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The University of Southern Mississippi

 
The University of Southern Mississippi

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The University of Southern Mississippi



 
 
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM, but officially referred to as Southern Miss) is a four-year public university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 located primarily in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, known as "The Hub City", is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi and Lamar County, Mississippi Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
.

Established on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi was originally known as Mississippi Normal College, a college for training teachers. Southern Miss has multiple teaching sites that include the in Long Beach
Long Beach, Mississippi

Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area....
, MS
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, 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....
, Jackson County, Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
, J.L.






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The University of Southern Mississippi (USM, but officially referred to as Southern Miss) is a four-year public university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 located primarily in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, known as "The Hub City", is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi and Lamar County, Mississippi Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
.

Established on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi was originally known as Mississippi Normal College, a college for training teachers. Southern Miss has multiple teaching sites that include the in Long Beach
Long Beach, Mississippi

Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area....
, MS
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, 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....
, Jackson County, Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base

Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
, J.L. Scott Aquarium, Gulf Coast Research Lab, and Pontlevoy
Pontlevoy

Pontlevoy is a Communes of France in the Loir-et-Cher Departments of France of central France.The medieval battle of Pontlevoy took place in its neighbourhood....
, France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. The university, through its Center for International Education, operates a number of international programs, 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 of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
.

The university is home to a major , a nationally recognized writer's center and one of the strongest music programs in the southeastern United States. The Southern Miss Wind Ensemble is considered to be among the nation's best, as is , which has performed with such world-renowned figures as singer Ray Charles
Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an United States pianist, singer, and songwriter who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues....
, cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma is a France-born Chinese Americans virtuoso List of cellists and composer and winner of multiple Grammy Awards. He is one of the most revered cello players of the 20th and 21st centuries....
, violinist Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-United States of America violin virtuoso, conducting, and teacher....
, violinist Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell

Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist....
, flutist James Galway
James Galway

Sir James Galway Order of the British Empire is a Northern Ireland–born virtuoso flautist from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man With the Golden Flute"....
, trumpet player Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen

Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an United States popular music and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the Tonight Show Band on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson....
, and tenor Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo

Jos? Pl?cido Domingo Embil Order of the British Empire , better known as Pl?cido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, 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 with invitational performances at the National American Choral Director's Association Conference in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall, and abroad. In 1977 when Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize....
 was sworn in as 39th President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 in Washington, D.C., the Southern Miss Pride of Mississippi Marching Band was invited by him to be present and performed at his ceremony.

Originally called the Mississippi Southerners, in 1971 they became the Golden Eagles
Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Students from The University of Southern Mississippi compete on the athletic field as Golden Eagles, in Conference USA.The school's earliest nickname was Tigers....
. 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 very campus itself have changed through the years, the black and gold colors have remained constant.

Institution

The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive research university; in fact, it 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 is a four-year institution offering approximately 189 programs leading to baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctorate degrees. A faculty of about 715 serves about 13,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students. 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 offers more than 250 clubs and organizations, as well as intramural athletics and special events. Prominent student organizations at Southern Miss include the , , (the biweekly student-produced newspaper), The Southerner (the yearbook), (the University's student ambassadors), national fraternities and sororities, prestigious 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 voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
's Division I-A, and Conference USA
Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
 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.

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 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.

Organization

The University of Southern Mississippi is governed by the University President along with the . 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:


In addition to its five academic colleges, The University of Southern Mississippi also offers the following programs:


History

Adapted from:

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.

Southernmissbeginnings
The college's fifth president, State Archivist Dr. William David McCain, 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 Democratic Party List of Governors of Mississippi of the U.S. state of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964.Born in Standing Pine, Mississippi in Leake County, Mississippi, Barnett was the youngest of ten children of a Confederate Army veteran....
 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 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 beginning in 1965. 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 1956, Clyde Kennard
Clyde Kennard

Clyde Kennard was an African-American student born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who attempted several times to enroll at Mississippi Southern College, still reserved for whites in the segregated 1950s....
, who was African-American, made his first of three attempts to enter The University of Southern Mississippi, then known as Mississippi Southern College. His efforts were rebuffed. On September 6, 1965, Raylawni Young Branch and Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong became the first African-American students to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

