Murray State University Murray State University , located in the city of Murray , Kentucky , is a four - year public university with more than 10 , 800 students . The school is Kentucky ’ s only public university to be listed in the " U . S . News & World Report " regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years ( non - doctoral degree granting universities ) . In addition to the main campus , Murray State University operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah , Hopkinsville , Madisonville , and Henderson . History . The history of Murray State University can be traced to the passage of Senate Bill 14 by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky , which created two normal school s to address the growing demand for professional teachers . One would be in the western part of the state , which caused many cities and towns to bid for the new normal school . Rainey T . Wells spoke on behalf of the city of Murray to convince the Normal School Commission to choose his city . On September 2 , 1922 , Murray was chosen as the site of the western normal school , while Morehead was chosen for the eastern normal school . On November 26 , 1922 , John Wesley Carr was elected the first president of the Murray State Normal School by the State Board of Education . Believing it had the authority to elect the president , the Normal School Commission picked Rainey Wells to be the first president . On May 15 , 1923 , The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled for the State Board of Education , and Carr would become Murray ' s first president . Murray State Normal School opened on September 23 , 1923 . Until the first building was completed , now Wrather West Kentucky Museum , classes were held on the first floor of Murray High School . All students commuted until the first dormitory , Wells Hall , was constructed in 1925 . Wilson Hall was also completed under Carr ' s presidency , with other structures were in progress . In 1926 , Rainey T . Wells , recognized as the founder of Murray State , became its second president . Wells served from 1926 to 1932 , and during this time Lovett Auditorium , Carr Health Building and Pogue library were all completed . In 1926 , the Normal School was renamed Murray State Normal School and Teachers College , and the General Assembly granted it authority to confer baccalaureate degrees . In 1928 , the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . In 1930 , the name was changed to Murray State Teachers College and it was granted authority to offer liberal arts and preprofessional courses . The name was changed again in 1948 to Murray State College , and finally in 1966 the General Assembly authorized the Board of Regents to change the name to Murray State University . The Shield . The Shield is the official seal of the university . It is taken from the heraldic coat - of - arms of the family of William Murray , Earl of Mansfield and Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain in 1756 . William Murray is an ancestor of the Murray family from whom the city and the university take their names . The shield is blue with a double gold border — its three stars represent hope , endeavor and achievement . Campus . The Quad . The oldest and most easily recognizable buildings on the Murray State campus are situated around a large , grassy , tree - lined area on the south side of campus . This part of campus , known as the Quadrangle , is bounded by 16th Street to the west , 15th Street to the east , Lovett Auditorium to the north and Wilson Hall to the south . In the southwest corner of the Quad sits the oldest building on campus , Wrather West Kentucky Museum , which was known first as the Administration Building and then as Wrather Hall before it became a museum . Ground was broken for Wrather Hall on October 15 , 1923 , and it has been in use since 1924 . Wrather Hall first housed administrative offices and classrooms before becoming Wrather West Kentucky Museum . The building features a large auditorium that is frequently used for lectures and meetings . Faculty Hall , Wells Hall and the Business Building line the western edge of the Quadrangle . The Lowry Center , Pogue Library and the Price Doyle Fine Arts Center line the eastern side of the Quad . The 11 - story Doyle Fine Arts Center is the tallest building on campus , housing the Robert E . Johnson Theatre , Clara Eagle Art Gallery , WKMS - FM and television studios used for student work and the taping of Murray State ' s signature show , " Roundabout U " , as wells as numerous classrooms , practice rooms and recital halls . Directly south of the Quad is Sparks Hall . Sparks Hall is the main administrative building , housing the offices of student financial aid , admissions and registration , accounting and financial services , vice president for administrative services , Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach , human resources and university communications . The six - story , , Sparks Hall was completed in 1967 at a cost of $ 1 , 308 , 514 . To the south of the Quadrangle , and directly west of Sparks Hall is Oakhurst , which is the residence of the university president . Construction of the residence , originally known as Edgewood , began in 1917 and was completed in 1918 . The home was built by Dr . and Mrs . Rainey T . Wells . The Board of Regents purchased the home from Rainey T . Wells in June 1936 . It was remodeled that year and renamed Oakhurst in preparation for James H . Richmond ' s occupation of the house . Central campus . The central portion of the Murray