The University of Southern Mississippi
Encyclopedia
The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is situated 70 miles (112.7 km) north of Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...

 and 105 miles (169 km) northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

. Southern Miss is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

, specialist
Specialist degree
-The Specialist degree in the Commonwealth of Independent States:The specialist degree was the only first degree in the former Soviet Union and currently is being phased out by the bakalvr's - magister's degrees....

, and doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

.

Founded on March 30, 1910, the school occupies the main campus located in Hattiesburg, and multiple permanent branch campuses: Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, USA. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Stennis Space Center
John C. Stennis Space Center
The John C. Stennis Space Center , located in Hancock County, Mississippi, at the Mississippi-Louisiana border, is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility.- History :...

, Jackson County, Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...

, J.L. Scott Aquarium, Gulf Coast Research Lab and Pontlevoy
Pontlevoy
-Geography:Pontlevoy is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.The village of Pontlevoy is 14 miles southwest of Blois, in the department of Loir-et-Cher, the eastern part of Touraine. It is a 20 minute drive from the chateaux of Amboise, Cheverny, Chaumont or Chenonceau, and...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

The University has a particularly extensive "study abroad" program through its Center for International Education, and is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the nation for the number of students studying abroad each year. It is particularly noted for its flagship British Studies program, which regularly sends over 200 students each summer to live and study in the heart of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The University is also home to a major polymer science research center, and one of the strongest fine arts programs in the southeastern United States.

Originally called the Mississippi Southerners, the Southern Miss athletic teams became the Golden Eagles
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....

 in 1972. The school’s colors, black and gold, were selected by a student body vote shortly after the school was founded, and while mascots, names, customs, and the campus have changed, the black and gold colors have remained constant.

Institution

The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive research university and holds a "Carnegie Doctoral Research Extensive" designation. The University's primary mission is "to cultivate intellectual development and creativity through the generation, dissemination, application, and preservation of knowledge." Southern Miss is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and its programs are fully accredited by 30 state and national agencies.

Southern Miss offers approximately 189 programs leading to baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctorate degrees. A faculty of about 715 serves 14,096 undergraduate and 3,158 graduate students, with a total enrollment of 17,254 according to school numbers for Fall 2010. Southern Miss has traditionally drawn many of its students from Mississippi schools and community colleges, hailing from every county in Mississippi, though today the majority of undergraduates come from public schools across the southern United States and around the globe. The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra has over 90 members (including undergraduate and graduate students) from the United States and 14 other countries.

The University of Southern Mississippi offers more than 250 clubs and organizations, as well as intramural athletics and special events. Student organizations at Southern Miss include the Student Government Association, The Legacy, The Student Printz (the biweekly student-produced newspaper), The Southerner (the yearbook), Southern Style (the University's student orientation team), national fraternities and sororities, honor societies, and various religious organizations. Southern Miss has over 300 cultural events every year. In addition, the school participates in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

's Division I-A, and Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

 featuring year-round athletics in 17 sports.

The institution's strengths include its large research endowment, its emphasis on accreditation at the departmental and college level, its respected music and art programs, and its athletic prowess. Several degree programs at the University rank among the best of their kind in the nation. The New York Times Book Review rates the University's Center for Writers as one of the Top 10 in the country, and the Polymer Science and Engineering department is consistently ranked among the nation's top 10 by U.S. News and World Report. The School of Communications is ranked among the top ten programs in the nation, according to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, and Southern Miss is one of only thirty percent of business schools in the nation accredited by the AACSB International Association for Management Education.

Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders, a 1969 graduate of USM, was selected as the ninth president of the University in April 2007, giving her the distinction of becoming the first woman to hold that post.http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070406/NEWS/704060378

Organization

The University of Southern Mississippi is governed by the University President along with the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learnin. The President of The University of Southern Mississippi is the day-to-day administrator of Southern Miss and is appointed by and responsible to the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board.

The University is organized into five colleges, offering academic programs of study in:
  • College of Arts and Letters
  • College of Business
  • College of Education and Psychology
  • College of Health
  • College of Science and Technology


In addition to its five academic colleges, The University of Southern Mississippi also offers the following programs:
  • George R. Olliphant Honors College
  • Graduate Studies
  • International Studies Program
  • Fully Online Programs: Master of Science in Sport Management and Master of Science in Sport Coaching Education
  • DuBard School for Language Disorders

History

Mississippi Normal College, eventually renamed The University of Southern Mississippi, was founded on March 30, 1910 to train educators. The college's first president, Joseph Anderson Cook, presided over the opening session of instruction on September 18, 1912 and oversaw the construction of College Hall (the academic building); Forrest County Hall (men’s and married students’ dormitory); Hattiesburg Hall (women’s dormitory); the Industrial Cottage (training laboratory for home management); and the president’s home (now the Alumni House). In its first session, Mississippi Normal College had a total enrollment of 876 students.

The school underwent more name changes in 1924, to State Teachers College, and in 1940, after instruction had expanded beyond teacher training, to Mississippi Southern College.

