University of Mississippi College of Liberal Arts

Joshua Kryah Selected as Summer Poet in Residence

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:15:43 -0500

Poet Joshua Kryah has been chosen as the seventh annual Summer Poet in Residence at the University of Mississippi.

Kryah is the author of two poetry collections, “We Are Starved” (2011), published by the University of Colorado Press as part of its New Mountain West Poetry Series, and “Glean” (2007), selected for the 2006 Nightboat Books Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in American Poetry Review, FIELD, Gulf Coast, The Iowa Review and Ploughshares, among others.

Kryah said he is “stoked” to come to Oxford.

“I learned about the Summer Poet in Residence program from an old friend, and past SPiR, Jake Adam York,” Kryah said. “Jake told me how wonderful the program was, how much time he had to write and how much he enjoyed interacting with the community, both students and other folks, there at Ole Miss. This all sounded wonderful to me, so I decided to apply.”

The Summer Poet in Residence program is designed to provide ample writing time to the poet while also allowing the University of Mississippi’s summer course offerings to be enriched by the presence of an active poet on campus. Kryah will also be invited to serve as judge for the Yalobusha Review’s Yellowwood Poetry Prize.

He will also give a reading, which is free and open to the public, at 5 p.m. June 26 at Off Square Books.

“To have the opportunity to dedicate myself for an extended period of time to writing is incredibly supportive and encouraging,” Kryah said. “I’m just incredibly excited to have the time and space to write.”

Beth Ann Fennelly, associate professor of English and director of the MFA program, said Kryah had applied to the program twice before and both times had been a finalist; this year he applied again with a new work sample.

“My colleague in poetry, Ann Fisher-Wirth, and I were thrilled to select Joshua Kryah for this year’s Summer Poet in Residence,” Fennelly said. “I’m amazed by the facility of his mind and imagination. In his sequence of poems about John Clare, the British peasant poet, he’s written ‘a call-and-response verse drama,’ which is to say, Clare speaks to his home, inhabitants, woodland creatures, etc., and they respond. The way Kryah inhabited the imagination of this revered yet troubled poet is profound.”

Kryah was also an attractive candidate because of his interdisciplinary interests.

“He’s taught Interdisciplinary Studies at UNLV and George Mason for the last five years,” Fennelly said. “One of the SPiR’s duties is to make class visits, because partial funding comes from summer school, and Josh has so many interests that I know the students will respond to his offerings.”

Since Kryah has two small children, in addition to teaching a heavy course load, his month here will provide time to focus on his craft while enjoying and enriching the university and Oxford communities.

“His reading at Off Square Books will be June 26, and all who attend will be glad to brag in years to come at having heard a major American talent early in his career,” Fennelly said.

Kryah received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and his PhD from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where he was a Schaeffer Fellow. He has been poetry editor of Witness magazine since 2007. He lives with his wife and two children in the Washington, D.C., area, where he is at work on two manuscripts: Closen, a verse drama about the life and work of the British peasant poet John Clare and the English Enclosure Acts of the 19th century, and Holy Ghost People, a meditation on glossolalia.

Previous summer poets include Traci Brimhall, Jay Leeming, Sandra Beasley, Jake Adam York, Tung-Hui Hu and Paula Bohince.

Louis, Lucia Brandt Make Major Gift Commitment to Strengthen UM

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:03:49 -0500

Louis and Lucia Brandt, from left, visit with UM Chancellor Dan Jones. The longtime benefactors have committed a planned gift to undergird faculty support, Ole Miss Athletics and the Brandt Memory House, home to the UM Foundation.

Growing up in Oxford, Miss., often means the University of Mississippi becomes part of the fabric of your life. At least that’s how it has been for businessman Louis Brandt of Houston, Texas, who is helping assure the well-rounded experiences he enjoyed as a resident and later as an Ole Miss student continue through a $1 million planned gift.

Brandt and his wife, Lucia, are directing half of the gift to a faculty support endowment, and another part will create one of the only unrestricted endowments for Ole Miss Athletics. The third portion will expand the existing Louis K. Brandt Memory House Endowment, which was created in 1998 for preservation of Brandt Memory House, home to the University of Mississippi Foundation.

When planning his gift, Brandt said he relied on university and foundation representatives to tell him about campus needs and learned of UM’s significant initiative to add $100 million to endowed funds for faculty members. With decreasing state funding for higher education and the nation’s universities vying for top professors, the availability of private funds assure Ole Miss students are taught by outstanding professors who are leading scholars in their fields, UM officials said.