State campus lines 15th Street between Chestnut Street and Olive Boulevard . This portion of 15th Street was originally open to automobile traffic , but has since been closed and converted into a pedestrian thoroughfare . Along the west side of the 15th Street pedestrian pathway is the Martha Layne Collins Center for Industry and Technology , Blackburn Science Building and Oakley Applied Science Building . To the east of the pedestrian pathway lies the Curris Center , Carr Health Building and Cutchin Fieldhouse , Waterfield Library , Ordway Hall , Woods Hall and Mason Hall . The most historic building in the central portion of campus is Ordway Hall . The contract for construction of Ordway Hall was approved in April 1930 , and construction was completed in 1931 . Originally built as a men ' s dormitory , the 38 , 600 - square - foot building was constructed at a cost of $ 106 , 765 . Ordway Hall currently houses unique event space and several offices , including the Career Services and Student Affairs offices . Despite Ordway Hall ' s architectural and historic significance to the Murray State campus , the school plans to demolish Ordway Hall between 2012 and 2014 rather than upgrade the building to meet current fire protection and ADA requirements . West campus . An aggressive building campaign on campus has resulted in a westward expansion of the main academic campus of Murray State . The expansion began with a massive renovation and expansion of what is now known as Alexander Hall on the west side of 16th Street near Calloway Avenue . The project was the first to unveil a new architectural style that would become consistent through all renovation and new construction projects on campus . Alexander Hall houses classrooms and offices for the college of education . Construction continued with the new state - of - the - art science complex for biology , chemistry and engineering that is located just to the southwest of Alexander Hall . The massive new science complex was constructed in phases , with the biology building opening in 2004 , and the rest of the complex and centerpiece clock tower reaching final completion in March 2008 . The new clock tower was dedicated in 2007 as the Jesse L . Jones Family Clock Tower . Sports and recreation facilities . The majority of the university ' s sports and recreation facilities are located on the northern - most edge of the campus , along the KY - 121 Bypass . The most prominent structure in the sports complex is Roy Stewart Stadium . The stadium , which is home field to the Murray State Racers football program , was completed in 1973 and named for former Murray State football coach Roy Stewart . It seats 16 , 800 . The outdated AstroTurf surface was replaced with FieldTurf in 2007 . Located on the second floor of the seven - story press box and seating structure is the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range , which is the home of the three - time NCAA champion rifle squad . The 8 , 602 - seat CFSB Center was completed in 1998 to replace the aging Racer Arena that had been outgrown by the men ' s and women ' s basketball teams . On April 16 , 2005 , the new Susan E . Bauernfeind Student Recreation and Wellness Center was dedicated . The new student recreation center includes a swimming pool , two racquetball courts , a walking / jogging track , an aerobic studio , basketball courts , and free weights and cardio workout machines . The center is located just north of the residential colleges , near Roy Stewart Stadium . Residence halls . Currently , a building campaign has begun to replace many of the older residence halls . A replacement building for Clark College was completed and ready for residents at the beginning of the 2007 fall semester . This made Clark Hall the newest building , and the first residence hall specifically designed around the residential college concept and model . A new four story , 270 - bed , 79 , 900 square foot Richmond Hall was opened for James H . Richmond Residential College in fall 2009 . It has a similar concept and design as Clark College . In fall 2009 , the old Clark Hall building was torn down . Following the completion of the spring 2011 semester , the university began renovation to Elizabeth Hall , which houses the Elizabeth Residential College . The $ 7 . 2 million renovation project closed the building for the entire 2011 - 12 academic year as the highrise was upgraded to meet Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) standards . The renovation also included new heating , ventilation , and air - conditioning systems with the goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) silver status . The renovated Elizabeth Hall reopened on August 18 , 2012 . Hester Hall is the next highrise residence hall scheduled for renovation ; however , the timeline for that project has not been announced . Branding campaigns . In August 2009 , Murray State unveiled a new logo and tagline . The new logo , featuring an updated version of the Murray State shield , and " Your World to Explore " tagline replaced the previous ivy logo and " Kentucky ' s Public Ivy " tagline . The " public ivy " branding , instituted by former university president F . King Alexander , had been largely discontinued by December 2008 . The university describes the meaning of the " Your World to Explore " tagline with the following statement : " " Murray State invites students to discover a remarkable range of opportunities for learning and growth that begin on campus and extend around the globe , encouraging them to think broadly and boldly about their