The college's fifth president, State Archivist Dr. William David McCain
William David McCain
William David McCain was a recognized leader of the Mississippi political establishment and a leader in its struggle in the 1950s and 1960s to maintain the segregated "southern way of life" against the forces of integration...

, was installed in 1955 and worked diligently to expand Mississippi Southern College. He oversaw the construction of 17 new structures on campus and convinced Gov. Ross Barnett
Ross Barnett
Ross Robert Barnett was the governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. He was a States' Rights Democrat.- Early life :...

 to give Mississippi Southern College university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 status in 1962. This resulted in a fourth, and final, renaming of the institution to the University of Southern Mississippi.

McCain's administration also superintended the inclusion of African-American students on campus. At the time the school's mascot was the Southerners and was represented by "General Forrest" on the field.

In a period when pressure was growing nationally to integrate the state’s institutions of higher learning, he was well known to vehemently oppose the prospect of having any black students at Mississippi Southern. In recognition of this, in 1964 James Meredith
James Meredith
James H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...

 made his attempt to enter Ole Miss rather than Southern, thinking success more likely there.

Indeed, when Clyde Kennard
Clyde Kennard
Clyde Kennard was a Civil Rights pioneer and martyr, born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In the 1950s, he attempted several times to enroll at Mississippi Southern College to complete his undergraduate degree started at University of Chicago...

, a black Korean War veteran attempted to enroll at Mississippi Southern in the late 1950s, McCain made major efforts with the state political establishment and local black leaders to prevent it. As a result, Kennard was twice arrested on tromped-up criminal charges and eventually sentenced to seven years in the state prison.

Dr. McCain’s direct involvement in this abuse of the justice system is unclear. He was certainly as aware as other intimate members of the state political establishment were as to how fraudulent and bogus the charges were but made no public objection.

At the very time McCain was so forcefully seeking to keep Clyde Kennard out of Mississippi Southern, he made a trip to Chicago sponsored by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, where he explained the reality of Mississippi life saying that those blacks who sought to desegregate Southern schools were "imports" from the North. Kennard was, in fact, a native and resident of Hattiesburg.

"We insist that educationally and socially, we maintain a segregated society. ... In all fairness, I admit that we are not encouraging Negro voting," he said. "The Negroes prefer that control of the government remain in the white man's hands."

By the fall of 1965 both Ole Miss and Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...

 had been integrated – the former violently, the latter peacefully. University of Southern Mississippi leaders, such as President McCain, had come to realize that the battle to maintain segregation was lost. Therefore, they made extensive confidential plans for the admission and attendance of their first black students. A faculty guardian and tutor was secretly appointed for each. The same campus police department which six years before had attempted to railroad Kennard to prison when he attempted to enroll, now had very strict orders to prevent or quickly stop any incident involving the two black students. Student athletic, fraternity, and political leaders were recruited to keep the calm and protect the university from such bad publicity as Ole Miss had suffered from its reaction to James Meredith
James Meredith
James H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...

.

As a result, black students Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong
Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong
Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong was a black Mississippi pioneer in the African-American Civil Rights Movement . In September, 1965, she and Raylawni Branch, both local natives, integrated the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg...

 and Raylawni Branch
Raylawni Branch
Mrs. Raylawni Branch is a black Mississippi pioneer of the African-American Civil Rights Movement ,professional nursing educator and US Air Force Reserve officer...

 were enrolled without incident in September, 1965.[1].

In 1972, the Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus was founded and the university athletic teams were renamed from the “Southerners” to the “Golden Eagles.” By the time McCain retired in 1975, enrollment had climbed to 11,000 students.

In the years following McCain's campus transformation, the University of Southern Mississippi continued to expand dramatically. Notable changes included: replacement of the quarter system with the semester system, creation of the Polymer Science Institute, reorganization of the university’s 10 schools into six colleges, affiliation with Conference USA, establishment of the School of Nursing as a college; the implementation of online classes; and an expansion of the Gulf Coast campus.

Presidents

  • Joseph Anderson "Joe" Cook - 1912-1928
  • Claude Bennett - 1928-1933
  • Dr. Jennings Burton George - 1933-1945
  • Dr. Robert Cecil Cook - 1945-1954
  • Dr. Richard Aubrey McLemore (acting president) - 1955
  • Dr. William David McCain - 1955-1975

  • Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas - 1975-1996
  • Dr. Horace Weldon Fleming, Jr. - 1997-2001
  • Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas (interim president) - 2001-2002
  • Dr. Shelby Freeland Thames - 2002-2007
  • Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders - 2007–Present


Recent developments

The beginning of the 21st century at Southern Miss saw growth, in the person of Dr. Shelby Thames. The tenure of Shelby Thames was characterized by a significant increase in the quantity of research being done at the University. USM was assigned the "Doctoral / Research Extensive" designation by the Carnegie Foundation during the Thames era, a category that includes the largest, most important research universities in the nation, which number approximately 150. The most recent figures indicate that annual research funding entering the University exceeds $100 million per year. Dr. Thames has been praised by many, including the faculty, for his response to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The October, 2005 meeting of the Faculty Senate of the Gulf Park campus, for example, passed an official resolution of appreciation, and the Hattiesburg American reported that his post-Katrina address to the faculty at Hattiesburg was well-received. Furthermore, no University employees were released in the aftermath of the storm, although the Gulf Park campus alone sustained over $100 million in damage. Such was not the case at Tulane University, for example, where approximately 25% of the staff was released, and significant athletic and academic programs- including the Computer Science major and most engineering programs- were dropped.

