History — View From Ventress

Mississippi: The Closed Society’ Returns in Print

September 18, 2012 by tbarger

James Silver’s “Mississippi: The Closed Society,” a book about “an insurrection in modern America,” is returning to print after a long hiatus.

James Silver, a historian, former professor at The University of Mississippi and friend of James Meredith authored a book about his first-hand experience of the riot and protest on Oct. 1, 1962, surrounding Meredith’s entry to the school. “Mississippi: The Closed Society” was published in January 1964; Square Books has been carrying this book since June. “It was a fearless and accurate critique of a culture which condemned the book and threatened Jim Silver’s life, the same culture that resisted desegregation with threats and acts of violence, which time clearly has proven to be wrong,” Richard Howorth, founder of Square Books, said. “The book serves as a historical record as well as a reminder that speaking truth to power may be dangerous but necessary if we expect to live in a healthy democracy.” Howorth said interest books, like Silver’s “Mississippi: The Closed Society,” wane as time goes on, and publishers have to sell a certain number of books per year. This is what happened to Silver’s book. However, with the 50th anniversary of integration at Ole Miss, interest has started to increase. “It was a very important and timely book when it was published, and it stands up well today,” he said. Elizabeth Shriver, The Daily Mississippian editor-in-chief from 1953-54 and friend and student of Silver, said she is glad the book is returning to print and feels lucky for the time she spent with him. “The material in ‘Mississippi: The Closed Society’ is not out of date and is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it,” she said. “I am forever grateful for his role in my life.” Dr. Charles K. Ross, associate professor of history and director of the African-American studies program at Ole Miss, shared a similar sentiment. He also praised Silver for his courage in penning the book at all. “Silver’s criticism of what was at the time deemed simply ‘the way of life in Mississippi’ caused him to leave the university, but his courage to write about a way of life that was wrong was profound,” Ross said. Jimmy Robertson, The Daily Mississippian editor-in-chief from 1961-62 said this book carried importance because it was the first book released about this subject. Robertson also said Silver was highly respected among many. “What James Silver said mattered to his friends and his enemies and to the public at-large,” Robertson said. Sidna Brower Mitchell, editor-in-chief of The Mississippian from 1962-63, was very close to both Silver and his wife. She said while Silver was dealing with criticism and being labeled “the most hated white man in Mississippi,” he simply tried to hide it all. “Silver always tried to act like things didn’t bother him, but you knew they had to,” she said. Mitchell said she was disappointed when Silver left Mississippi for a job at The University of Notre Dame, where he taught from 1965-82. “I thought it was very sad because he was so embedded in Mississippi,” she said. Silver wrote three other books – “Confederate Moral and Church Propaganda,” “Life for the Confederacy” and “Running Scared: Silver in Mississippi” – before his death on July 25, 1988, in Tampa, Fla. “Mississippi: The Closed Society” is now available at Square Books for $30.

from DM by Frances Allison

Filed Under: Featured Content, History

Twenty-Two High School Leaders, Scholars Awarded Top Freshman Scholarships in Honors College

September 14, 2012 by tbarger

: New University of Mississippi freshmen who have been awarded top scholarships in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College include (front, l-r) Mary Moses Hitt, Elizabeth Moore, Aleah Liddell, Meghan Wagner, Laura Cline and Kelsey Pettus; (middle row, l-r) Logan Wilson, Osasu Adah, Madeline Ott, Maia Cotelo, Elizabeth Wicks, William Foley and Mary Elizabeth Kakales; and (back, l-r) Forrest Gamble, Trevor Smith, Hannah Arrington, Shawn-Wesley Skinner, John Yi and Silas Beebe. Not present for the photo were Darby Raybourn, Michael Gratzer and Finn Udall.

With proven leadership and academic potential, 22 extraordinary high school graduates have chosen the University of Mississippi to continue their quest to become the best that they can be.

As members of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the freshmen have been awarded $32,000 scholarships, including the McDonnell Barksdale Honors Scholarship, Doris Raymond Scholarship, Harold M. Parker Memorial Scholarship and the Everett-Williams Honors Scholarship.

The cohort comprises 14 students from Mississippi, three from Tennessee and one each from Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri and Beijing, China. Seven were ranked No. 1 in their graduating classes, with six others finishing in the top five. Four are National Merit Finalists, one is a National Achievement Finalist and four are National Merit Commended Scholars.

