A new name for the Mississippi University for Women has reportedly been chosen, and the necessary legislation may soon be filed with the Mississippi Legislature.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the new name was selected by a committee in late December, but will not be made public until the name legislation is filed. The current session of the Mississippi Legislature started on Jan. 2.

MUW President Nora Miller is expected to report an update on the university’s naming process on Monday, Jan.8, according to WTVA News in Tupelo.

If the legislation is filed and approved, a name change for the university would not take effect until July 1.

MUW was founded in 1884 as the first public college for women in the United States. It began to admit men in 1982.

Since then, the idea of changing the university’s name has been discussed several times and officially considered by university officials, but it has ultimately been abandoned.

In 2022, the university developed a task force to develop ideas for a possible name change. The university surveyed students, staff, alumni and community members in October 2022 with potential name change options, including many related to the school’s geography and history.

Click here for more. information on the university’s current naming process.