The Thames administration has presided over the financing and execution of several construction projects on the campus, often in partnership with private-sector entities. A new addition to the student union holds the second-largest Barnes and Noble store in the southern U.S., for instance, and Barnes and Noble pays $1.5 million in annual rent on this facility. Thames also negotiated a financially favorable food services agreement with Aramark (who will donate $9 million to University construction projects). Other enhancements to the campus realized under Dr. Thames include the upscale Power House restaurant (at an old college power plant), the $15 million sorority village, additions to the football, basketball, and baseball facilities, and many enhancements designed to make the campus generally more open, green, and pedestrian-friendly.

In at least one obvious way, though, the overall academic reputation of the University suffered under Thames, and improved when he left. The University experienced an unexpected, highly-publicized drop from "Tier 3" to "Tier 4" in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings beginning in the 2004 edition, a development which roughly coincided with the height of the Shelby Thames controversy. By 2009, Thames was gone, and the University had experienced an atypically large jump back into the upper portion of "Tier 3.". In the 2011 U.S. News and World Report College ranking USM is in the "Tier 2".

USM ranks highly in the college rankings developed by Washington Monthly, a persistent critic of the U.S. News and World Report rankings. In these rankings, which attempt to make a more holistic assessment of an institution's value, USM ranks 98th out of 245 doctoral institutions. This is the highest ranking of any school in Mississippi. A January 2006 college ranking list created by a graduate student at Stanford University based on Google hits also ranks Southern Miss rather high- 62nd out of over 1700 U.S. institutions.

Campus and student life

Semesters at the university run from August to December and January to May, with a 10-week summer session. There are also two four-week accelerated summer terms.

In Fall 2006, The University of Southern Mississippi dedicated a 4-story, multi-million dollar addition to its R.C. Cook University Union. The Thad Cochran Center is now home to a 2-story Barnes & Noble Bookstore (proclaimed to be the largest college bookstore in the Southeastern U.S.), three ballrooms, a stadium-style theater(currently unfinished), student organization offices, and Southern Miss Dining and Fresh Foods Company. There are also several meeting rooms held within the union complex. The Union and Programs team hosts over a thousand events each year.

At nearly 300, Southern Miss' student organizations appeal to a wide spectrum of interests and are categorized under the following areas: Business, Education and Psychology, the Arts, Games and Athletics, Graduate Studies, Greek Life, Health and Human Sciences, Honors Societies, Liberal Arts, the Military, Religious Life, Residence Halls, Community Service, and Science and Technology. The largest organizations based on student membership include the: Student Government Association, African-American Student Organization, University Activities Council, The Legacy Student Alumni Association, and Baptist Student Union.

Gulf Park campus

The University’s presence on the Mississippi Gulf Coast began in 1947 when then Mississippi Southern College first organized classes at Van Hook Hall, Methodist Camp Grounds, in Biloxi. In 1958, classroom space and facilities moved to Mary L. Michael Junior High School in Biloxi. To meet the educational needs of various occupational fields and interests along the Gulf Coast, the University relocated in 1964 to Keesler Air Force Base. Classroom facilities were obtained for night classes from the Jefferson Davis campus of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College; the addition was called the USM Harrison County Resident Center.

In September 1966, Southern Miss further extended its offerings by adding the Jackson County Resident Center, located on the Jackson County campus of the MGCCC
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College consists of four campuses and four centers: the main campus, located in Perkinston, Mississippi; the Jackson County Campus, in Gautier; the Jefferson Davis Campus, in Gulfport; the Community Campus, a non-traditional campus without walls; the George County...

 in Gautier. The Jackson County Center was built for the University by the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, largely through the efforts of Dr. Shelby Thames when he was executive vice president of USM. The center was constructed with the hope that all four years of a number of degrees would be located in Jackson County through USM and MGCCC. Today, that wish is a reality.
In March 1972, the USM Harrison County Resident Center program was moved from the Jefferson Davis campus of MGCCC to the campus of the former Gulf Park College for Women, located on Highway 90 in Long Beach
Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, USA. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. Gulf Park was a two-year private school founded by Col. J.C. Hardy, who also founded the Gulf Coast Military Academy. The school opened for classes September 10, 1921, and held its final commencement May 29, 1971. The school’s closing was attributed to the sagging economy, damage inflicted by Hurricane Camille in 1969, and the increasing ability of community colleges to provide quality education at a low cost.

In July 1972, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning established the USM Gulf Park and Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...

 Center as an upper-level degree completion regional campus of the University, offering programs leading to degrees at the baccalaureate and graduate levels. On August 19, 2002, Southern Miss admitted its first class of freshmen on its Gulf Park Campus, making the university the only comprehensive university in the state with dual-campus status.

Today, the Gulf Park campus serves as the central campus for several teaching centers, including:
  • The Keesler Center, located on Keesler Air Force Base, provides courses for military personnel as well as the civilian community.


