Founding, expansion, and tradition University of Mississippi

the lyceum, william nichols, architect (1848).



the dead house built before civil war , used morgue during war. bodies carried dead house across campus civil war cemetery, contains more 430 graves. building demolished in 1958, , farley hall--which contains meek school of journalism , new media--was erected in place.

the mississippi legislature chartered university of mississippi on february 24, 1844. university opened doors first class of 80 students 4 years later in 1848. 23 years, university mississippi s public institution of higher learning, , 110 years state s comprehensive university.

when university opened, campus consisted of 6 buildings: 2 dormitories, 2 faculty houses, steward s hall, , lyceum @ center. constructed 1846 1848, lyceum oldest building on campus. originally, lyceum housed of classrooms , faculty offices of university. building s north , south wings added in 1903, , class of 1927 donated clock above eastern portico. lyceum home of university s administration offices. columned facade of lyceum represented on official crest of university, along date of establishment.

in 1854, university established fourth state-supported, public law school in united states, , began offering engineering education.

with outbreak of civil war in 1861, classes interrupted when entire student body (135 out of 139 students) university of mississippi enlisted in confederate army.

the lyceum used hospital during civil war both union , confederate soldiers, wounded @ battle of shiloh. 2 hundred-fifty soldiers died in campus hospital buried in cemetery on grounds of university.

during post-war period, university led former confederate general a.p. stewart, rogersville, tennessee native. served chancellor 1874 1886.

the university became coeducational in 1882 , first such institution in southeast hire female faculty member, sarah mcgehee isom, doing in 1885.

the student yearbook published first time in 1897. contest held solicit suggestions yearbook title student body. elma meek, student, submitted winning entry of ole miss. meek s source term unknown; historians theorize made diminutive of old mississippi or derived term ol missus, african-american term plantation s old mistress. sobriquet not chosen yearbook, became name university informally known. ole miss defined school s intangible spirit, separate tangible aspects of university.

the university began medical education in 1903, when university of mississippi school of medicine established on oxford campus. in era, university provided two-year pre-clinical education certificates, , graduates went out of state complete doctor of medicine degrees. in 1950, mississippi legislature voted create four-year medical school. on july 1, 1955, university medical center opened in capital of jackson, mississippi, four-year medical school. university of mississippi medical center, called, health sciences campus of university of mississippi. houses university of mississippi school of medicine along 5 other health science schools: nursing, dentistry, health-related professions, graduate studies , pharmacy (the school of pharmacy headquartered on oxford campus).

several attempts made via executive , legislative branches of mississippi state government relocate or otherwise close university of mississippi. mississippi legislature between 1900 , 1930 introduced several bills aiming accomplish this, no such legislation ever passed either house. 1 such bill introduced in 1912 senator william ellis of carthage, mississippi, have merged college then-mississippi a&m. however, measure soundly defeated, despite bill seeking form exploratory committee. in february 1920, 56 members of legislature arrived on campus , discussed students , faculty idea of consolidating ms a&m, ms college of women , ole miss located in jackson, rather appropriate $750,000.00 of funds requested then-chancellor joseph powers needed repair dilapidated , structurally unsound buildings on campus, discovered following partial collapse of dormitory in 1917 , scathing review of other buildings later same year state architect. these funds, plus additional $300,000.00 appropriated school, used build 4 male dormitories, female dormitory , pharmacy building, partially resolved longstanding issue of inadequate dormitory space students. during 1930s, mississippi governor theodore g. bilbo, populist, tried move university jackson. chancellor alfred hume gave state legislators grand tour of ole miss , surrounding historic city of oxford, persuading them keep in original setting.

during world war ii, um 1 of 131 colleges , universities nationally took part in v-12 navy college training program, offered students path navy commission.