“What a great group of students who aspire to become citizen scholars,” Honors College Dean Douglass Sullivan-González said. “We are super-impressed with this record-breaking class of 2016; they have brought real energy and drive to probe the fundamental questions that confront us all. We can’t wait to see fruits of their labor in the next four years.”Established in 1997 through a gift from alumni Jim and Sally Barksdale, the college provides undergraduate students from all disciplines with a vibrant center of academic excellence, merging intellectual rigor with public service, to help them become outstanding in their fields and engaged citizens of society.

During their freshman year, the students enroll in the Honors College interdisciplinary courses, which expose them to critical thinking in the arts, sciences and humanities. They also enroll in honors sections of courses across disciplines to fulfill hours in their majors or to meet general academic requirements. As early as their freshman year, students have the opportunity to do research, which produces an honor’s thesis in the student’s senior year.

Like most of the scholars, Aleah Rojerica Liddell of Madison expressed surprise and gratitude on being chosen for the McDonnell Barksdale Scholarship.

“It is such an honor, and I am grateful,” said Liddell, a National Achievement Finalist. “I never would have thought I would be one of the few chosen students to receive it. This scholarship has given me a reason to push myself even harder to achieve my goals. I am delighted to know that the university sees my ambition and believes in my ability to succeed.”

Shawn-Wesley Skinner of Mandeville, La., said he “felt incredibly honored and humbled” to receive the Raymond Scholarship.

“Realizing that I had been selected out of a pool of outstanding applicants showed that the Honors College had placed its utmost trust in me … not only to fulfill my personal academic dreams but also to positively supplement the university,” said Skinner, a National Merit Finalist.

Kelsey Pettus of Jackson said receiving the McDonnell Barksdale Scholarship “is proof of what many years of hard work and determination can bring.”

“I am so honored to have received one of the university’s top scholarships. It is satisfying to know that working hard to achieve your goals can bring much reward in the end. I am encouraged to continue striving toward new goals and succeeding at the university,” said Pettus, who served two governor’s appointments on the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service.

Other recipients of the McDonnell Barksdale Scholarship are Osasu Noel Adah of Clinton, Hannah Arrington of Madison, Silas Grant Beebe of Madison, Maia Cotelo of Oxford, William Patrick Foley of Petal, Mary Moses Hitt of Yazoo City, Elizabeth Marie Moore of Pass Christian, Darby O’geil Raybourn of Long Beach, Trevor Moore Smith of Corinth, Meghan Elise Wagner of Grenada and Elizabeth Eustice Wicks of Ocean Springs.

Besides Skinner, other recipients of the Raymond Scholarship are Laura Marie Cline of St. Louis, Forrest Nolan Gamble of Birmingham, Ala., Michael Charles Gratzer of Collierville, Tenn., Mary Elizabeth Kakales of Memphis and Finn Waterstreet Udall of Boise, Idaho.

Harold M. Parker Scholarships were awarded to Madeline Claire Ott of Collierville, Tenn., and John N. Yi of Beijing, China. Logan Armond Wilson of Hattiesburg received the Everett-Williams Scholarship, being awarded this year for the first time.

Adah graduated fourth in her class of 314 at Clinton High School, where she was chosen for the Hall of Fame. She was a member of the Math and Science Team and the school band. She was involved in the International Economic Summit and served as an officer in the National Junior Honor Society and Biology Club. She volunteered as a math and algebra tutor. She is interested is studying engineering and doing scientific research, in preparation for medical school.

Arrington graduated from Saint Andrews Episcopal School, where she was on the High Honor Roll and member of the National Honor Society. She received the Gold National French Exam Award, placing first in Mississippi and 21st in the nation, and the Silver National Exam Award in both French and Spanish. An officer in the Spanish, Italian and French clubs, she was named Best Representative of the Model United Nations. She was a volunteer for special needs and underprivileged kids’ organizations. She plans to study international relations, Spanish and French, preparing to fulfill her dream of being an American ambassador.

Beebe, a National Merit Finalist, graduated from Saint Joseph Catholic School. Captain of the Speech and Debate Team, he qualified for National Forensic League and Catholic Forensic League competitions. He received the Stennis Center Award for Excellence in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. He was a National Forensic League district student senator and Academic All-American. He was a three-time officer on the Student Council and editor of online publications in journalism. His community service includes work with nursing home residents and Mission Mississippi. He wants to study public policy leadership and psychology, then attend law school.

Cline was valedictorian of her class at Rosati-Kain High School in St. Louis. She was an officer in the National Honor Society and on the Student Council. She received the Distinguished Achievement Award, First Honors, and Academic and Alumnae scholarships. She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society and Science/Environmental Club. Her volunteer efforts included work at Our Lady’s Inn emergency shelter and Habitat for Humanity. She plans to major in biology in preparation for medical school.