Prominent historic landmarks at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach are:
  • Hardy Hall—A three-story stucco building named for the school’s founder, Col. J.C. Hardy. Hardy Hall is one of the original buildings; its architectural style is Spanish Mission.

  • Friendship Oak
    Friendship Oak (Long Beach, Mississippi)
    Friendship Oak is a 500-year-old southern live oak located on the Gulf Park campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Long Beach, Mississippi...

    : This huge live oak tree, that adorns the lawns of Hardy Hall and the Administration Building, dates from approximately 1487. The earliest available reference to the moniker Friendship Oak is found in an article written by the late Bob Davis, correspondent for the New York Sun, who described the tree in his book, People, People, Everywhere, published in 1936.


In addition, other USM units in the Gulf Coast region are the elements of the College of Marine Sciences; the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs; the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Point Cadet in Biloxi; the Hydrographic Science Research Center; and the Center for Marine Sciences at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.

In February 2000, the IHL approved the University’s concept of Gateway to the Gulf, a complex that will be located at Point Cadet and encompass a new marine sciences education facility to replace the existing structure, a public aquarium and other attractions designed to create a destination site for visitors to the region.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 caused about $115 million in damage to Gulf Park and lead to the relocation of classes to a healthcare facility in Gulfport, Healthmark Center (1520 Broad Avenue, Gulfport, MS). As of July 2006, USM Gulf Park is still being rebuilt. The Friendship Oak, however, has survived this storm as it survived Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane during the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. The second of three catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century , which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River...

 and countless lesser storms that have hit the area.

Residential housing

The University of Southern Mississippi has 14 residence halls and about 5,000 students live on campus throughout the school year.

Freshman Quad Residence Halls:
  • Bolton Hall, traditional residence hall housing upper-class females.
  • Jones Hall, a traditional residence hall housing freshman men.
  • Pulley Hall, a traditional residence hall housing freshman women.
  • Roberts Hall, a traditional residence hall housing freshman men.
  • Wilber Hall, a traditional residence hall housing freshman women.


Triad Complex Residence Halls:
  • Hattiesburg Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing male residents with a certain GPA.
  • Hickman Hall, a traditional residence hall housing freshman female students & offices for Housing & Residence Life.
  • Mississippi Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing female residents with a certain GPA.


Upper-Class Residence Halls:
  • Hillcrest Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing upper-class women.
  • McCarty Hall, a super-suite style residence hall housing upper-class men.


Special Housing:
  • Pinehaven, a complex featuring apartment-style housing for families and graduate students.
  • The Village, a community-style living area that houses the current National Panhellenic Conference sororities and the National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities, as well as Upperclass Scholarship, Nursing, and Athletic women.
  • Century Park, a community-style living area that houses Honors College students and Luckyday and Leadership scholars.

Publications and media

  • The Student Printz, the university's student-run newspaper, is published twice a week during the fall and spring semesters.
  • The Southerner is the University's full-color yearbook publication.
  • WUSM FM 88.5 is the 3000-watt Southern Miss public radio FM station, located on the first floor of Southern Hall.
  • Mississippi Review is a quarterly published journal that features fiction, poetry, and essays.
  • The Drawl, a publication that the highlights the traditions and history of Southern Miss. Incoming Golden Eagles are given a copy of The Drawl their first week of school.
  • The Talon, a quarterly magazine that keeps alumni and friends abreast of the latest Southern Miss news and events.

Libraries

  • The Cook Library, located on the Hattiesburg campus, contains the principal collections of books, periodicals, microforms, government documents and other materials which directly support the instructional programs of The University of Southern Mississippi at all levels.
  • The McCain Library and Archives houses the Library's Special Collections and University Archives on the Hattiesburg campus. Collections include the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection as well as a remarkable collection of Mississippi oral history, manuscripts, and civil war materials.
  • The Gulf Coast Library, located on the Long Beach campus, is part of the University Libraries serving the Gulf Coast campuses (Gulf Park, Keesler, and Jackson County campuses). This state-of-the-art library is the only comprehensive university library on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and provides students with a wealth of library resources and media collections.
  • The Gunter Library is located at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), Ocean Springs, MS campus. The Library provides technical information for the research staff, resident faculty and students, and visitors. Included are files of abstracts and reprints, books and journals, expedition reports, dissertations, and reference works. Special book collections support the academic program of the Laboratory. The Gunter Library is a unique resource designed to support research, education, and service in the marine sciences.

Mardi Gras holiday

The University of Southern Mississippi is one of the few universities to allow a two-day holiday each year for Mardi Gras. Currently, the University does not hold classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many USM students expressed a desire for the holiday, due to the University's proximity to New Orleans and its close ties to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where Mardi Gras is celebrated with a devotion that rivals the annual New Orleans celebration. In 1981, Ken Stribling, who was at the time serving his first of two years as president of USM's student body, organized a student drive to institute a holiday that would occur annually on Fat Tuesday. After the University's Calendar Committee refused to allow the hoilday, Stribling appealed the decision to USM President Aubrey Lucas. At an annual Christmas celebration at USM in December 1981, Lucas made a surprise announcement that USM would try the holiday on Fat Tuesday in 1982 to see how it worked. Stribling made a similar effort in 1982, and Lucas again allowed the holiday for Fat Tuesday in 1983. The next year, the holiday for Fat Tuesday was made a permanent part of the University's calendar.