Investing in faculty support is a goal Brandt understood and embraced, thinking specifically of his favorite professor at UM—his own father, Louis Brandt, who taught economics. Brandt never was able to enroll in one of his father’s classes because they were usually always full, said the alumnus who earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics.

Chancellor Jones said he appreciated Brandt’s endorsement of the university’s commitment to increase faculty support.

“Louis Brandt is a successful business professional who has been motivated to give back by his longstanding ties to Oxford and Ole Miss. He stays abreast of our priorities through his dedicated service on the board of the University Foundation. Through this latest gift, he has affirmed the importance of quality teaching and has committed to help this university attract top educators so that students for many generations are taught and mentored by exceptional faculty members. Louis and Lucia are gracious and generous individuals who continually seek ways to strengthen Ole Miss, and we are grateful for their involvement and vision.”

Louis Brandt’s business career has been centered in Texas, where he is active with three companies, BMA, Ltd., Brandt Interest Ltd. and Timberwilde, Inc. and has served on an array of boards. In addition to a degree from UM, he holds an electrical engineering degree from UT. He invented a machine to separate solids from liquids during drilling, which was the basis for The Brandt Company, one of his enterprises that he later sold to TRW, Inc. He was inducted into UM’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 1993 and is the father to three sons.

Barbara Leeton Receives Access Award

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:26:45 -0500

Congratulations to Barbara Leeton—-recipient of the annual Access Award for her outstanding support of students with disabilities!

College Corps Looking for New Members

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:04:00 -0500

The College of Liberal Arts is recruiting outstanding candidates for its third class of College Corpsmembers. College Corps is a community-based AmeriCorps program that addresses problems related to education and opportunity throughout Oxford and Lafayette County. As a College Corps participant, members are part of a powerful team of leaders united in service to the community.

Participants serve as minimum-time AmeriCorps members and are deployed to community host sites where they serve 300 volunteer hours throughout the course of the school year. Members generally serve 9-12 hours a week and add a new layer of strength to their designated site. Program sites include the Boys and Girls Club, Oxford Public Schools, the Leap Frog Tutoring Program, Doors of Hope, and the Mississippi State Veterans Home of Oxford, and Interfaith Compassion Ministries, among others. Upon completion of 300 hours, all members are eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

All interested applicants should fill out the form and submit it to Hume Hall 231 by April 19, 2013.

See more information on the program at the following link:

http://umcollegecorps.webs.com

Contact Sharon Levine at splevine@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1905 with questions.

Remembering Professor Evans Harrington

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:43:00 -0500

Join the remembrance of English professor, author and civil rights activist Evans Harrington March 22, 10AM, in the University Library Department of Archives and Special Collections. Featuring remarks from Harrington’s former students and colleagues. Free and open to the public.

Author photo from Harrington’s 1956 book, The Prisoners.

Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Awards

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:35:00 -0500

Congratulations Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters 2013 award winners UM faculty David Wharton (photography) and Richard Ford (fiction) and alumna Caroline Herring (music)!

20th Oxford Conference for the Book

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:17:13 -0500

Read all about the March 21-23, 2013 event here http://news.olemiss.edu/books-authors-reading-celebrated-at-oxford-conference-for-the-book/#.UUcfeY5iYwE with inside scoop by moderators & speakers/UM alumni & faculty Ralph Eubanks, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Curtis Wilkie, WIlliam Dunlap, John T Edge and Ted Ownby blogging here: http://oxfordconferenceforthebook.tumblr.com.

Congratulations Phi Kappa Phi Student Nominees!

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:26:42 -0600

Recognized for academic accomplishments with an invitation to this national honor society are the following students in the College of Liberal Arts:

Abigail Kathrine Abide, Gabrielle Rae Alonzo, Eleanor Chamberlain Anthony, Alison Bartel, Kaleigh Elizabeth Caldwell, Kyla Jenise Clark, Madison Elizabeth Coburn, Jillian Leah Cowart, Morgan Elizabeth Davis, Christine Nicole Dickason, Lance Robert Ezell, Lauren Anne Foropoulos, Dakota Lee Gilbert, Paige Elizabeth Gremillion, Allison Caroline Hatten, Kimber Lyn LaCour, Kristen Gale Laprade, Elizabeth Britt McClure, Dalton Tanner Moore, Zachery Layne Newton, Megan McKenzie Reed, Abigail Joy Sandifer, Tyler Martin Slay, Megan Lindsay Smith, Emory Caroline Smith, Mary Elizabeth Smithson, Cara Madeleine Thorne, Phillip Christopher Waller, Lindsay La’arriana White, David Kimble Wilbanks, Kristen Majure Wilson, Elizabeth Adair Abbot, Salma Akhtar, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Barnes, Emily Victoria Bennett, Kevin C Bui, James Craig Bullock, Patricia Lurline Bush, William Trevor Carroll, Noel Thomas Childress, Mattie Christine Codling, Taylor Elizabeth Cook, Samuel Walker Davidson, Adam McKenzie Davis, Kevin Patrick Diehl, Claire Morehouse Douglas, Christopher Bond Finseth, Harriet Elizabeth Fisher, Liria Frerer, Virginia Jane Geddie, Jade Michele-Helene Genga, Joseph Wellington Golden, Jacob Wallace Goolsby, Brad Alexander Gordon, Meaghan Katherine Hanson, Camden Story Hastings, Benjamin Allen Hewitt, Teresa Elizabeth Hill, Casey Aaron Holliday, Megan Elizabeth Holton, Christina Michelle Holy, Tingting Annie Hu, Zackary Blake Huffman, Amber Mechelle James, Michael Bradford Jelks, Elyse Cosette Jensen, Trevor David Johnson, Ainslee Patricia Johnson, Alexandra Elise Jones, Christopher Lee Jordan, Vinod Kannuthurai, Matthew Todd Kiefer, Alaina Brooke King, Tamara Ibragimovna Khudoyberdiev King, Bailey Elease Kirby, Evan Alexander Kirkham, Wilson Lee Knight, Gabriel Joseph Labonia, ISAAC LICHLYTER, Stewart Logan, Elise Marce Luers, Ford Reid Maddux, Julie Kathleen Magee, Audrey Anne Mason, Thomas Neal McMillin, Chandler Glenn Mims, Charles Edward Moore, Benjamin Lee Moore, Kimberly Nicole Morel, Paul Douglas Neubert, Hope Owens-Wilson, Maria Dajung Pak, Andrew Robert Palmer, Natalie Rene’ Phongam, Rebecca Elizabeth Pocase, Karina Rene Popp, Blake Everett Pruett, Hillary Laine Puckett, Timothy Sean Ray, Peter Anthony Romeo, Susanna Mae Rychlak, Rachel Lisbeth Saliba, Kevin Gordon Scott, Alana Brooke Simpson, James Landin Smith, Brian Michael Spurlock, April Elizabeth Steen, Jean Steinwinder, William McKinley Steward, Sylvia Madison Stewart, Carmen Louise Taylor, Alexandria Nicole Tidwell, Cornelia Christian Tisher, Samra Blake Ward, Tara Hancock Whitfield, Matthew Michael Williams, Marie Elise Williams, Daniel Seth Wilson, Michael Spencer Woods, Leighton Victoria Wright, Benjamin James Zuerlein

Daniel Whitt’s Apple Distinguished Educator Video - ADE...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:51:00 -0600

Daniel Whitt’s Apple Distinguished Educator Video - ADE 2013 (by Daniel Whitt). The University of Mississippi alumnus (B.A. English) is recipient of Apple’s Distinguished Educator Award for innovative use of technology.

Building Communities Around Sustainability Food Summit examines healthy food for Mississippians

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:43:46 -0600

Answers to the question “how do we get healthy food to Mississippians from the field to the table” will be examined Friday, March 1 during a Food Summit in Oxford.

The University of Mississippi Department of Public Policy Leadership and the Appalachian Regional Commission, collaborating with the university’s Trent Lott Leadership Institute, Office of Sustainability and Department of Nutrition and Hospitality, will present a forum for conversation around the continued effort to build a local, equitable and sustainable food economy throughout the state.The summit is held in conjunction with the fourth annual Gaining Ground Sustainable Living Conference, set for March 2-3. Registration for the Food Summit is $15. All events are open to the public, with discounts for students.

“The purpose is to set a table for policymakers, producers, consumers and all stake-holders so they can discuss the benefits of enhancing the local food economy through mechanisms like farmers’ markets, CSAs, food hubs, food banks and community gardens,” said Jody Holland, visiting assistant professor of public policy leadership. “We want to determine and identify policy barriers and incentives and look at helping coordinate a sustainable agriculture system in Mississippi.”