Cotelo, a National Merit Finalist, graduated No. 3 in her class of 175 at Oxford High School. She received the Edwin Moak Award and was named Student of the Year in French III, concert choir and geography. She won first place in the Regional Science Fair. She was an officer on the Student Council, president of the Anchor and Key clubs, and co-president of the OHS Chorus. Her volunteer efforts included work with the Humane Society, UNICEF, recycling and tutoring. She is interested in studying international studies, public policy leadership and engineering.

Foley, a National Merit Commended Scholar, graduated first in his class of 263 at Petal High School. He received Academic Excellence in AP European history, AP world history, English II, biology and Mississippi studies. He made a perfect score on the state exam in both English II and U.S. history. He was president of the PHS Student Body and Petal City Youth Council, and an officer in the Junior States of America and National Honor Society. He volunteered at the YMCA and for Relay for Life. He is interested in studying economics and political science, and maybe becoming a college professor.

Gamble, a National Merit Finalist, graduated second in his class of 428 at Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham. He won first place in the LSU Math Tournament, was an AP Honors Scholar and named the Most Outstanding Student in AP English and world history. He was president of the Spanish Honor Society and the National Honor Society. Named HP Scholastic Junior All-American in golf, he will be a member of the Ole Miss golf team. He plans to study biology, Spanish and physics in preparation for medical school.

Gratzer graduated from Collierville High School, where he was named to the Hall of Fame and received the Ray Burk Spirit Award. He won the National AP Scholar Award and the Outstanding Award for AP English. He was president of the Spanish I and II clubs and vice president of the National Honor Society. He served as captain of the CHS WordSmith Team and editor-in-chief of the Dragon Spirit newspaper. His did volunteer work with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Race for Education. He is interested in studying geological, mechanical and environmental engineering and devoting his career to environmental sustainability.

Hitt ranked No. 1 in her class of 30 at Manchester Academy, where she was Student Body president. She made the Headmaster’s List all 12 years at MA. She was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and captain of the Quiz Bowl Team, and she was named the DAR Good Citizen of Yazoo County. She volunteered for Yazoo Humanitarian Recovery, Have a Heart/Lend a Hand, and Boys and Girls Club. She plans to study biochemistry and attend medical school.

Kakales was salutatorian of her 55-member class at Hutchison School in Memphis. She was an AP Scholar with Distinction and winner of the Dartmouth Book Award and Physics Award. She was president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Wilson Society and vice president of the Honor Council. She was a leader of the Middle School Ambassador Program. She has been on mission trips to Peru and was a volunteer for Hope House and as a tutor for the Refugee Empowerment Program. She plans to study public policy leadership and pre-med.

Liddell graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. She was listed on the Honor Roll (3.86+ GPA) all four years of high school. She was her school’s ambassador and editor-in-chief of the MSMS student newspaper. She belonged to the NAACP and the National Honor Society, and served on the Quiz Bowl. She volunteered for the mentorship program at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus, packed items for Operation Ukraine and helped with Christmas Clothing Give-a-way. She plans to study biological science and pre-med and attend medical school to become a pediatrician.

Moore graduated second in her class of 135 at Pass Christian High School. A National Merit Commended Scholar, she was state champion in “We the People” competition. Listed on the Superintendent’s Honor Roll throughout high school, she was president of the Student Council and an officer in the National Honor Society, French Honor Society and Beta Club. She was a representative for both Girls State and Pass Christian Youth Leadership. She volunteered at a local nursing home and in Red Cross blood drives and Relay for Life. She is interested in studying math, science and history.

Ott, a National Merit Commended Scholar, graduated from Collierville High School. A member of the ACT 30+ Club, she scored the highest average in AP Chemistry at CHS and was French III Honors Outstanding Student. A state and regional winner in choir and vocal competition, she was president of the CHS Chamber Choir and Books R Us Club. She volunteered for mission trips and tutoring. Her main academic interests are chemistry, biology and foreign languages. She plans to attend pharmacy school.

Pettus graduated No. 1 in her 83-member class at Jackson Academy, where she received the school’s Community Service Award, Presidential Award for Academic Excellence and American Legion Citizenship Award. She was appointed youth commissioner on the governor’s Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service and as chair of that organization’s Initiative on Volunteer Excellence 2012 GIVE Awards. She was featured in Jackson’s Portico Magazine as one of “25 Students Who Will Change the World” and was chosen as the 2012 Distinguished Young Woman of Hinds County. She received the Glen Cain Scholarship and was chosen Miss Jackson Academy. She was a volunteer for Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts and United Way. She plans to major in biology or chemistry and attend medical school.