Subsequent efforts by the University's student government in 2003 led to the addition of the Monday before Ash Wednesday as part of the Mardi Gras Holiday, creating a two-day holiday for the event. While many USM students attend Mardi Gras during the holiday each year, the majority of students spend the four-day weekend preparing for mid-term exams or visiting loved ones at home. Regardless, the Mardi Gras Holiday has become a recruiting tool and an enjoyed novelty at Southern Miss.

Athletics

The Golden Eagles have excelled in all areas of athletics. Southern Miss has captured national titles twice in football and once in track and field. The Golden Eagle baseball is two time Conference USA champions and have been invited to ten regional NCAA tournaments and also a trip to the College World Series. USM basketball is a one time champion of the NIT tournament.

Fine arts

Southern Miss is also the only institution within Mississippi, and one of only a dozen universities in America, to hold accreditation in all four fine arts emphasis areas: art, dance, theatre and music. The Southern Miss Wind Ensemble has a considerable reputation, as does the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, which has performed with such figures as singer Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

, cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...

, violinist Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...

, violinist Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell
Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist.-Childhood:Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, the son of a psychologist and a therapist. Bell's father is the late Alan P...

, flautist James Galway
James Galway
- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...

, trumpet player Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...

, and tenor Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...

. In the past few years, the Southern Chorale, the university's top choir, has come into national and international prominence. The Southern Miss Pride of Mississippi Marching Band
Pride of Mississippi Marching Band
The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band is the marching band of The University of Southern Mississippi.Founded in 1920, the 20-piece brass ensemble has evolved to its current number of 300. Having performed for such events as the F.D.R...

has performed at such events as the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter. The Department of Theatre and Dance has been active in the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Several productions from the University of Southern Mississippi have been selected for performance at the Region IV (Southeast) festival; two productions (Catfish Moon & The Rimers of Eldritch) have been invited to the national KC/ACTF festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

.

Notable campus landmarks

  • The District is located near the intersection of US Highway 49 and Hardy Street. The historic district of campus is anchored by the five original buildings of the campus: Ogletree Alumni House, The Honor House, College Hall, Forrest Hall, and Hattiesburg Hall. It is also the traditional tailgating site for students during football season. It is home to Lake Byron, which has served as a focal point for many university activities and several weddings.
  • The All-American Rose Garden is one of two All-American Gardens in the state. The garden at Southern Miss was developed by the Hattiesburg Area Rose Society in 1972 through the leadership of the late William Wicht, a Hattiesburg resident who served as the first president of HARS. A memorial to Wicht's efforts to make the garden a reality is located next to the garden. Since its official dedication in 1974, the Southern Miss rose garden has received numerous awards for maintenance and display. Many a student has tried to impress his sweetheart by picking a rose, which if caught, carries a fine of up to 500 dollars.
  • The Eagle Walk is found underneath the upper deck of M.M. Roberts Stadium. Two hours prior to football game day, a cannon is fired, which begins the procession. ROTC, The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, University officials, and football players make a march through this street to the cheers of thousands of fans. Every fall, the incoming freshman give the walls and street a "fresh coat of paint" as they have done for half a century.
  • The Dome is a nickname for the Lucas Administration building found at the Hardy Street entrance to campus. It is so named due to the large cupola at the peak of the roof. Originally, it was an orange color of copper. This faded to a dull green over the years. In 2001, a restoration project was undertaken which painted the dome back to its original copper color. Currently, it houses the offices of the president, vice president and other supporting staff.
  • Shoemaker Square is an expanse of land formed near The Hub and the Walker Science Building Quad. The bricked fountain is focal point of the "Friday Night At the Fountain", a student led pep rally prior to Saturday football games. The fountain has been tainted with soap suds by pranksters on many occasions.
  • The Little Rock can be found in the historic district of campus. It is traditional painted weekly and is used to promote various campus athletic, academic and fine art events. Occasionally, it can be found to be painted with logos of secret societies that exist on campus.

Alumni

See all Notable Alumni of The University of Southern Mississippi.

Entertainment
  • Jennifer Adcock
    Jennifer Adcock
    Jennifer Leigh Adcock is a beauty queen from Hattiesburg, Mississippi who has competed at Miss America and Miss USA.Adcock won her first pageant in 1998 when she became Mississippi’s Junior Miss and competed in the nationally televised America's Junior Miss Pageant, where she won the Overall...

     - Miss Mississippi
    Miss Mississippi
    :For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Mississippi USAMiss Mississippi is a scholarship pageant and a preliminary of Miss America. The contest began in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958, and provides more money than any other scholarship pageant in the Miss America...

    , Miss Mississippi USA
    Miss Mississippi USA
    The Miss Mississippi USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Mississippi in the Miss USA pageant.Mississippi has not been very successful in Miss USA pageants, with only 10 placements as of 2010...

