Bringing an end to a bitter four-year conflict, the Mississippi University for Women”s estranged alumni organization agreed Saturday to merge with the official alumni association.
The disaffiliated alumni group, Mississippi”s First Alumnae Association, will merge with the MUW Alumni Association in July, President Allegra Brigham announced Saturday.
“It”s a great day to be an MUW alumni,” she told an enthusiastic crowd that gathered at the Nissan Auditorium on campus for the announcement, which came amid Homecoming activities on campus.
The announcement signals a cease fire between MUW administrators and the historic alumni organization, which was disaffiliated in 2007 by then-President Claudia Limbert. The fight over the group”s disaffiliation was challenged in a bitter lawsuit that ended in the state Supreme Court.
After Saturday”s announcement, the crowd of alumni broke into cheers, hugged, linked arms and sang the old Mississippi State College for Women”s “Hail to Thee” school song.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” past-president Lillian Wade said. “We”ve waited a long time for this.”
Court battle
The alumni groups splintered in 2007 when Limbert, who had accused workers in the official MUW Alumnae Association of trying to get her fired and hindering fundraising efforts, terminated the century-old group”s official ties with the school.
In its place, Limbert created the MUW Alumni Association as a new, official alumni organization.
The Alumnae Association sued, alleging that Limbert overstepped her bounds as president and didn”t have the authority to kick it off campus.
Lowndes County Chancery Judge Dorothy Colom sided with the ousted alumnae group, ordering Limbert to allow it back on campus. MUW appealed to the Supreme Court in 2008, which found in Limbert and MUW”s favor, reversing Colom”s ruling.
The Supreme Court also barred the Alumnae Association from using its name and official university symbols. The group renamed itself Mississippi”s First Alumnae Association.
Efforts to reunite the alumni groups were further complicated when Limbert pursued a gender-neutral name change for the school, in an effort to boost enrollment. The name change bitterly divided the school”s supporters, with estranged alumnae vowing never to reunite as long as the plan was pursued.
Limbert”s retirement last year, however, began to smooth efforts toward reuniting the groups. The popular Brigham, though, in the past a proponent of a name change, had actively reached out to the alumni groups since being named interim president.
”Great things to come”
With peace on the horizon, both Brigham and MFAA President Emily Myers Garner said they”re looking forward to working together and putting the past behind them.
“There will be great things to come,” Garner said.
Although no one got exactly what they wanted in the compromise — which took about 50 to 60 hours of conference calls to hash out — unity is “critical” for the university now, Brigham said.
“(The separation) has been a hindrance in every aspect of university operations,” added.
The MFAA unanimously approved the merger at its annual homecoming meeting Saturday, a day after the MUWAA Board of Directors gave its approval.
“The crowning achievement of (MFAA) was the vote taken today,” Wade said.
Although the technicalities of the merger still have to be worked out, many of the details have already been agreed to, Brigham said.
In its first year, the new MUW Alumni Association will have 30 board members and two co-presidents, half from the old group and half from the current one. Over time, the board will be reduced to 18 and there will only be one president.
The association, which will operate under the historic association”s charter, will bring in consultants to advise the best way to handle the merger, which will wipe the slate clean for both groups, Brigham said.
Both alumni groups praised Brigham as the champion of the reunification effort, without whom it wouldn”t have happened.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.