Holland, principal investigator in the grant that was funded by Appalachian Regional Commission, has helped coordinate the event, along with Daniel Doyle, statewide coordinator of the Mississippi Agricultural Network.

Friday events, held at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center, include panels on human and environmental health, local food systems, economics and building communities. The keynote speaker is author and food rights activist Mark Winne.

“I would like to see policy recommendations for statewide action, a structure for a local sustainable agriculture network and being a sparkplug for enhancing local economic development through the local food network,” Holland said.

For a full schedule and registration details, visit www.ggsim.org.

38th Porter L. Fortune, Jr. History Symposium

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:01:40 -0600

NYT Obit: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian and UM Alum Thomas K. McCraw

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:20:00 -0600

Thomas K. McCraw, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who used biography to explore thorny issues in economics, died on November 3, 2012 in Cambridge, Mass. He was 72.

Professor McCraw, who taught from 1976 to 2007 at Harvard Business School, won the Pulitzer for history in 1985 for “Prophets of Regulation: Charles Francis Adams, Louis D. Brandeis, James M. Landis and Alfred E. Kahn.” The book focused on those men, of different eras, to illustrate how government regulation of industry affected the American economy from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries.

The book was recognized for melding scholarship and engaging prose.

“Mr. McCraw explains sophisticated economic theory in accessible terms,” The New York Times Book Review said, “and he has a historian’s knack for isolating such basic American traits as a mistrust of big business and for showing how regulators manipulated these traits to implement their policies.”

Thomas Kincaid McCraw was born on Sept. 11, 1940, in Corinth, Miss., near where his father, John, a civil engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority, was helping to build a dam. The family moved frequently, and Thomas graduated from high school in Florence, Ala.

He attended the University of Mississippi on a Navy R.O.T.C. scholarship and after graduation served four years in the Navy, mostly in Bermuda. He earned a master’s degree and doctorate in history from the University of Wisconsin and taught at the University of Texas before moving to Harvard.

Professor McCraw lived in Belmont, Mass., with his wife, the former Susan Morehead. College sweethearts at Mississippi, they married in 1962.

Read story»

Jeff Jackson, 2012 UM Humanities Teacher of the Year

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:03:00 -0500

The 2012 UM Humanities Teacher of the Year is Jeff Jackson, associate professor of sociology.

Mississippi and the Global South: The Contemporary Paradox of Poverty Amid Plenty—-an exploration of how inequality in Mississippi compares to other parts of the world and how the theoretical concept of ‘the global south’ can help us to overcome scholarly divides in the effort to understand the world-wide disparities that connect us all—-will be the topic of his lecture November 8, at 7 o’clock p.m. in the Tupelo Room of Barnard Observatory.

The public is invited to the lecture and the reception.

Sponsors are the College of Liberal Arts and the Mississippi Humanities Council.

For more information or if you require assistance relating to a disability, please contact the College at 662.915.7178 or libarts@olemiss.edu.

NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY DAY

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:27:00 -0500

The University of Mississippi Department of Classics celebration of National Archaeology Day—-sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America - AIA—-features a lecture by Jay K. Johnson, UM professor of anthropology and director of the Center for Archaeological Research, entitled Ritual and Space at a Prehistoric Mound Center, on Friday, October 26 at 4 o’clock in Bryant Hall 209. The public is invited.

The lecture concludes an afternoon of Classics fun and learning with students from Anne Steel’s Latin class at Oxford Middle School.

Cultural Historian from Emory University To Discuss Legacies of Racism in Deep South

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:14:21 -0500

Sander L. Gilman, a distinguished professor of the liberal arts and sciences and professor of psychiatry at Emory University, will discuss “How Did Anti-Semitism and Racism Become Mental Illness? From Anti-Semitic Vienna to Segregated Topeka, Kansas” on Thursday (Oct. 25) at 5:30 p.m. in Bryant Hall, Room 209, with a reception to follow.

On the following day, Friday, Oct. 26, Gilman will engage with students and faculty in a discussion moderated by James M. Thomas, UM visiting professor of sociology and Southern Studies, on issues related to the topic of his lecture in the Bryant Hall Gallery at noon.

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Gilman on campus to shine a light on the historical uses and roles of racism in culture,” said Willa Johnson, associate professor of sociology. “A first-rate, internationally renowned scholar, Dr. Gilman will enlighten us about the problems inherent in Othering. We could not have a more able scholar to instruct us as we contemplate the university’s legacies, the meanings of the 50-year anniversary of James Meredith, and a path forward.”