Raybourn graduated first in her class of 311 at Gulfport High School. She received the Schoen Heier Award for Outstanding Character and Citizenship, and was the German Cultural Exchange Ambassador. An officer in the Key Club and National Honor Society, she was chosen for Girls State and for UM’s Trent Lott Summer Institute. Her volunteer service included mission trips, and work with the Salvation Army and SADD. She plans to study biology in preparation for medical school.

Skinner graduated fifth in his class of 168 at Saint Paul’s School in Covington, La. He received the Golden Torch Award, Superior Academic Award, Order of St. LaSalle Award, Daren Boudreaux Scholarship Award and the Williams College New Orleans Alumni Book Award. He placed first in advanced math at the State Literary Rally and in calculus at the Mu Alpha Theta Convention. He was vice president of the SPS Student Council and of the Louisiana Association of Student Councils District. He volunteered for mission trips and tutoring and for the Food Bank. He is interested in studying engineering with a manufacturing/business emphasis and Mandarin Chinese.

Smith ranked No. 1 in his high school class of 109 at Alcorn Central High School. He was chosen for the Hall of Fame and voted Most Likely to Succeed. He won 10 subject awards during high school and was chosen for UM’s APEX Leadership Summit, Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and as the youth representative for Region IV Alcohol Prevention Committee. He was the ACHS yearbook editor, three-time class president and president of the Beta Club, FBLA and Mu Alpha Theta. He was a volunteer for Rotary Club, Lighthouse Foundation and little league sports. He is interested in studying mathematics and biochemistry, with plans to become a dentist.

Udall, a National Merit Commended Scholar, graduated from Boise High School. An AP Scholar with Honors, he made the 4.0 Honor Roll three years and the 3.9 Honor Roll one year. He was a three-time class officer and member of the National Honor Society. Having traveled across Europe and to Mexico and with fluency in Spanish, he was inspired to become a tutor in his community for refugees and international students. He also worked with kids at Discovery Center and on service projects with the elderly. As an undergraduate, he plans to concentrate on international studies, music composition and philosophy, in preparation for an international service career.

Wagner, a National Merit Finalist, graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. A member of the National Honor Society, she won the Spanish II Award and the Junior English Award, and she was named Most Outstanding Symphonic Band Member. Her volunteer efforts included tutoring and work with the Columbus Lake Clean-up, Angel Tree and SHINE Carnival. She plans to study pharmaceutical sciences and biochemistry, with a career goal in research to develop new drugs.

Wicks graduated first in her class of 388 at Ocean Springs High School, where she won awards in math and French. She was the state delegate to the 50th Annual U.S. Senate Youth Program and her school’s representative for the Gulf Coast Youth Leadership Program. She won fourth place in the Southeastern Regional National Oceanic Sciences Bowl and was the local winner of the VFW “Voice of Democracy” essay contest. She was an officer in the National Honor Society, Native American Alliance and Junior Civitan Club, captain of the NOSB team and member of the Mayor’s Youth Council. She did volunteer work with visually impaired children, Lions Club eye screenings, Mississippi Coastal Clean-up and Relay for Life. She plans to concentrate her studies on public policy leadership, international studies and biology in preparation for medical school.

Wilson graduated second in his class at North Forrest High School, where he was chosen for the Hall of Fame. He was class president all four years and president of the Student Council. Named a Mississippi Rural Medical Scholar, he won awards in English, anatomy and physiology, and trig/pre-calculus. He made the highest score on the English II Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program exam. He volunteered for the Salvation Army, Christian Food Services and as an after-school tutor. He plans to study chemistry, biochemistry and biology on his way to becoming a pediatrician.

Yi graduated from Western Academy of Beijing after having attended Oxford High School. At OHS, he received the Mississippi Studies Award, Spanish III Award and Peter Character Award. He was listed on the Principal’s Honor Roll, served on the Student Council and worked on the school newspaper. His service projects included work with “Week Without Walls” in both Bangladesh and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Filed Under: Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Economics, History, International Studies, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy & Religion, Physics & Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy Leadership

PBS Producer Joins Overby Panel to Examine Images of Minority Women in the Media

September 4, 2012 by tbarger

Images of minority women in the media – ranging from rapper Nicki Minaj to Olympian Gabby Douglas to first lady Michelle Obama – are the focus of the next program at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi.

The discussion will examine how images of minority women in the media change – and also stay the same and become part of our culture. Set for 11 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 5) in the Overby Center Auditorium, the program is free and open to the public.

Imani Cheers, an award-winning journalist and scholar, joins Ole Miss faculty members Deirdre Cooper Owens and Kirk Johnson in the program, which also will include a look at reality-based TV shows that feature African-American casts. Cheers is director of educational resources and a multimedia producer at “PBS NewsHour.”