    , Top 10 of Miss USA
    Miss USA
    The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...

  • Jimmy Buffett
    Jimmy Buffett
    James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

     ’69 - Singer, Songwriter, and author
  • Cat Cora
    Cat Cora
    Catherine "Cat" Cora is a Greek-American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America.-Early life:...

     - Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef America
    Iron Chef America
    Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...

     on Food Network
    Food Network
    Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....

  • Gary Grubbs
    Gary Grubbs
    Gary Grubbs is an American actor.Grubbs has several film and television credits to his name, including his portrayal of attorney Al Oser in Oliver Stone's JFK....

     ’72 – actor, JFK
    JFK (film)
    JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...

    , The Astronaut's Wife
    The Astronaut's Wife
    The Astronaut's Wife is a 1999 science fiction/thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron.-Plot:...

    , the O. C., Will & Grace
    Will & Grace
    Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...

  • Cooper Huckabee
    Cooper Huckabee
    Cooper Huckabee is an film and television actor.-Early life:Huckabee attended Davidson High School in Mobile, Alabama. At USM, he received an Athletic Administration Degree.-Acting career:...

     - actor
  • Clifton Hyde
    Clifton Hyde
    Clifton Hyde is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer currently working from and residing in New York City....

    , musician, Blue Man Group
    Blue Man Group
    Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...

    , various others
  • Nan Kelley
    Nan Kelley
    Nan Kelley is a former Miss Mississippi who later became a host and correspondent for the Great American Country cable television network.-Early life and career:...

     - host of Grand Ole Opry Live, GAC
    Great American Country
    Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.-History:The station launched December 31, 1995 and Garth Brooks' video "The Thunder Rolls" was the first video to air on GAC....

     Network, Miss Mississippi
    Miss Mississippi
    :For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Mississippi USAMiss Mississippi is a scholarship pageant and a preliminary of Miss America. The contest began in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958, and provides more money than any other scholarship pageant in the Miss America...

  • Tom Malone
    Tom Malone (musician)
    Tom "Bones" Malone is an American jazz musician. As his nickname implies, he specializes on the trombone, but also plays trumpet, tuba, tenor sax, baritone sax, flutes, piccolo, and other instruments....

     - Musician, CBS Orchestra - Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...

    , Blues Brothers Band
  • Breanne Ponder - Miss Mississippi USA 2010
  • Suzanne Shows Duckworth - Mrs. Mississippi 2009
  • Tom Smith
    Tom Smith
    - Sports :* R. Thomas "Tom" Smith , American thoroughbred racehorse trainer of Seabiscuit* Tom Smith , Major League player* Tom Smith , Major League player...

    - musician, Fulbright dignitary, author
  • Nanette Workman
    Nanette Workman
    Nanette Joan Workman is today a singer-songwriter, actress and author who has been based in Quebec, Canada during much of her career. She was raised by musician parents in Jackson, Mississippi where she began her first performances. She mainly performs in French although raised as a native...

     - singer


Journalism
  • Sally-Ann Roberts
    Sally-Ann Roberts
    Sally-Ann Roberts is an anchorwoman for WWL-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been part of the news team since March 1977 and has co-anchored the "Eyewitness Morning News" with Eric Paulsen for over twenty five years...

     - Anchorwoman for WWL-TV
    WWL-TV
    WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...

     in New Orleans
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

    , Louisiana
    Louisiana
    Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

  • Natalie Allen - Host of "Forecast Earth" on The Weather Channel
    The Weather Channel
    The Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...

  • Ed Hinton
    Ed Hinton
    Edward Talmage "Ed" Hinton is currently a senior motorsports columnist for ESPN.com.Hinton attended the University of Mississippi and later The University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, graduating in 1970. He began working for the covering the NASCAR racing...

     '70 - Sportswriter
  • Scott Walker - Anchor for WDSU-TV in New Orleans
  • Kathleen Koch - Correspondent, CNN
    CNN
    Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

  • Chuck Scarborough
    Chuck Scarborough
    Charles Bishop "Chuck" Scarborough III is an American television journalist and author. Since 1974 Scarborough has been the lead male news anchor at WNBC-TV, the New York City-based flagship station of the NBC Television Network, and has also appeared on NBC News. He currently co-anchors with...

     - Emmy award-winning anchor at WNBC-TV in New York City
    New York City
    New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

     and author
  • Clymer Wright
    Clymer Wright
    Clymer Lewis Wright. Jr. , was a Texas conservative political activist and a crusading journalist later credited with bringing term limits to Houston municipal government and encouraging Ronald W...

     - Editor of Fort Bend Reporter in Fort Bend County
    Fort Bend County, Texas
    Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...

    , Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

    ; later conservative political activist in Houston
    Houston, Texas
    Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...



Science and technology
  • Robert Hyatt
    Robert Hyatt
    Dr. Robert Hyatt is an Associate Professor of Computer science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences . He is the author of the computer chess program Crafty and the co-author of Cray Blitz, a two-time winner of the World Computer Chess...

