The University of Southern Mississippi (USM, but frequently referred to as Southern Miss) is a four-year
public 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. Southern Miss has
multiple teaching sites that include the Gulf Park
Campus in Long Beach, MS,
Stennis Space Center, Jackson County, Keesler Air Force Base, J.L.Scott
Aquarium, Gulf Coast Research Lab, and Pontlevoy, 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.
The university is home to a major polymer science
research center, 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 The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, which has performed with such
world-renowned figures as singer Ray Charles, cellist Yo-Yo
Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, violinist Joshua
Bell, flutist James Galway, trumpet player Doc
Severinsen, and tenor Plácido Domingo. 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.
Originally called the Mississippi Southerners, in 1971 they became the Golden Eagles. 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 the prestigious "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.[1]
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 Student Government Association, The Legacy, The Student Printz (the biweekly student-produced newspaper), The Southerner (the yearbook), Southern Style (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's Division I-A, and Conference USA
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 one of only a dozen universities in America to hold accreditation in all four fine arts emphasis areas
of art, dance, theatre and music. The College of Fine Arts is the only such College in Mississippi. The school of Communications
is ranked among the Top 10 programs in the nation, according to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication, and Southern Miss is one of only 30 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.[1]
Organization
The University of Southern Mississippi is governed by the University President along with the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher
Learning. 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: usm.edu
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.
From humble beginnings: The first five buildings erected on the University's Hattiesburg campus.
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 to give Mississippi Southern College university 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. The first
African-American students to attend the University of Southern Mississippi were Raylawni Young
Branch and Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong. 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
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.[2]
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), and it is worth noting that both Aramark and Barnes and Noble have retained the previous staff with an
across-the-board 10% raise in pay. 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.[3] 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.
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.
The University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I-A level and a member of
Conference USA. Some of the very best athletes in the country have competed as Southern Miss Golden Eagles, including NFL MVP Brett Favre and the greatest punter of all
time Ray Guy. Intercollegiate sports for men are football, basketball, tennis, golf, indoor and outdoor track, and cross country.
Women's sports are tennis, basketball, cross country, volleyball, golf, and indoor and outdoor track. Intramural sports include
more than 40 team, dual, and individual sports activities.
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 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. 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 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 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 gracefully as
it survived Hurricane Camille 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.
- Wilbur 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:
- 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.
- Bond Hall, traditional residence hall housing upper-class males in all private rooms.
- Vann Hall, a suite-style residence hall housing upper-class men.
- Scott Hall, a traditional residence hall housing upper-class women.
- 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.
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.
Student Organizations
The most prominent student organization is the Student
Government Association, the official voice and governing body for the Southern Miss student body. Other prominent
organizations include the University Activities Council, Residence Hall Association, the Afro American Student Organization, 28
Greek Letter organizations, and some of over 250 other student organizations.
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 Childrens 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.
Eaglepalooza
Eaglepalooza is a play on the concert festival Lalapalooza. It is put on by the Southern
Miss Student Government Association every year in association with local businesses and other campus organizations. The goal of
Eaglepalooza is to bring nationally known musical acts to the campus of Southern Miss. Past performers have included
Dashboard Confessional, Gavin DeGraw,
Train, Better Than Ezra, and Pat Green. This year's performance was originally slated to feature Sister
Hazel and Chingy. Chingy cancelled the engagement mere months before it was to take place.
Mýa was chosen as his replacement. This year's lineup then became local Blues/Funk band Vast Eye as
the opening act followed by Mýa, then a short pep rally, then Sister Hazel.
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 of 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 and Traditions
Southern Miss Golden Eagles logo
The University of Southern Mississippi enjoys a rich athletic history. That history includes winning traditions in all the
sports the University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors.
Bowl games, conference championships, All-American athletes, and matching athletic and academic prowess are far more the norm
than the expectation.
At the end of 2006, the Golden Eagles were one of a handful of Division I schools to boast at least 13 consecutive winning
seasons, a distinction they shared with the University of Michigan,
Florida State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Florida. Southern Miss had also appeared in 9 bowl games in the last 10 years. The
Golden Eagles have arguably been the most dominant team in Conference-USA since its founding in 1996. The Golden Eagles football
team has played for 5 conference titles winning 4 of them, with their most recent coming in 2003. The Golden Eagles and Coach
Jeff Bower were selected as conference team and coach of the decade respectively. The Golden Eagles football team boasts a 92%
graduation rate among student-athletes, ranking it among the elite academic institutions in America.
Various other Golden Eagle sports have garnered national attention. The Southern Miss Lady Eagles softball team made it to the
College World Series in 1999 behind the arm of Courtney Blades. The Southern Miss basketball team which has been in a down period
is currently looking up under third year coach Larry Eustachy. The team is of to its best start in years.
Golden Eagle fans can quickly boast of the internationally renowned Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, founded as a 20-piece brass ensemble in 1920,
and the equally famous Dixie Darlings, created in the early 1950’s. Both groups have,
since their inception, represented the spirit and tradition of Southern Miss athletics. Recently, "The Pride" was invited to play
at Lambeau Field, for the NFL's
Green Bay Packers home football game.
The school’s earliest nickname was Tigers. Thereafter came such nicknames as Normalites (from Mississippi Normal College, the
early name of the University), Yellow Jackets, Confederates, and Southerners. Golden Eagles was selected in a student/alumni vote
in the early 1970s. Seymour d'Campus, the name of the modern-day mascot eagle,
continues to thrill young and not-so-young Golden Eagle fans alike.