Cooper Owens, an assistant professor of history, teaches about slavery, race, gender and the history of medicine. Before coming to Ole Miss, she was a Carter G. Woodson postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia.

Johnson, an associate professor of African-American studies, has conducted research about news images of African-Americans. He was senior researcher for the Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years.” His analysis of news images of African-Americans in Boston was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in affirming the need to make operating licenses available to minority broadcasters.

Mark K. Dolan, UM associate professor of journalism who teaches and writes about the black press, will serve as moderator.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to learn more about an always timely issue,” said Susan Grayzel, interim director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, which is co-sponsoring the program. “We are delighted to partner with the School of Journalism in bringing Dr. Cheers to our campus to join with our own distinguished faculty in helping us to think about the representations of race and gender in our culture.”

For more information or for assistance related to a disability, contact Dawn Jeter at 662-915-1692. For more information on programs at the Overby Center, go to http://www.overbycenter.org/

Filed Under: African American Studies, History

Rabbinic Scholar W. David Nelson to Discuss ‘Race, Religion and the Realities of Reading the Bible’

September 4, 2012 by tbarger

W. David Nelson, a noted scholar of rabbinic literature and the Hebrew Bible at Groton School in Massachusetts, will discuss how the Bible has been used out of context in the past to promote anti-Semitism during a Thursday (Sept. 6) public lecture at the University of Mississippi.

Norton’s lecture, “Say Again!: Race, Religion and Realities of Reading the Bible,” is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Overby Center auditorium. The next day (Sept. 7), the scholar will participate in an informal discussion with faculty and students on how the Bible has been misused to advance racist agendas.

“Dr. Nelson’s presentation is the first in the lecture series, titled ‘Intertwining Legacies: Jews and African-Americans in the Deep South,’” said Kirk Johnson, UM associate professor of sociology and African-American studies. “The goal of the lecture series is to bring together scholars, students and community members to explore anti-Semitism, racism and the shared and divergent histories of these two groups.”Other scholars scheduled include Sander Gilman, an internationally-renowned cultural and literary historian from Emory University, who will address the twin legacies of anti-Semitism and racism in the deep South on Oct. 25; and Jonathan Kaufman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Broken Alliance: The Turbulent Times Between Blacks and Jews in America,” who will speak Feb. 6 on the historic relationship between Jews and African-Americans.

Last year, the UM Critical Race Studies Group, an interdisciplinary collection of scholars working to address racial and ethnic inequities on campus and in academia, applied for an Association for Jewish Studies-Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project grant to explore the complex relationships between African-Americans and Jews in the South. The proposal, written by Willa Johnson, associate professor of sociology, was funded for $22,000. The university is among only four institutions in the United States to receive this award for the 2012-13 academic year.

“As a teacher of Jewish studies, I know it is important for the University of Mississippi to join other flagship institutions of higher learning in the South in raising awareness of the powerful and important impact of Jews upon our culture,” Johnson said. “I am equally aware of the sacrifices of Jewish men such as Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who in 1964 died fighting for civil rights alongside James Chaney, an African-American.

“As an African-American woman, I have lived long enough to witness what hate does to marginalized people. Three of my uncles fought, and one of them died, to liberate Jews from tyranny in Europe during World War II. Even if all three had survived the war, they would have been among the nearly 1 million returning African-American soldiers who were denied these same liberties by an ungrateful nation.”

Looking at race in Mississippi and the nation as a whole is particularly important at this time, said Jeffrey Jackson, associate professor of sociology.

“As we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi, we need to recognize the commonalities of racially-oppressed groups that still exist to this day,” Jackson said. “All have had similar experiences of being marginalized in society. African-Americans and Jews have historically strongly supported each other in their respective struggles for civil rights and equality.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of Virginia, Nelson received both a master’s degree in Bible and cognate studies and a doctorate in rabbinic literature and thought from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Before going to Groton, he served as a member of the faculty in the Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern studies program at Washington University and as Rosenthal associate professor and director of Jewish studies at TCU and Brite Divinity School. Nelson has both studied and served as a visiting research professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2004-05, he was awarded its Yad Hanadiv/Beracha Foundation Visiting Fellowship in Jewish Studies.

With a specialized interest in ancient and medieval Jewish biblical interpretation, Nelson is the author of numerous scholarly articles and book chapters and has published the first English translation and commentary of the Mekhilta d’Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai, an anthology of early Jewish interpretation of the biblical book of Exodus. He is co-authoring two books: “Exodus: Echoes and Reverberations in Jewish Tradition” and “Exodus in America: White Jewish and Black Christian Experiences of Exodus.” He is an active member of the American Academy of Religion and chairs the Midrash Section for the Society of Biblical Literature.

