Mississippi chartered the first state-supported college for women.
On March 12, 1884, the Mississippi legislature chartered the Industrial Institute and College for the Education of White Girls of the State of Mississippi, later known as Mississippi University for Women. This pioneering act established the first taxpayer-supported college dedicated to the education of women in the United States. At a time when higher education was predominantly male-centric, this institution provided women with unprecedented educational opportunities, laying a foundation for evolving gender equality in public education.