     '83 - Author of Cray Blitz
    Cray Blitz
    Cray Blitz was a computer chess program written by Robert Hyatt, Harry Nelson, and Albert Gower to run on the Cray supercomputer. It was derived from "Blitz" a program that Hyatt started to work on as an undergraduate. "Blitz" played its first move in the fall of 1968, and was developed...

     a World Chess Champion Computer Program
  • Robert L. Stewart
    Robert L. Stewart
    Robert Lee Stewart is a retired Brigadier General of the United States Army and former NASA astronaut.-Personal:Stewart was born August 13, 1942, in Washington, D.C.. He graduated from Hattiesburg High School, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 1960...

     '64 - Former NASA
    NASA
    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

     Astronaut and retired Army brigadier general


Government and education
  • Phil Bryant '77 - Lieutenant Governor, State of Mississippi
  • Evelyn Gandy
    Evelyn Gandy
    Edythe Evelyn Gandy was an American politician who was the first female elected to a statewide office in Mississippi– that of Treasurer for the State of Mississippi...

     - Politician, First female to serve in several Mississippi state governmental positions
  • Oseola McCarty
    Oseola McCarty
    Oseola McCarty was a local washerwoman in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who became The University of Southern Mississippi’s most famous benefactor....

     '98 (honorary degree) - The University's most humble and famous benefactor
  • Martha Dunagin Saunders
    Martha Dunagin Saunders
    Martha Dunagin Saunders is an American academic official and the ninth and current president of The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Saunders was elected to the post in April 2007 and replaced embattled president Dr. Shelby F. Thames. Dr. Saunders, a 1969 alumna of USM, became the first...

     '69 - President, The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...

  • James W. Smith, Jr.
    James W. Smith, Jr.
    The Hon. James W. Smith, Jr. is an American judge who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from March 2004 until 2008.-References:...

     '65 - Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Mississippi
    Supreme Court of Mississippi
    The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was created in the first constitution of the state following its admission as a State of the Union in 1817. Initially it was known as the "High Court of Errors and Appeals." The Court is an appellate court, as...

  • Gene Taylor '80 (Graduate Studies) - former U.S. Representative, Mississippi's 4th Congressional District
  • Major General Walter H. Yates, Jr.
    Walter H. Yates, Jr.
    Major General Walter H. Yates, Jr. is a retired United States Army officer who served as Deputy Commanding General Fifth United States Army. He is a native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi and graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Foreign...

  • William Chong Wong '72 - A Delta Sigma Pi fellow and current Secretary of Finance for the country of Honduras
    Honduras
    Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...



Sports
  • John Bale - MLB pitcher, Kansas City Royals
    Kansas City Royals
    The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

  • Michael Boley
    Michael Boley
    Michael Boley is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Miss.-Early years:Boley played high school football for Elkmont High...

     - NFL Linebacker, New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Jeff Bower - Former head football coach, The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...

  • Chad Bradford
    Chad Bradford
    Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...

     -Former MLB pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays
    Tampa Bay Rays
    The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

  • Jeremy Bridges
    Jeremy Bridges
    Jeremy Eugene Bridges is an American football guard for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...

     - NFL Lineman, Arizona Cardinals
    Arizona Cardinals
    The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Steve Broussard - Former NFL Punter, Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

  • Mack Brown
    Mack Brown
    William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...

     - (Grad Degree '76) Head Football Coach - University of Texas Longhorns
  • Kyle Burkhart
    Kyle Burkhart
    Kyle Burkhart is an American football tackle for the free agent of the National Football League. He is from Kinsley, KS.-High school career:...

     - NFL Offensive Lineman - Seattle Seahawks
    Seattle Seahawks
    The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

  • Reggie Collier
    Reggie Collier
    Reginald C. Collier is a former professional American football player. Best known as a dynamic college football star, Collier had a short-lived professional career in both the United States Football League and National Football League.Collier played collegiate football as a quarterback for the The...

     - First NCAA quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards, and pass for 1,000 yards in the same season
  • Rod Davis - NFL Linebacker, Minnesota Vikings
    Minnesota Vikings
    The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

  • Jim Davenport
    Jim Davenport
    James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...

     - MLB infielder and manager
  • Demar Dotson
    Demar Dotson
    Demar Dotson is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-External links:**...

     - NFL Offensive Lineman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

  • John Eubanks
    John Eubanks
    John Eubanks is a professional American and Canadian football cornerback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

     - NFL Defensive back/Return Man, Washington Redskins
    Washington Redskins
    The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

  • Brett Favre
    Brett Favre
    Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...

     - Pro-Bowl and three-time Most Valuable Player NFL quarterback, (Retired) Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

     New York Jets
    New York Jets
    The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

     Minnesota Vikings
    Minnesota Vikings
    The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

  • Don Fuell
    Don Fuell
    Donald Lee Fuell an American-born football quarterback. College scouts began seeking his services when he was in the 10th grade at Marshall County High School in rural Alabama....

     - CFL Defensive Back, Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts
    The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

  • Ray Guy
    Ray Guy
    William Ray Guy is a retired American football punter for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Coming from the University of Southern Mississippi, he was the only pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft when the Oakland Raiders selected him in 1973.Guy was a key member of...

