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Mississippi University for Women may soon be known as Wynbridge State University of Mississippi. The small public institution announced the new name Tuesday, and the state Legislature is expected to approve it.
The announcement comes a little over a month after a first attempt to change the institution’s name to Mississippi Brightwell University failed and became the source of controversy and opposition by alumni and community members, some 1,800 of whom took to social media to harshly criticize the decision.
The new name has no historical significance or connection to the university. “Wyn” comes from the Old English word for “W,” and “bridge” is symbolic of the bridging between the past and future, the university says. The new name also preserves the institution’s nickname, “The W,” the loss of which alumni said was one of the most upsetting aspects of the original proposed change to Brightwell.
“We are grateful to our alumni and friends of the university for reminding us that our identity as ‘The W’ has both an enduring legacy and the flexibility to carry our institution into the future,” university president Nora Miller said at the announcement event. “By enshrining our commitment to ‘The W’ in the law, we promise our community that graduates past, present and future will remain united.”
