Dear students, faculty, and staff,
This coming fall, our beloved university will hit a landmark in our trajectory. The University of Mississippi opened its doors to its first students on November 6, 1848, making this fall our 175th anniversary. This milestone represents 175 years of delivering education, research, healthcare, and service to the people and the state of Mississippi. It demonstrates the tremendous staying power of our mission to prepare graduates for meaningful careers, provide access to higher education, and offer great value to our students and their families across generations.
Our university has achieved much since its founding, and we are even more excited about our future. A committee is already hard at work planning the celebration and commemoration, and we want to thank the members for their service in what will be an important and highly visible event for the university. The members of the committee are listed below, and additional details of the celebration will be shared in the coming months.
The theme for the anniversary celebration, “A Legacy of Calling,” is reinforced by the title of next fall’s Common Reading Experience selection, “Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work” by Dave Isay, a celebrated radio broadcaster and creator of the StoryCorps oral history project.
For 175 years, our university has empowered students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders to define and pursue their personal callings and lead lives of purpose. That essence of our university is what we want to celebrate, and we want to learn more about your experiences.
In support of the 175th anniversary campaign, we invite you to share your stories, experiences, and reflections in response to one or more of the following prompts:
- How has Ole Miss helped you build your legacy or define your calling?
- Share a story about a specific person or program on campus that made a difference in your life.
- What is one word to describe the university’s impact over the past 175 years?
- What is an amazing accomplishment you witnessed or played a role in at Ole Miss?
We’re excited for the university’s anniversary this fall and all the ways we will celebrate our legacy, highlight our future, and put on full display our talents and passions to make a difference in the world. Stay tuned for exciting things planned for this significant event.
Sincerely,
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
Noel Wilkin
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
175th Anniversary Planning Committee
Noel Wilkin, Committee Chair, Office of the Provost
John Adrian, Administration and Finance
Premalatha Balachandran, Staff Council
Nikki Neely Davis, University Development
Dan Durkin, Faculty Senate
Emily Ferris, Division of Outreach and Continuing Education
Phillis George, School of Education
Julie Glasco, Office of the Provost
Stefanie Goodwiller, University Marketing & Communications
Jason Hale, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Andrea Hickerson, School of Journalism and New Media
Paul Johnson, School of Business
Annette Kluck, Graduate School
Jiwon Lee, Graduate Student Council
Amy Lowe Lewis, Federal Relations
Adrienne McDill, Admissions
Neal Mead, Ole Miss Athletics
Shawnboda Mead, Division of Diversity and Community Engagement
Charlotte Pegues, Division of Student Affairs
Rebecca Phillips, Special Events
Kirk Purdom, Ole Miss Alumni Association
Joy Schideler, Administration and Finance
Doug Sullivan-Gonzalez, College of Liberal Arts
Sara Austin Welch, Associated Student Body
Jim Zook, University Marketing & Communications