destinations in life " . " The traditional shield and university seal remain in use for ceremonial use , formal events , and documents of institutional and legal importance , such as diplomas , certificates , transcripts , formal event programs , flags , banners , etc . The statement " We Are Racers " was officially adopted February 2011 to complement the new branding strategy . " We Are Racers " is prominently used in Murray State athletic programs and facilities . Academics . Murray State University offers 11 associate , 64 bachelor , and 42 master and specialist programs , which are administered through five academic colleges , two schools , 30 departments , and one joint program shared by the college of business and the college of science , engineering and technology . The college of business is the largest at Murray State , enrolling 23 percent of the undergraduate students . Murray State has been institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and School , Commission on Colleges , continuously since 1928 . Murray is one of only eight schools in the state of Kentucky to achieve AACSB accreditation of business programs ; however the school is not AACSB - accredited in accounting programs . Several other programs have achieved specialized accreditation - primarily programs in teaching , fine arts and nursing . As a former normal school and teachers college , Murray State is best known for its NCATE - accredited education programs , but the university has also gained national recognition for its fine arts programs . The department of music has been a member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1936 . Campus life . Residential colleges . As of Fall 2012 , Murray State had 2 , 831 students living on campus . Murray State was the first public university in the United States to adopt a successful campus - wide residential college program . The residential college structure , which took form on the campus in 1996 , is based on similar , but much more established programs at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom as well as Yale University , Harvard College and Princeton University in the United States . The Murray State model does not include some components of the classical residential college model , such as dining halls and libraries at each college ; large common meeting areas for activities , group study and academic training ; and large courtyards or outdoor spaces for socializing and recreation . In the Murray State model students do share central dining areas and recreation areas . However , as the older structures are being phased out , the university is taking steps with the new residential colleges to address many of those needs . Although the physical structures of all of Murray State ' s residential colleges do not completely match those of institutions such as Oxford or Yale , the basic residential college concept was successfully implemented . All faculty , staff and students , even those who live off - campus , are assigned to one of the eight residential colleges . Once assigned to a residential college , a person remains a member of that college throughout their time at the university , developing friendships , traditions and lasting bonds that are meant to endure years after leaving Murray State . One of the goals in establishing the program was to improve student life and retention and graduation rates , and measurable progress has been made in that endeavor . The eight colleges of Murray State Student Government Association . The Student Government Association , commonly known as SGA , is the officially organized body governing all students and student organizations at Murray State University . The purposes of the Student Government Association are to promote the welfare , growth and development of student life in an environment of academic excellence , to represent the students in all phases of administrative effort and to provide a means of promoting cooperative efforts for the general welfare of the university community . SGA is made up four branches : Senate , Campus Activities Board , Judicial Board and the Residential College Association . The Senate is the main branch of SGA , and it is the governing body with the power to pass resolutions , bills , rules and regulations necessary for the general welfare of the university , and to implement and maintain any programs consistent with SGA purposes . The president of SGA holds the student seat on the Board of Regents . Greek life . Murray State is home to active chapters of several social Greek organizations . The oldest fraternities on campus are Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Sigma Alpha Iota ( both relating to music ) . As of Fall 2011 , 964 students were officially reported to be involved with Greek life ( 11 . 