Co-sponsors lending support to the lecture series include the university’s African-American Studies Program; Center for the Study of Southern Culture; College of Liberal Arts, particularly the departments of history, philosophy and religion, and sociology and anthropology, and the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies; School of Law; Trent Lott Leadership Institute; and William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation.

The Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is designed to foster relationships between scholars and the public and to highlight relationships between Jews and other cultures. For more information, visit http://www.ajsnet.org/legacy.htm.

Filed Under: African American Studies, Center for The Study of Southern Culture, Gender Studies, History, Latest News, Philosophy & Religion, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation

‘Back to School, Back to Books’ Event Set for Aug. 27

August 20, 2012 by tbarger

… Three UM professors to sign latest works

Three University of Mississippi professors will sign their latest publications in a “Back to School, Back to Books” celebration Aug. 27 at Off Square Books in Oxford.

The trio of Jay Watson, the Howry Chair of Faulkner Studies and professor of English; Joe Ward, associate professor and chair of the Department of History; and Sheila L. Skemp, the Clare Leslie Marquette professor of American history; will sign and socialize at 5 p.m.Watson’s book “Reading for the Body: The Recalcitrant Materiality of Southern Literature, 1893-1985″ (University of Georgia Press, August 2012) argues that Southern literary studies have been over-idealized and dominated by intellectual history for too long. He calls for the field to be rematerialized and grounded in an awareness of the human body as the site where ideas, including ideas about the American South itself, ultimately happen.

Skemp’s book “The Making of a Patriot: Benjamin Franklin at the Cockpit” (Oxford University Press, April 2012) presents an insightful, lively narrative that goes beyond just giving traditional information about Franklin.

“The book is not a traditional biography,” Skemp said. “Instead it is the story of one moment, an hour really, in the life of Benjamin Franklin, examining the way that this one incident — his interrogation at London’s ‘Cockpit’ — altered his view of the English empire. He went into the room an English patriot; he left as a proponent of American independence.”

In “London: A Social and Cultural History: 1550-1750″ (Cambridge University Press, July 2012), Ward provides a history of London during the period of its rise to worldwide prominence. He incorporates recent work in urban history, accounts by contemporary Londoners and tourists, and fictional works featuring the city.

Filed Under: English, History

University commemorates Silver’s sterling legacy

July 16, 2012 by evincent

Last September, nearly 50 years after he left UM in a storm of controversy, the late James W. Silver was honored by the university.

The professor of history and author of an acclaimed book about repression during the segregation era was honored with a program, “Opening the Closed Society,” commemorating 50 years of integration at UM, and a ceremony dedicating Silver Pond, a new body of water near his former home on campus, along with a commemorative marker. The ceremony was followed by speeches and discussions by former students and colleagues about Silver’s impact on the university and state of Mississippi.

A close friend of Nobel Prize-winning writer William Faulkner and the university’s first African-American student James Meredith, Silver was an influential figure with students.

“His sterling legacy was that he challenged students and the public to think beyond their prior experience to a broad range of ideas, even controversial ones,” said John Robin Bradley, a professor of law and chair of the Silver Commemorative Committee.

During segregation, Silver, a constant and vocal critic of racial taboos, was frequently at odds with state political leaders. He took a leave of absence from UM after the publication of his 1964 treatise, Mississippi: The Closed Society, to teach at the University of Notre Dame and eventually joined the faculty at the University of South Florida.

Silver, who specialized in Southern history, joined the UM faculty in 1936 and served as chair of the history department from 1946 to 1957.

During the ceremony, Chancellor Dan Jones introduced prominent alumni offering personal recollections of Silver, including former Mississippi Gov. William Winter of Jackson; Elizabeth Nichols Shiver of Oxford, editor of The Mississippian 1953-54; Daniel P. Jordan of Charlottesville, Va., a 1960 graduate and former president of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation at Monticello; and Edwin N. Williams of Charlotte, N.C., editor of The Daily Mississippian in 1964-65, who became editorial page editor of The Charlotte Observer. Gerald W. Walton, UM provost emeritus and a member of the faculty during Silver’s years at UM, moderated.

View Silver Pond Dedication photo gallery.

Filed Under: History, Summer 2012 Newsletter

History professor known for unparalleled knowledge

July 16, 2012 by evincent

Sheila Skemp, the Clare Leslie Marquette Professor of American History and Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lecturer, has been an integral part of the Department of History for 30 years.

