden, Associate Administrator of NASA
 * Joe Staton, comic book artist