Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is a public liberal arts university in Wichita Falls, Texas. As of fall 2025, MSU Texas enrolled 5,287 students. It is the state's only public institution focused on the liberal arts.
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History
Founded in 1922 as the municipally owned Wichita Falls Junior College, it was renamed Hardin Junior College in 1937 when it moved from Wichita Falls High School to its present location off Taft Boulevard. In 1946, a senior division was added and it was renamed Hardin College. In January 1950, the name changed to Midwestern University, with the junior college division remaining Hardin Junior College. In March 1948, the university became a member of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In January 1959, the university added a graduate school which received full approval from the State Board of Education in August of that year.
A further change in the school's status came September 1, 1961, when by action of the 56th session of the Texas State Legislature, Midwestern University was transferred from the city of Wichita Falls to the Texas Colleges and Universities System and the junior college division was dissolved. In 1975, the Texas Legislature changed the name to Midwestern State University.
From its beginnings as a municipal junior college housed in a high school building, Midwestern has become a state university whose campus of 255 acres and 70 buildings offers a wide variety of academic programs in liberal and fine arts, mathematics, sciences, business, and applied sciences.
On March 9, 2015, the university announced that Suzanne Shipley was selected to become its next president, following Jesse Rogers' retirement after 48 years of service to the school.
On December 13, 2016, the university broke ground on a new campus in Flower Mound, Texas. The two-story facility shares space with North Central Texas College and opened in June 2018.
Since 2018, several incidents of racially motivated vandalism and harassment have been reported at Midwestern State University. The university administration has been repeatedly criticized by students of color for its handling of such incidents, as well as for its perceived indifference to issues facing racial minorities more generally. In 2018, the university faced widespread criticism from students in response to the administration's perceived indifference to sexual harassment and violence on campus. A university administrator reportedly made a rape joke at a campus forum intended to discuss the issue.
Academics
Midwestern State University is organized into seven colleges with 16 undergraduate programs offering 43 majors and 30 minors, and 9 graduate programs offering 28 majors and 15 minors.
MSU is the only university in Texas with membership in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and was the first public university in Texas to establish a core curriculum. The university is also a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Association for Core Texts and Courses.
Dalquest Desert Research Station
The Dalquest Desert Research Station is located on 3,000 acres of West Texas soil north of the Big Bend Ranch State Park. The land was a gift from Walter W. Dalquest, a professor at MSU, and his wife, Rose, on the condition that it be used for scientific research by biologists and geologists. Today, the site is used by professors, students, naturalists, scientists, and educators.
Athletics
Midwestern State fields 13 intercollegiate NCAA Division II athletic teams. MSU is a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The school mascot is the mustang.
The basketball and volleyball teams play at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The football team plays at Memorial Stadium (Wichita Falls). The soccer teams play at the MSU Soccer Field. The softball team plays at Mustangs Park. The tennis teams play at the MSU Tennis Center.
Student life
The university's campus covers 255 acres (1.0 km2) with over 50 buildings uniformly built of red brick with tiled roofs and arched facades.
Students can be members of 14 nationally affiliated fraternities and sororities and more than 100 other student organizations including sports clubs. The campus also has a newspaper, The Wichitan, and a student-run television channel and production studio, M&G Media. The campus newspaper and production studio are housed in the Mass Communication wing of the Fain Fine Arts Center.
Housing and dining services
Midwestern State has four residence halls; Legacy Hall, McCullough-Trigg Hall, Killingsworth Hall, and Pierce Hall (the latter of which is currently vacated for construction). It also has two apartments; Sundance Courts and Sunwatcher Village.
Dining services went through a major remodel in 2016, adding new storefronts. Dining halls include the Mesquite Dining Hall and Maverick's Corner. New storefronts in the Clark Student Center include Chick-fil-A and ACE Sushi. Einstein Bros. Bagels is located in the Dillard College of Business Administration. A cafe called Campus Coffee was opened at the Bridwell Activities Center (built in 2021 and completed in 2022) in 2022.
Notable alumni
Arts and entertainment
Phil McGraw — Dr. Phil, television host
Jaret Reddick — original founder and lead vocalist/guitarist of the popular punk band Bowling for Soup
JoAnne Worley — Laugh In and many other TV comedy shows
Athletics
Marqui Christian — professional football player
Eric Dawson — professional basketball player
Chad DeGrenier — professional football player and coach
Cotton Fitzsimmons — college and professional basketball coach
Jinh Yu Frey — professional mixed martial artist
Bryan Gilmore — professional football player
Andrea Hannos — professional cyclist
Dudley Meredith — professional football player
Tony Pesznecker — professional soccer player
Will Pettis — professional football player
Dominic Rhodes — professional football player
Amini Silatolu — professional football player
Chad Smith — professional soccer player
Ray Gene Smith — professional football player
Gary Suiter — professional basketball player
Craig Sutherland — professional soccer player
Andy Tanner — professional football player
Bryce Taylor — professional soccer player
J. J. Unga — professional football player
Business and nonprofit
Albert Buckman Wharton III — former owner of the Waggoner Ranch
Government
Mark Boulware — U.S. ambassador to Mauritania (2007–2010)
Walter Wilson Jenkins — political figure and longtime top aide to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
Andy King — council member for the 12th District of the New York City Council (2012–present)
Dan Kubiak — state representative from Rockdale (1969–1983 and 1991–1998)
Lanham Lyne — mayor of Wichita Falls, Texas, 2005–2010; state representative, District 69 (2011-2013)
Mutryce Williams, Kittian ambassador
Journalism and literature
Beck Weathers — motivational speaker and a mountain climber involved in the 1996 Everest disaster
John Edwards Williams — writer
Religion
Stephen McNallen — American proponent of Heathenry, a modern Pagan new religious movement, and a white nationalist activist
Science and education
Michael Obeng — celebrity plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA
Mark Rippetoe — author, strength-training coach
Notable faculty, lecturers, and staff
Larry McMurtry — novelist
John Tower — United States senator