“I teach everything from the survey in American history to specialized classes at the graduate level,” Skemp said. “At the 300 level, the courses I teach are Colonial America, American Revolution, Masculinities and Femininities in American History, and — my personal favorite — The American Dream.”

Skemp said she enjoys working with students and enlightening their minds.

“I love the interaction with students — especially when I can see that something we’ve talked about has given students an insight that makes them think about their lives, their perspectives on the world in a slightly different way,” Skemp said.

Skemp’s students notice her dedication in the classroom.

“So many things about Dr. Skemp make her a fantastic professor,” said Tyler Clemons, a former student. “Her lectures are infused with her unparalleled knowledge of American history along with her characteristic sense of humor and wit to make sure that students not only learn the material but also enjoy the process. What sets Dr. Skemp apart most of all, however, is her genuine concern for her students and her sincere desire to see them succeed. From serving as my senior thesis adviser to writing recommendation letters for me for law school, Dr. Skemp has never hesitated to help me in any way she could. For that — and for her friendship — I will forever consider her my beloved professor and my friend.”

Skemp is slated to retire in 2013. When discussing her favorite memory at the university, she has a hard time choosing just one.

“There are just too many,” Skemp said. “I’ve taught here for over 30 years and taught elsewhere, as well. When you’ve been in the classroom that long, and have taught as many students as I have, the number of ‘excellent moments’ is bound to expand. In some cases I’ve been able to help students out in their personal lives. In other cases, I have enjoyed watching them expand their intellectual horizons. The ‘light bulb moments’ are always the best.”

Joe Ward, chair of the history department, praises Skemp for her teaching ability.

“These days, the popular media tell us that universities must embrace ‘strategic dynamism’ by replacing methods proven successful over time with those that seem attractive largely because they seem innovative,” he said. “Let’s hope that those drawn to such fads will examine why Sheila Skemp has proven herself one of the most distinguished teachers, scholars and colleagues at our university. They will see that there is no substitute for patience, love of learning and a deep commitment to engaging students as individuals seeking knowledge rather than consumers of an ill-defined product.”

After retirement, Skemp plans on staying in Oxford.

“I hope to do a great deal of traveling, particularly in the ‘off season’ while everyone else is at work,” she said.

A native of Illinois, Skemp did her undergraduate work in history at the University of Montana and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in history at the University of Iowa. She joined the faculty at UM in 1980 and served for two years as acting director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies.

Filed Under: History, Summer 2012 Newsletter

Middle East Scholar Joins Croft Institute and History Faculty

July 13, 2012 by evincent

Vivian Ibrahim

The Croft Institute for International Studies and Department of History’s newest professor Vivian Ibrahim studies the Middle East with a primary emphasis on Egypt. She accepted the job in December 2010 and was soon confronted with the swiftly unfolding events of the “Arab spring” including the popular uprising in Egypt.

Ibrahim researches the relationships between the minority Coptic Christians of Egypt and the majority Muslims by focusing on the role religion plays in the region and in the lives of its people. The British citizen with familial roots in Egypt finds similarities between the Middle East and the American South.

“I’ve realized that religion plays a much more important role in Americans’ lives, at least in the South,” Ibrahim said in a recent interview with The DM. “But in many ways, the South reminds me of the Middle East because your daily lives are governed by religion, and our values are exactly the same whether you’re Muslim or whether you’re Christian. So actually the South and the Middle East have much more in common than you would expect.”

Ibrahim emphasizes that the uprising in Egypt didn’t occur overnight.

“This isn’t something that started two, three, four years ago,” she said. “This has its roots way back and has to do with people’s standard of living and unemployment that’s been rife for years. It has to do with corruption — police brutality is huge in all of this. So it has long, long roots and, as a historian, I’m keen to show the different roots to current conflict; it didn’t just come out of nowhere, and it wasn’t all because some kids had Facebook and Twitter. That’s important, but I don’t think that was the root.”

She describes herself as a cautious optimist about Egypt’s future.

“I’m hoping it’s a move toward more democratic elections,” she said. “There are such deep-seated problems, socially and politically, that change doesn’t happen overnight; you can’t suddenly expect a whole upheaval of the existing system. It’s going to take 10 or 15 years. It’s very difficult to predict. I don’t think it’s going to be a huge, democratic leap, but I’m hoping it’s in the right direction.”

Ibrahim observes that people in the Middle East are realizing that the uprising, which she calls an evolution, has been stolen from the people.

“Here we are in the cases of Egypt and Tunisia, many months later, and there hasn’t really been fundamental change, and actually what we’re seeing is military command, a military coup,” Ibrahim said. “We have military command by those who supported the man who was president in the first place, so there’s no change.”