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

On May 1, 2002, Dr. Shelby Freland Thames became The University of Southern Mississippi’s eighth president. Thames has an extensive history at Southern Miss, starting as a student in 1955 and earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi. These degrees were in chemistry and organic chemistry, respectively. His previous administrative positions at Southern Miss were chair of the Department of Polymer Science, dean of the College of Science and Technology, vice president for Administration and Regional Campuses, and executive vice president. In 1970, he was the founder of the Department of Polymer Science, and, in 1973, co-founder of the Waterborne and High-Solids Coatings Symposium. He was an inductee, in 1998, to Southern Miss’s Alumni Hall of Fame, and in that same year, the Polymer Science Research Center was named in honor of Dr. Thames and is now known as the Shelby Freland Thames Polymer Science Research Center. During Thames’ presidency, the state college board voted unanimously to establish a second campus for The University of Southern Mississippi, and on August 19, 2002, Southern Miss admitted its first class of freshmen on its Gulf Park Campus.

Thames inherited a university in financial crisis with multi year cuts,some of 5 million dollars, by the state legislature. Twenty years ago, the state of MS funded 80% of operational costs, now only 20%. One of his first moves was to successfully advocate a restructuring the funding formula used by the state College Board. The formula is now based on the number of undergraduates. This change put USM on equal footing with the other comprehensive universities in state for the first time. Another move was to reduce the number of colleges at USM from nine to five. While this was an unpopular move with faculty, the state college board and retired president Dr Lucas endorsed the cost cutting move as reported in the Hattiesburg American.

Controversy erupted on campus when Dr. Thames attempted to fire two tenured professors, locking them out of their offices on March 4, 2004. The backlash from President Thames's actions resulted in a 40-0 vote of no-confidence in Dr. Thames by the Faculty senate. The full faculty responded days later with a vote of 430-32. The Hattiesburg American reported approximately 1,000 students and faculty protested against Dr. Thames in the immediate aftermath of the vote, while approximately 250 students and faculty rallied for Dr. Thames. Impeachment proceedings followed, as well as extensive debate among the public and the members of the state College Board. Eventually, it was agreed that Thames would serve as President until 2007, when he will return to being a professor. The two professors were placed on paid leave for two years, with instructions that they could be fired after their leave ended.

Another minor scandal during Thames' tenure involved the reporting of enrollment. Eventually, a mid-level administrator admitted using an overly simplistic counting methodology for graduate students and was demoted. This controversy was essentially a public relations issue, since the enrollment numbers involved did not have any official bearing on funding.

In a separate incident, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [SACS] placed USM on a one-year accreditation probation in December 2004 because of concerns about distance education programs. The probation was lifted in December 2005. Using open records law, the Hattiesburg American obtained letters from SACS to Dr. Thames dating over several years. These documents indicated that SACS did not express concerns about the distance learning program until December 2004, and that the probation represented a complete surprise to the University.

Dr. Thames has been praised by many, including the faculty, for his response to the destruction wrought by Hurrican 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.

Finally, in addition to controversy and construction, the tenure of Shelby Thames has been characterized by a significant increase in the quality and quantity of research being done at the University. USM was recently assigned the "Doctoral / Research Extensive" designation by the Carnegie Foundation, 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.

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. It is worth noting, however, that USM ranks high 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. The school's Carnegie Foundation categorization is of considerable value to its overall academic standing. In summary, existing measures of institutional quality other than the U.S. News and World Report rankings generally assess the University with high praise.

In the U.S. News and World Report college rankings 2009 edition, the University experienced a jump back to "Tier 3" by a substantial margin passing schools previously ranked ahead of Southern Miss.

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 and Noble Bookstore (proclaimed to be the largest college bookstore in the Southeastern U.S.), a ballroom, a stadium-style theater, student organization offices, and Southern Miss Dining and Fresh Foods Company.

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, Mississippi; the Jackson County Campus, in Gautier, Mississippi; the Jefferson Davis Campus, in Gulfport, Mississippi; the Community Campus, a non-traditional campus without walls; the George County Center...
 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, United States. It is part of the Gulfport, Mississippi–Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan 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, Mississippi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States....
 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.