This is the second major lecture in a yearlong series titled, “Intertwining Legacies: Jews and African Americans in the Deep South” hosted by the University of Mississippi Critical Race Studies Group.

“Our group is interested in bringing state-of-the-art scholarship on race and racism to the UM campus,” said Jeff Jackson, associate professor of sociology and member of the Critical Race Studies Group. “Dr. Gilman’s work definitely falls into that category and we are extremely fortunate to have him here.”

Gilman also is a professor at the Institute in the Humanities at Birkbeck College and has been a visiting professor at numerous universities in North America, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, China and New Zealand.

For 25 years, he was a member of the humanities and medical faculties at Cornell University where he held the Goldwin Smith Professorship of Humane Studies. He held the Henry R. Luce Distinguished Service Professorship of the Liberal Arts in Human Biology at the University of Chicago and was a distinguished professor of the Liberal Arts and Medicine and creator of the Humanities Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as a visiting historical scholar at the National Library of Medicine, as a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, as a Berlin prize fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, and as a Weidenfeld Visiting Professor of European Comparative Literature at Oxford University.

He is past president of the Modern Language Association and an honorary member of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He also is the author or editor of more than 80 books including Wagner and Cinema; Obesity: The Biography; Jewish Self-Hatred; and a basic study of the visual stereotyping of the mentally ill entitled Seeing the Insane.

This program was made possible by the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS). Support for the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is generously provided by the Legacy Heritage Fund Limited. The lecture series is co-sponsored by the University of Mississippi.

For more information, contact Willa M. Johnson, associate professor of sociology and project director, at willajohnson57@gmail.com, (662) 915-1495.

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:53:00 -0500

L-O-U Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:36:00 -0500

The L-O-U Symphony will present its Fall Concert Monday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The program will open with W. A. Mozart’s Symphony in D major, K. 297. One of Mozart’s most famous symphonies and the first of his mature works in the form, it was composed for the orchestra of the Concert Spirituel, one of the finest orchestra in existence at the time. Mozart composed a brilliant work for an unusually large classical orchestra that could take advantage of the virtuosity of the great orchestra. It was a popular and critical success and repeated several time following its premier on June 12, 1788.

Dr. Micah Everett, a new faculty member in the department of music, will join the orchestra as soloist in Johann Georg Albrechtsberger’s concerto for Alto Trombone and orchestra. Albrechtsberger was a contemporary of Joseph Haydn, and was well known as a theorist and teacher of composition. His most famous student was Ludwig van Beethoven.

After intermission, the orchestra will perform the Simple Symphony by the English composer, Benjamin Britten. The symphony, for string orchestra, was composed by Britten based on piano works that he had created as a child. In spite of the name, it is a fully developed work using the full resources of the string ensemble.

The program will close with three Slavonic Dances from the Op. 46 set by Antonin Dvorak. Inspired by Johannes Brahms Hungarian Dances, these Slavonic Dances were a “breakthrough” success for Dvorak, and have remained among the most enduring of his works for orchestra, along with his last three symphonies and other shorter works.

For assistance related to a disability, contact: 662-915-2787, music@olemiss.edu

Ancient Sounds of Greece

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:23:00 -0500

”

The Department of Classics presents a lecture, Ancient Sounds of Greece by Dr. Nikos Xanthoulis, archaeologist and musician, Tuesday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m. in the Turner Center Auditorium.

Dr. Zanthouis will discuss ancient Greek music from 800 B.C. to 400 A.D., introduce musical instruments such as the salpinx (a type of trumpet) and the lyre, and shed light on the performance of lyric songs by actually playing reconstructed instruments.

The lecture, presented by the UM Department of Classics. is part of the Archaeological Institute of America’s National Lecture Program, and funding for it has been provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York, which strives to support the work of scholars in the fields of ancient art. The event is free and open to the public.

Fund Honors Biloxi Mayor, Recognized for Leadership After Katrina

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:06:00 -0500

John Bruce (left), chair of political science, congratulates Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway, recipient of the department’s 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award. Photo courtesy of Nikki Neely

The University of Mississippi Department of Political Science has named Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway as recipient of its 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Using money from private donors, the university also has established the A.J. Holloway Fund to provide academic and research support for the department.