Ibrahim hopes that people in the West will learn that the Middle East is multifaceted and every country’s evolution is unique to the place.

“That’s the kind of understanding that we need to have of the Middle East, it’s so varied, and yes, we might all speak the same language, but we speak it with different dialects, and we have multiple religions and we have multiple practices within the same religion. The more that we evaluate each country individually, the deeper we understand the region.”

Filed Under: History, International Studies, Summer 2012 Newsletter

UM history professor wins Humanities Scholar Award

July 12, 2012 by evincent

The Mississippi Humanities Council recognized history professor Elizabeth Anne Payne with its 2012 Public Humanities Award for her outstanding contributions to the study and understanding of the humanities.

Check out the new website for Dr. Elizabeth Payne’s North Mississippi Women’s Project: http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/womenshistory.

Payne and five of her doctoral students have attracted national attention with their groundbreaking research project chronicling the oral histories of older women in North Mississippi.

The focus of Makin’ Do is the women who came of age during the World War II era. The subjects recount their experiences with the sharecropping system, race relations, and share how the Great Depression and industrialization affected their lives. They come from all economic backgrounds and are both black and white. The documentary is a valuable oral history in which Southerners born before WWII record for others the joys and hardships of a vanished way of life. Makin’ Do includes over 75 interviews, photos, brief biographies, and video excerpts.

“It is lovely to have worked in the nearby vineyard of Mississippi women’s history and have the Mississippi Humanities Council recognize my research,” Payne said.

Last year, Payne edited the volume Writing Women’s History: A Tribute to Anne Firor Scott, which contains essays by seven women at the forefront of contemporary American women’s history. She is author of Reform, Labor and Feminism: Margaret Dreier Robins and the Women’s Trade Union League and coeditor of volumes one and two of Mississippi Women: Their Histories, Their Lives.

The Mississippi Humanities Council cited Payne’s oral history work, used in a documentary film and as lesson plans and other resources for teachers.

“Teaching women’s history for so many years has been a constant adventure of learning with my students,” Payne said. “Many of my undergraduates have interviewed their great-grandmothers as historical subjects. My Ph.D. students and I interviewed over 100 women in Union County. I had the privilege of interviewing Betty Rutherford Wilson in New Albany when she was 115 years old. At age 30, I had no way of knowing what exciting scholarship awaited me.”

The distinguished history professor was founding director of the UM Honors College, recipient of the Mississippi Historical Society’s Elbert Hilliard Oral History Prize, and a National Humanities Center Fellow in Chapel Hill, N.C.

For additional multimedia visit http://olemissmedia.com/?s=north+mississippi+women

Filed Under: Featured Content, History, Summer 2012 Newsletter

Chinese Delegation to Meet with Nonprofit Representatives at UM in June

June 6, 2012 by tbarger

A group whose mission is to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between China and other countries, while safeguarding world peace, is visiting the University of Mississippi this week.

A small delegation from the Chinese Association for International Understanding, or CAFIU, will visit campus this weekend (June 8-10) to meet with representatives of several nonprofit organizations in north Mississippi.“We wish to facilitate exchanges of knowledge and possible future collaboration between Chinese and Mississippi organizations,” said Michael F. Metcalf, UM senior international officer and professor of history.

The delegation consists of Du Kening, deputy secretary-general of CAIFU; Zheng Yao, director of European and American affairs for CAIFU; and Zhao Tianming, interpreter.

The program features an exchange of presentations by CAFIU and the north Mississippi nonprofits, followed by informative talks on how nonprofits work and the role they play in society.

The scheduled presenters include Tom Pittman, executive director of Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi; Jennifer Coleman, Oxford Chapter of the American Red Cross; John Garrott, executive director of the 4M Foundation, headquartered in Senatobia; and Mabel Murphree, district director for U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee’s office in Columbus and formerly of the CREATE Foundation.

Garrott and UM professor emeritus Robert Haws were hosted in 2005 by CAFIU, which contacted the university earlier this year to propose a return visit.

Founded in September 1981, CAFIU is sponsored by and composed of political parties, social organizations, prominent people, scholars and social activists from all walks of life in China. CAFIU has been carrying out active and wide-ranging international nongovernmental exchanges and dialogues in the hope to “Let the world understand China, and let China understand the world.”

Since its founding, CAFIU has formed ties and had exchanges with social organizations, political parties, research institutes in scores of countries and international organizations and has established extensive contacts with people from various circles in those countries.

Filed Under: History, Latest News, Public Policy Leadership