  • The Jackson County Center, located on Jackson County campus of the MGCCC, offers courses and services for the convenience of students in Jackson County. 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: This huge live oak tree that adorns the lawns of Hardy Hall and the Administration Building dates from approximately 1487. It is about 50 feet high, and the diameter of its trunk is more than five feet. Its trunk’s circumference is more than 18 feet, and the spread of its foliage is 150 feet. 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 the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
 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-level Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century, which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River on the night of Aug...
 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 freshman females and Lucky Day Scholars.
  • 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 & Leadership Scholars.


Triad Complex Residence Halls:
  • Hattiesburg Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing male Honors College residents.
  • Hickman Hall, a traditional residence hall housing the male Luckyday Scholars & offices for Housing & Residence Life.
  • Mississippi Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing female Honors College residents.


Upper-Class Residence Halls:
  • Bond Hall, traditional residence hall housing upper-class males in all private rooms.
  • Elam Arms Hall North, a suite-style residence hall housing upper-class men.
  • Elam Arms Hall South, a suite-style residence hall housing upper-class women.
  • Hillcrest Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing upper-class women.
  • McCarty Hall Men's, a super-suite residence hall housing upper-class men & Y2I.
  • McCarty Hall Women's, a super-suite residence hall housing upper-class women & Y2I.
  • Scott Hall, a traditional residence hall housing upper-class women.
  • Vann Hall, a 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.


Publications and media

  • , the university's student-run newspaper, is published twice a week during the fall and spring semesters.
  • is the University's full-color yearbook publication.
  • is the 3000-watt Southern Miss public radio FM station, located on the first floor of Southern Hall.
  • is a quarterly published journal that features fiction, poetry, and essays.
  • , 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.
  • , a quarterly magazine that keeps alumni and friends abreast of the latest Southern Miss news and events.


Libraries

  • The , 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 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 particular to Southern Miss.

Athletics


The District

The District is located in front of the Alumni House on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi is a four-year state university system university located primarily in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.Established on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi was originally known as Mississippi Normal College, a college for training teachers....
. It has acted as a gathering place for Southern Miss students and alumni since the founding of the university in 1910. Tents are set up as early as the Monday before football games. On gameday, The District becomes a sea of Southern Miss fans as it coupled together with Loyalty Field make up the primary spots for tailgating on the USM Campus. This small part of campus acts as a tangible reminder of Southern Miss' heritage.It is where one can most closely feel the spirit of the University; it is a builder of loyalty and admiration. It is considered an integral part of gameday and listed by many as a necessity of the gameday experience

Alumni


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 Non-finalist Creative and Performing Arts award....
     - Miss Mississippi
    Miss Mississippi

    :For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Mississippi USAMiss Mississippi is a scholarship beauty contest and a preliminary of 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....
    , 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, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his "island escapism" lifestyle and music including hits such as "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday." He has a devoted base of Fan known as "Parrotheads." His band is called the Coral Reefer Band....
     ’69 - Singer, Songwriter, and author
  • Cat Cora
    Cat Cora

    Catherine 'Cat' Cora is an American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America....
     - 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....
     on Food Network
    Food Network

    Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs specials and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns roughly two thirds of the network, and Tribune Company owns the rest....
  • Gary Grubbs
    Gary Grubbs

    Gary Grubbs is an United States actor.Grubbs has several film and television credit to his name, including his portrayal of attorney Al Oser in Oliver Stone's JFK ....
     ’72 – actor, JFK
    JFK (film)

    JFK is an Cinema of the United States directed by Oliver Stone and released on December 20, 1991 in film. It examines the events leading to the John F....
    , The Astronaut's Wife
    The Astronaut's Wife

    The Astronaut's Wife is a 1999 in film science fiction/Thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron....
    , the O. C., Will & Grace
    Will & Grace

    Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award-winning United States television situation comedy that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006....
  • 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....
     - host of Grand Ole Opry Live, GAC
    Great American Country

    Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee-based country music cable television network. 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 beauty contest and a preliminary of Miss America....
  • Tom Malone
    Tom Malone

    Tom Malone may refer to:*Tom Malone , jazz musician*Tom Malone , American football player*Thomas W. Malone, professor at the MIT Sloan School...
     - Musician, CBS Orchestra - Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman

    The Late Show with David Letterman is an American late-night television 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....
    , Blues Brothers Band
  • Brian Holliman - Actor, Movie upcoming G.I Joe, Final Destination 4, College Trip


Journalism

  • Natalie Allen - Host of "Forecast Earth" on The Weather Channel
    The Weather Channel

    The Weather Channel is a commercially-sponsored U.S. cable television and satellite television television network that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news 24 hours a day....
  • Ed Hinton
    Ed Hinton

    Edward Talmage "Ed" Hinton is one of the most well-known and respected motor racing sportswriting in the United States and around the world. He is currently a senior motorsports columnist for ESPN.com....
     '70 - sportswriter
  • Kathleen Koch - Correspondent, CNN
    CNN

    Cable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is a major US Cable News Network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first station to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States....
  • Chuck Scarborough
    Chuck Scarborough

    Charles "Chuck" Scarborough is an American veteran television news anchor. He is currently anchoring solo a new 7 p.m. newscast and co-anchors with Sue Simmons at 6 and 11 p.m....
     - Emmy award-winning anchor at WNBC-TV in New York City
    New York City

    The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
     and author


Science and technology

  • Robert Hyatt
    Robert Hyatt

    Dr. Robert Hyatt is an Associate Professor of Computer science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 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 Championships....
     '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....
     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....
     '64 - Former NASA
    NASA

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
     Astronaut and retired Army brigadier general


Government and education

  • Phil Bryant
    Phil Bryant

    Phil Bryant is an American politician from Mississippi. Bryant is currently the Republican Party Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi, having defeated the Democratic Party candidate, Representative Jamie Franks, in the 2007 general election....
     '77 - Lieutenant Governor, State of Mississippi
  • Evelyn Gandy
    Evelyn Gandy

    Edythe Evelyn Gandy was an United States politician who was the first female elected to a statewide office in Mississippi that of State Treasurer 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 United States academic official and the ninth and current president of The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr....
     '69 - President, The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi

    The University of Southern Mississippi is a four-year state university system university located primarily in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.Established on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi was originally known as Mississippi Normal College, a college for training teachers....
  • James W. Smith, Jr.
    James W. Smith, Jr.

    The Hon. James W. Smith, Jr. is former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. In 2008, he lost re-election to James W. Kitchens.Smith had a minor appearance in the 2006 comedy mockumentary Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan when he was present at the same revival meeting that...
     '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 U.S....
  • Gene Taylor '80 (Graduate Studies) - 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....
  • William Chong Wong '72 - A Delta Sigma Pi fellow and former Secretary of Finance for the country of Honduras
    Honduras

    Honduras is a democratic republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras ....


Sports

  • John Bale
    John Bale

    John Bale was an England churchman, historian and controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English , and developed and published a very extensive list of the works of British authors down to his own time, just as the monastic libraries were being dispersed....
     - 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 American League Central of Major League Baseball's American League....
  • 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....
     - NFL Linebacker, Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons

    The Atlanta Falcons are an American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia . They are currently a member of the NFC South division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • Jeff Bower
    Jeff Bower

    Jeff Bower is an American football coach, most recently at The University of Southern Mississippi. He assumed the role of head coach at Southern Miss on December 2, 1990 and held it for 17 years until November 26, 2007 when he resigned effective after the Papajohns.com Bowl which was played on December 22, 2007....
     - Former head football coach, The University of Southern Mississippi
    The University of Southern Mississippi

    The University of Southern Mississippi is a four-year state university system university located primarily in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.Established on March 30, 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi was originally known as Mississippi Normal College, a college for training teachers....
  • Chad Bradford
    Chad Bradford

    Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is an United States relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball. He is known for his unusual delivery where he releases the Pitch side-arm and very close to the ground....
     - MLB Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays
    Tampa Bay Rays

    The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball franchise based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Florida, and the reigning 2008 American League Championship Series....
  • Jeremy Bridges
    Jeremy Bridges

    Jeremy Bridges is an American football Guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft....
     - NFL Lineman, Carolina Panthers
    Carolina Panthers