5 % of undergraduates ) . The actual participation rate is even higher , since the Office of Greek Life does not track participation in several Greek organizations that have a professional emphasis , including Phi Mu Alpha , Sigma Alpha Iota , and Alpha Kappa Psi . Traditions . Alma Mater The Alma Mater of Murray State University is sung to the tune of Annie Lisle and has two verses . A . B . Austin , onetime Dean of Men , wrote the words in 1935 . The Alma Mater is traditionally sung at student orientation , convocation and commencement ceremonies , athletic events and other special events on campus . All - Campus Sing All - Campus Sing is an annual event , first held in 1958 , that takes place each April in which residential colleges , fraternities , sororities and other student organizations compete in choreographed song and dance competition . The event is hosted by the Iota Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota ( original organizer of the event ) , with financial assistance from the MSU Alumni Association and the office of student affairs . It is held on the steps of historic Lovett Auditorium . Campus Lights Campus Lights is the longest running student produced and performed musical in the South . The show was started in 1938 by the Gamma Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha as a fundraiser to pay the chapter ' s chartering fees . Campus Lights is now produced by a joint effort of the Gamma Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha and the Iota Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota . All proceeds from the show are given to the department of music in order to fund scholarships . Racer One In 1976 , the tradition of having a thoroughbred run around the track after every MSU football touchdown began . The name of that first racehorse was Violet Cactus . After the death of Violet Cactus in 1984 , the horse Nancy Duster took over the job for one year . Violet Cactus is buried at Roy Stewart Stadium near the area where Racer One begins its run around the football field after a Racer touchdown . She is the only mascot to be interred inside the walls of the stadium . In 1985 , the first Racer One began circling the football field after touchdowns . Several horses have filled the role of Racer One since 1985 . Shoe Tree Located in front of Pogue Library on the Quad is a tree with many pairs of shoes nailed to the trunk . The tradition is that if a couple gets married after meeting at Murray State , they return to the Quad and each one nails a shoe to the " Shoe Tree . " Many of the shoes include names and dates written on them . If the couple has a baby , the baby ' s shoes are then sometimes also nailed to the tree . The shoe tree tradition originated in the 1960s . It should be noted that this tree ( due to a high zinc content from the nails ) is a common target of lightning and has caught fire in the past . The original shoe tree is gone as a result of fire ; however , the tradition continues through the second shoe tree . Athletics . Murray State ' s men ' s and women ' s athletic teams are known as the Racers , with the exception of the baseball team which is known as the Thoroughbreds . All of MSU ' s athletic teams compete in the Ohio Valley Conference , whose conference roster includes 10 other regional public universities . Murray State is particularly renowned for its men ' s basketball program , which has made 15 appearances in the NCAA Tournament , most recently in 2012 . In 2010 as a 13 - seed , Murray State won their second ever NCAA tournament game on a buzzer beater against 4th - seeded Vanderbilt . Former Alabama head basketball coach Mark Gottfried coached the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference Championships , all three years he coached there , the only OVC coach to accomplish such a mark . The Racer men ' s basketball team was also led to the 2012 OVC championship by Coach Steve Prohm . The basketball program has been recognized as one of the top 30 basketball programs in modern history by ESPN . Murray State also is home to one of the nation ' s top rifle programs . The Racers claimed national championships in 1978 ( NRA ) , 1985 ( NCAA ) and 1987 ( NCAA ) and have produced six individual NCAA national champions , including two - time national titlist and 1984 Summer Olympics gold medalist Pat Spurgin . The football program has become a steppingstone to major - college coaching success . Frank Beamer , the current Virginia Tech head coach who built that program into a national power in the 1990s and early 2000s , and former Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt are both former Racers head coaches . Former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen is a former Racers assistant under Beamer , and former Illinois head coach Ron Zook was an assistant under current ESPN college football analyst Mike Gottfried , who was Beamer ' s predecessor as head coach . Publications . The Murray State News " The Murray State News " is the student newspaper of Murray State University . The newspaper has been the recipient of several ACP Pacemaker awards , the highest award given to collegiate newspapers . The most recent awards were earned in 2004 , 1999 , and 1998 . The newspaper also gained notoriety between 1998 and 2001 through the work of Darin Shock . Shock earned the honor of top college cartoonist in the nation from the College Media Advisers in 2000 . He had earned second place honors during the previous year . http : / / www . thenews . org < / ref > The Shield The school yearbook , " The Shield , " was awarded three Pacemaker awards and two CSPA Silver Crowns in the last ten years . " The Shield " ceased publication with its 2008 edition . New Madrid The University ' s national literary magazine , " New Madrid " , with editor Ann Neelon , features work from a range of nationally - recognized authors , and has received acclaim from sources as diverse as La Bloga , a leading Hispanic journal , and New Pages , a leading national review of literary magazines . Radio . WKMS - FM ( 91 . 3 FM ) , is a non - commercial , educational National Public Radio - affiliated station licensed and operated by Murray State University . WKMS features a variety of NPR programming and local music shows ranging from classical music , bluegrass , alternative rock , jazz , electronica and world music .