     (1973) - NFL punter and college football hall of famer
  • Bobby Hamilton - NFL defensive end, New York Jets
    New York Jets
    The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Don Hultz
    Don Hultz
    William Donald Hultz is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League. He is the child of Wilfred R. and Faye Hultz....

     (1962) - NFL defensive player, Minnesota Vikings
    Minnesota Vikings
    The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

    , Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles
    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

    , Chicago Bears
    Chicago Bears
    The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Glen Howe- Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     in the 9th Round of the 1984 NFL Draft
    1984 NFL Draft
    The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...

    .
  • Maxie Lambright
    Maxie Lambright
    -References:...

     - Former head football coach, Louisiana Tech
    Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
    The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...

  • Mike Landrum - NFL Tight End, Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Cliff Lewis
    Cliff Lewis (American football linebacker)
    Cliff Lewis is a former linebacker in the National Football League.-Career:Lewis was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the twelfth round of the 1981 NFL Draft and played four seasons with the team. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Southern Mississippi.-References:...

     - NFL Linebacker, Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

  • Louis Lipps
    Louis Lipps
    Louis Adam Lipps is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL who played his entire nine-season career for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints....

     - Former NFL Pro-Bowl Wide Receiver and 1984 AFC Rookie of the Year, Pittsburgh Steelers
    Pittsburgh Steelers
    The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

  • Chris Long
    Chris Long (basketball coach)
    -References:...

     - Former women's basketball coach, Louisiana Tech
    Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
    The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...

  • Don Maestri
    Don Maestri
    Don Maestri is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach of the Troy University Trojans. He has held the same position since 1982 and is one of five current coaches to have coached the same team during its school's move from NCAA Division II to Division I...

     - Head Basketball Coach, Troy University
    Troy University
    Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...

  • Larry Mason
    Larry Mason
    Larry Mason is a former running back in the National Football League and the United States Football League.-Career:Mason was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL in 1984 and 1985. He then joined the Cleveland Browns during the 1987 NFL season...

     - NFL Running Back, Cleveland Browns
    Cleveland Browns
    The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

  • Kelly McCarty
    Kelly McCarty
    Kelly Deshawn McCarty is a naturalized Russian professional basketball player, originally from the United States . He currently plays with UNICS Kazan of the VTB United League....

     - American professional basketball player in Europe, former NBA player for the Denver Nuggets
    Denver Nuggets
    The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

  • Ryan McKee
    Ryan McKee
    Ryan McKee is an American football offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.- Early years :McKee attended Daphne High School, Alabama, and was a...

     - NFL Offensive Lineman - St. Louis Rams
    St. Louis Rams
    The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

  • Gerald McRath
    Gerald McRath
    Gerald McRath is an American football linebacker. He currently plays for the Tennessee Titans. McRath played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles....

     - NFL Linebacker - Tennessee Titans
    Tennessee Titans
    The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

  • Shawn Nelson
    Shawn Nelson (American football)
    Shawn Nelson is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. Nelson was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi....

     - NFL tight end - Buffalo Bills
    Buffalo Bills
    The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Tyrone Nix - Defensive Coordinator, University of Mississippi
    University of Mississippi
    The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...

  • Todd Pinkston
    Todd Pinkston
    Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...

     - NFL Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles
    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Jeff Posey
    Jeff Posey
    Jeffery Lavell Posey is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1998...

     - NFL Linebacker, Washington Redskins
    Washington Redskins
    The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

  • Pat Rapp
    Pat Rapp
    Patrick Leland Rapp is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.Rapp attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round of the 1989 amateur draft. He played all or part of ten seasons in the majors, from 1992 to...

    - MLB Pitcher, Florida Marlins
    Florida Marlins
    The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

  • Patrick Surtain
    Patrick Surtain
    Patrick Frank Surtain is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

     '98 - NFL Defensive Back, Miami Dolphins
    Miami Dolphins
    The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs
    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

  • Adalius Thomas
    Adalius Thomas
    Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:...

     - NFL Pro-Bowl Linebacker, New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

  • Clarence Weatherspoon
    Clarence Weatherspoon
    Clarence Weatherspoon, Sr. is a former American professional basketball player in the NBA.After a college career at the University of Southern Mississippi, Weatherspoon was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the ninth pick in the 1992 NBA Draft...

     '93 - former NBA Basketball player (Retired)
  • Terry Wells
    Terry Wells (American football)
    Terry Wells is a former running back in the National Football League. He first played with the Houston Oilers during the 1974 NFL season before playing the following season with the Green Bay Packers.-References:...

     - NFL Running Back, Houston Oilers
    Tennessee Titans
    The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

     and Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

  • Chad Williams
    Chad Williams
    Chad Kelton Williams is an American football safety who played five seasons in the National Football League .He attended college at The University of Southern Mississippi. He played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2002–2005 and San Francisco 49ers in 2006. In his five years in the NFL, Williams...

     - NFL Defensive Back, Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs
    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

  • Sammy Winder
    Sammy Winder
    Sammy Winder is a former professional American football running back who spent his entire professional career playing for the Denver Broncos, from 1982 to 1990....

     - Former NFL Pro-Bowl Running Back, Denver Broncos
    Denver Broncos
    The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...


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