Eagle Fever, Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime. and Go Gold! are the rallying cries that Golden Eagle students
and fans have used to help create such traditions as Homecoming and EagleFest, tailgating in The District, Friday Night
at the Fountain pep rallies, the Eagle Walk at The Rock, the game-day Eagle Walk parade, the Painting of the Eagle
Walk, the Junior Eagle Club Tunnel, the band’s Fifth Quarter Concert, featuring a hallmark rendition of Amazing Grace, and
a host of other events help fans savor a near-century-long tradition of progress and growth.
Trivia
Notable Alumni
Entertainment
- Jennifer Adcock - Miss Mississippi,
Miss Mississippi USA, Top 10 of Miss USA
- Terry Moran -
- Jimmy Buffett ’69 - Singer, Songwriter, and author
- Tena Clark '76 - Renowned songwriter and founder and CEO of Disc Marketing Inc.
- Cat Cora - Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef America on
Food Network
- Gary Grubbs ’72 – actor, JFK, The Astronaut's Wife, the O. C., Will & Grace
- Nan Kelley - host of Grand Ole Opry Live,
GAC Network, Miss Mississippi
- Tom Malone - Musician, CBS Orchestra - Late Show with David Letterman, Blues
Brothers Band
- James Sclater - Renowned American composer, professor of music at Mississippi College.
Journalism
- Natalie Allen '84 - Co-anchor of MSNBC Live
- Sally-Ann Roberts Craft '76 - Author and news anchor for WWL-TV in New Orleans
- Chuck Scarborough - Emmy award-winning anchor at WNBC-TV in New York City and author
- Ralph Dunagin – creator of editorial comic strip Dunagin’s People, appearing in over 100 newspapers for 30 years.
- Ted Jackson ’84 – A Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist
- Kathleen Koch - CNN correspondent specializing in aviation
reporting and as Pentagon and White House correspondent.
- Ed Hinton '70 - sportswriter
Science and Technology
Government and Education
Business
- Gene Carlisle - Founder of Carlisle Corporation, owner\operator of over 95 Wendy’s
restaurants throughout the Southern United States
- Keith Cobb '63 - former CEO, Alamo Rent-A-Car
- Lloyd D. Brinkman '53 – owner of the nation’s largest carpet and floor products distributor
- Margaret Loesch '68 - Founding president of FOX Kids, former CEO Odyssey Channel, and CEO of Crown Media
Sports
- Dustin Almond - IFL Quarterback, Frisco Thunder
- John Bale - MLB Pitcher, Kansas City
Royals
- George Batiste - '07 - NFL Offensive Lineman, Kansas
City Chiefs
- Michael Boley - NFL Linebacker, Atlanta
Falcons
- Jeff Bower - Head Football Coach, The University of Southern
Mississippi
- Chad Bradford - MLB Pitcher, Baltimore
Orioles
- Jeremy Bridges - NFL Lineman, Carolina
Panthers
- Greg Brooks - NFL Defensive Back, Cincinnati
Bengals
- Mack Brown - (Grad Degree '76) Head Football Coach - University of Texas Longhorns
- James Ray Carpenter ’50, ’51 – former president of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America PGA
- Antoine Cash - NFL Linebacker, Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
- Reggie Collier - First NCAA Quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards, and pass for 1,000
yards in the same season
- Antwon Courington - IFL Offensive Specialist, Frisco Thunder
- Rod Davis - NFL Linebacker, Minnesota Vikings
- John Eubanks - NFL Defensive back/Return Man, Washington Redskins
- Brett Favre - Most wins all time for a quarterback in NFL history Green Bay Packers
- Don Fuell - CFL Defensive Back, Toronto
Argonauts
- Ray Guy ’78 - NFL punter and college football hall of famer
- Bobby Hamilton - NFL Defensive End, New York
Jets
- Glen Hnatiuck - PGA Tour Golfer
- Tom Johnson - NFL Tackle, Indianapolis Colts
- Louis Lipps - Former NFL Pro-Bowl Wide Receiver and 1984 AFC Rookie of the Year,
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Don Maestri - Head Basketball Coach, Troy
University
- Derrick Nix - Running Back Coach, Atlanta
Falcons
- Tyrone Nix - Defensive Coordinator, University
of South Carolina
- Todd Pinkston - NFL Wide Receiver, Philadelphia
Eagles
- Etric Pruit - NFL Defensive Back, Detroit Lions
- Jeff Posey - NFL Linebacker, Washington
Redskins
- DeQuincy Scott - NFL Tackle, San Diego
Chargers
- Harold Shaw - former NFL Running back, New
England Patriots
- T. J. Slaughter - NFL Linebacker, San
Francisco 49ers
- Irvin Smith - CFL Defensive Back, Baltimore
Stallions, Montreal Alouettes
- Patrick Surtain '98 - NFL Defensive Back, Kansas City Chiefs
- Adalius Thomas - NFL Pro-Bowl Linebacker, New
England Patriots
- Clarence Weatherspoon '93 - former NBA Basketball player (Retired)
- Chris White - NFL Lineman, Houston Texans
- Chad Williams - NFL Defensive Back, Kansas City
Chiefs
- Sammy Winder - Former NFL Pro-Bowl Running Back, Denver Broncos
See all Notable Alumni of The University of Southern Mississippi.
External links
References
- ^ The University of Southern Mississippi. (2006). Southern Miss Profile.
- ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3860/is_200409/ai_n9440998
- ^ http://vcmike.blogspot.com/2006/01/ranking-colleges-using-google-and-oss.html
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