University of Mississippi history

In 1854, the University of Mississippi School of Law was established, the fourth state-supported law school in the United States.

Following the presidential election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Mississippi became the second state to secede, with the articles of secession drafted by the university's mathematics professor Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar.

Within a month of the Civil War's outbreak, only 5 students remained at the University of Mississippi, and, by fall 1861, the university closed.

The University of Mississippi reopened in October 1865.

In 1885, the University of Mississippi became the first college in the Southeast to hire a female faculty member, Sarah McGehee Isom.

The university's byname "Ole Miss" dates to 1897, when it was the winning entry of a contest held to solicit suggestions for a yearbook title.

The University of Mississippi School of Business Administration was founded as the School of Commerce in 1917.

Although graduate degrees were conferred in the 19th century, the Graduate School was not formally established until 1927.

In 1941, the Master of Business Administration was established, and Ph.D. programs in business and economics were established shortly thereafter.

Consequently, in 1944 the Mississippi Constitution was amended to insulate the Board of Trustees from political pressure.

Shortly after the 1961 inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, James Meredith—an African American who had served in the Air Force and completed coursework at Jackson State University—applied to Ole Miss.

The university admitted its first African-American student, James Meredith, in October 1962 and has worked since to promote inclusiveness in all its endeavors.

In 1972, Ole Miss purchased Rowan Oak, the former home of Nobel Prize-winning writer William Faulkner.

Fostering Faulkner's legacy, the university hosted the inaugural Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference in 1974.

The School of Accountancy, established in 1979, was one of the first schools of its kind in the nation.

Six years later, in 1980, Willie Morris became the university's first writer in residence.

In 2002, Ole Miss marked the 40th anniversary of integration with a yearlong series of events, including an oral history of the university, various symposiums, a memorial, and a reunion of federal marshals who had served at the campus.

In 2003, Ole Miss retired its mascot, Colonel Reb, due to Confederate imagery.

In 2006, the 44th anniversary of integration, a statue of Meredith was dedicated on campus.

The university hosted the first presidential debate of 2008, between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.

Although a grass-roots movement to adopt Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar (of the Rebel Alliance) gained significant traction, Rebel Black Bear—a reference to Faulkner's short story The Bear—was selected as the new mascot in 2010.

Ole Miss also held a yearlong program to mark the 50th anniversary of integration in 2012.