    The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing both North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League....
  • Mack Brown
    Mack Brown

    William Mack Brown is head Coach of University of Texas at Austin Texas Longhorn Athletics college football team.Prior to coaching at Texas, Brown coached at Appalachian State University, Tulane University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
     - (Grad Degree '76) Head Football Coach - University of Texas Longhorns
  • 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 USFL and NFL....
     - 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 out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete in the NFC North of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • John Eubanks
    John Eubanks

    John Eubanks is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. 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 based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland....
  • Brett Favre
    Brett Favre

    Brett Lorenzo Favre is a retired American football quarterback of the National Football League . He was the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers between the 1992 Green Bay Packers season and 2007 Green Bay Packers season NFL seasons and the New York Jets in 2008....
     - Most wins all time for a quarterback in NFL history who played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers

    The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the NFC North of the National Football Conference in the National Football League and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL....
    , but then ended his career at the end of the 2008 season with the New York Jets
    New York Jets

    The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. They are members of the AFC East of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • Don Fuell
    Don Fuell

    Donald Lee Fuell an United States-born American football quarterback. College scouts began seeking his services when he was in the 10th grade at Marshall County, Alabama High School in rural Alabama....
     - CFL Defensive Back, Toronto Argonauts
    Toronto Argonauts

    The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1873, they are one of the oldest extant professional sports teams in North America....
  • Ray Guy
    Ray Guy

    William Ray Guy is a retired American football Punter for the Oakland Raiders. Coming from University of Southern Mississippi, he was the first pure punter ever to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft when the Oakland Raiders selected him in 1973....
     ’78 - NFL punter and college football hall of famer
  • Bobby Hamilton
    Bobby Hamilton

    Charles Robert Hamilton, Sr. was a driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship....
     - NFL Defensive End, New York Jets
    New York Jets

    The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. They are members of the AFC East of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • Louis Lipps
    Louis Lipps

    Louis Adam Lipps is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played 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 American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the AFC North of the American Football Conference in the National Football League) ....
  • Don Maestri
    Don Maestri

    Don Maestri is the current head men's basketball coach of the Troy Trojans at Troy University. 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 located in Troy, Alabama, Alabama and founded in 1887, as "Troy Normal School" with a mission to educate and train new teachers....
  • Kelly McCarty
    Kelly McCarty

    Kelly McCarty is a naturalized Russian professional basketball player, originally from the United States. He currently plays for Khimki BC of the Russian Basketball Super 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, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association ....
  • Tyrone Nix
    Tyrone Nix

    Tyrone Nix is the Defensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels football. He is the former Defensive Coordinator for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Southern Miss Golden Eagles....
     - Defensive Coordinator, University of Mississippi
    University of Mississippi

    The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a state university , co-education research university located in Oxford, Mississippi, Mississippi....
  • Todd Pinkston
    Todd Pinkston

    Todd Pinkston is an United States American football player. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns....
     - NFL Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles

    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the NFC East 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 based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland....
  • Pat Rapp
    Pat Rapp

    Patrick Rapp is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1992 to 2001.External links...
    - MLB Pitcher, Florida Marlins
    Florida Marlins

    The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball based in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise, the Marlins are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
  • 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, Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs

    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the AFC West of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • Adalius Thomas
    Adalius Thomas

    Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft....
     - NFL Pro-Bowl Linebacker, New England Patriots
    New England Patriots

    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats" by sports writers and fans, are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, Massachusetts....
  • Clarence Weatherspoon
    Clarence Weatherspoon

    Clarence Weatherspoon is an United States professional basketball player formerly 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)
  • Chad Williams
    Chad Williams

    Chad Kelton Williams is a Safety for the Kansas City Chiefs.He attended college at The University of Southern Mississippi. He played for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League from 2002-2005 and San Francisco 49ers in 2006....
     - NFL Defensive Back, Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs

    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the AFC West of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  • 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, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference AFC West in the National Football League ....


See all Notable Alumni of The University of Southern Mississippi.

See also

  • Clyde Kennard
    Clyde Kennard

    Clyde Kennard was an African-American student born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who attempted several times to enroll at Mississippi Southern College, still reserved for whites in the segregated 1950s....


External links