“A.J. Holloway not only was a great athlete at Ole Miss but he has been an outstanding leader in his hometown of Biloxi where he grew up,” said William Winter, Mississippi’s 58th governor. “I regard him not only as my cherished friend, but as one who has brought honor to Ole Miss.”

The developmental fund will provide resources for both faculty and students.

“The fund can serve as seed money to a larger research grant or help fund research-related travel. It can fund student travel or internship costs, and help cover unexpected academic expenses,” said John Bruce, chair of the political science department. “The Holloway Fund plays a crucial role in developing and supporting the academic mission of the department, allowing us to help our faculty and students reach ever-higher levels of scholarship.”

Holloway has served as mayor of Biloxi for nearly 20 years. He was thrilled upon learning that the fund was created in his name.

“It surprised me that I was even thought about since I’ve been gone from the university for so long,” Holloway said. “I look forward to it and my family and I think it’s a great honor.”

A Biloxi native, Holloway graduated from Ole Miss in 1963 with a B.A. in education. During his time at the university, Holloway played for the 1960 football team, which was named national champions by the Football Writers Association of America. He competed in two Sugar Bowls and a Cotton Bowl.

“During the time I played for the team, we lost one game and tied one game with LSU,” Holloway said. “We beat them one time. I scored the winning touchdown in that game.”

Holloway remembers his time at the university fondly.

“There were people who made an impact on me in the classroom and on the football field,” he said. “I made many friends over the years there.”

After graduation, Holloway moved to Columbus to teach. After two years, he moved back to Biloxi and served as business manager for the public school system. He also served on the Mississippi Tax Commission before being elected mayor of Biloxi in 1993.

Holloway was integral in pulling the city together after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

“The defining moment of my time as mayor was when Hurricane Katrina came through,” Holloway said. “It just about leveled the whole city. The whole east end of the city was underwater. People were walking around in a daze in the streets; they didn’t know what to do.”

Just days after the storm, Holloway began the long process of rebuilding. He marshaled city departments, used state and federal aid and implemented a plan to clear the city of debris. Six months after the storm, Holloway announced the “Reviving the Renaissance” initiative, prompting nearly 200 residents to help craft a blueprint to guide the city’s rebuilding efforts in a way that recaptures the successes of the past.

“As soon as it stopped raining and everything settled down, we started cleaning up,” Holloway said. “We lost about 5,000 structures in Biloxi, but the people were strong and they were ready to go to work. We’re still rebuilding today.”

UM Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat recognizes Holloway’s leadership.

“I think that A.J. has been an extraordinary mayor,” Khayat said. “Having a plan and leading through an event like Katrina is being a visionary. That’s somebody who is emotionally and mentally invested in the city of Biloxi. Everything I know about him is positive and I think that his life has been exemplary, therefore he is an appropriate person to name an endowment after.”

Bruce praises Holloway’s accomplishments.

“A. J. Holloway is a fantastic example of a distinguished alum,” Bruce said. “He excelled as both a student and athlete while enrolled at the University of Mississippi, and he has continued to excel in the years since. His dedication to public service is remarkable, as is the universal praise for his long tenure as mayor of Biloxi.”

Former Lt. Gov. Brad Dye is on the alumni advisory board that selected Holloway for the award.

“A.J. is an outstanding example of strong leadership at the local level,” Dye said. “His excellent stewardship during and after Hurricane Katrina, and his competent development of Biloxi as a major gaming resort attest to his ability in leading his city.”

Bruce has high expectations for the fund.

“The Holloway Fund is the type of resource that can have profound impacts on the careers of both our students and our faculty,” he said.

A reception honoring Holloway is slated for 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Oxford-University Club.

Donations to the fund can be made online at http://www.umf.olemiss.edu/makeagift. Make reference to the “A. J. Holloway Developmental Endowment” if donating by credit card. Contributions also can be mailed to the Department of Political Science, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, Attn: Holloway.

For more information on the political science department, go to http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/political_science/politicalscience.htm.

Freshman Convocation Keynote Address: Common Reading Experience 2012 Author Tom Franklin

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:41:00 -0500

Theressa Hilliard and Stephen Monroe in the office of the dean of the College of Liberal Arts eagerly await award-winning author Tom Franklin ‘s discussion of his bestselling Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter—-the UM Common Reading Experience book—-as keynote speaker for Freshman Convocation Thursday, August 23, 7 p.m. at Tad Smith Coliseum. Franklin will sign books following convocation. The event is free and open to the public.