University of Southern Mississippi

{{Short description|Public university in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, US}} {{redirect|Southern Miss|the University of Southern Mississippi athletics program|Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox university | name = {{nowrap|University of Southern Mississippi}} | image = University of Southern Mississippi seal.svg | motto = "Southern Miss to the Top!" | image_upright = 0.6 | former_names = {{collapsible list | titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;padding-left:0.5em;font-size:100%; | liststyle = text-align:left;white-space:nowrap; | title=|Mississippi Normal College (1910–1924)<ref name="Hickman">{{cite book |last1=Hickman |first1=Alma |title=Southern As I Saw It: Personal Remembrances of an Era, 1912 to 1954 |date=1966 |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi Press |location=Hattiesburg, MS}}</ref> State Teachers College (1924–1936) Mississippi State Teachers College (1936–1940) Mississippi Southern College (1940–1962)}} | established = {{start date and age|1910|03|30}} | type = Public research university | academic_affiliation = {{hlist |ORAU |Sea-grant |Space-grant }} | accreditation = SACS | parent = Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mississippi.edu/about/|title=IHL System - About}}</ref> | president = Joseph S. Paul | provost = Lance Nail | endowment = $169.3 million (2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2025-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2025 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2025 Endowment Market Value |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 20, 2026 |format=XLSX}}</ref> | students = 14,606 (fall 2020)<ref name="factbook">{{cite web |author1=Office of Institutional Research |title=USM Fact Book 2017–2018 |url=https://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/office-institutional-research/pdf/usm_fact_book_2017-2018_3-6-18.pdf |website=Fact Book 2017–2018 |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623061629/https://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/office-institutional-research/pdf/usm_fact_book_2017-2018_3-6-18.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> | undergrad = 11,451 | postgrad = 3,155 | faculty = 899 (fall 2017)<ref name="factbook" /> | campus = Small city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Mississippi&s=all&pg=2&id=176372|title=IPEDS-University of Southern Mississippi}}</ref> | campus_size = {{convert|300|acre|km2}} | city = Hattiesburg, Mississippi | country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|31.329638|N|89.333847|W|source:dewiki_region:US-MS_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title,inline}} | colors = Black and gold<ref>{{cite book|title=University Colors|url=https://www.usm.edu/university-communications/files/usm_graphic_standards_may2019_v2.pdf#page=11|work=The University of Southern Mississippi Graphic Standards|publisher=University of Southern Mississippi Office of University Communications|date=July 15, 2019|access-date=July 25, 2019|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627001615/https://www.usm.edu/university-communications/files/usm_graphic_standards_may2019_v2.pdf#page=11|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{color box|black}} {{color box|gold}} | athletics_nickname = {{hlist|Golden Eagles|Lady Eagles}} | sporting_affiliations = {{hlist|NCAA Division I FBS – Sun Belt|CUSA}} | website = {{URL|https://usm.edu}} | logo = University of Southern Mississippi logo.svg | logo_size = 200 | free_label = Other campuses | free = {{hlist|Gulfport|Long Beach|Ocean Springs|Stennis Space Center}} | mascot = Seymour d'Campus | free_label2 = Media | free2 = ''Student Media Center'' }}

The '''University of Southern Mississippi''' ('''Southern Miss''' or '''USM''') is a public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".<ref name="Carnegie"/>

Founded on March 30, 1910, the university is a dual-campus institution, with its main campus in Hattiesburg and its other large campus, Gulf Park, in Long Beach. It has five additional teaching and research sites, including the John C. Stennis Space Center and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL).

Originally called the Mississippi Southerners, the Southern Miss athletic teams became the Golden Eagles in 1972. The school's colors, black and gold, were selected by a student body vote shortly after the school was founded. The color scheme was inspired by the Mississippi Native species, Black Eyed Susans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Traditions: School Colors |url=https://southernmiss.com/sports/2018/6/21/_trads_school_colors_html |website=southernmiss.com |access-date=10 May 2026}}</ref> While mascots, names, customs, and the campus have changed, the black and gold colors have remained constant. USM's 17 sport programs participate in NCAA Division I athletics, mainly as members of the Sun Belt Conference.

==History== thumb|350px|The first five buildings erected on the university's Hattiesburg campus

The University of Southern Mississippi was founded on March 30, 1910, as '''Mississippi Normal College''', a teacher-training school. The Normal College was created to standardize the process of training upcoming teachers. Before the existence of a specialized teaching college, instructors were required to travel throughout Mississippi in preparation for teaching their students.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The University of Southern Mississippi:1912–1987|last=Morgan|first=Chester|publisher=The University Press of Mississippi|year=1987|isbn=0-87805-307-7|location=Jackson and London|page=3}}</ref> R. H. Hunt designed the original campus plan and seven buildings in the Colonial Revival style.<ref>University of Southern Mississippi. [https://lib.usm.edu/spcol/exhibitions/item_of_the_month/iotm_aug_2014.html Special Collections. Exhibits and Events] Retrieved March 2, 2020.</ref><ref>Sutton, Cantey Venable. ed. (1929). ''History of Art in Mississippi.'' Gulfport, Miss.: The Dixie Press. p. 7.</ref> The college's first president, Joseph Anderson Cook, presided over the opening session of instruction on September 18, 1912, and oversaw the construction of College Hall (the academic building); Forrest County Hall (men's and married students' dormitory); Hattiesburg Hall (women's dormitory); the Industrial Cottage (training laboratory for home management); and the president's home (now the Ogletree Alumni House). In its first session, Mississippi Normal College had an enrollment of 876 students, and stood for "clean, pure, efficient lives."<ref>{{Cite book |title=The University of Southern Mississippi:1912–1987|last=Morgan|first=Chester|publisher=The University Press of Mississippi |year=1987|isbn=0-87805-307-7|location=Jackson and London|page=3}}</ref>

As the school developed its curriculum and departments, its name changed to reflect its progress: in 1924, to '''Mississippi State Teachers College''', and in 1940, to '''Mississippi Southern College'''.

The college's fifth president, State Archivist William David McCain, was installed in 1955 and worked to expand Mississippi Southern College. He oversaw the construction of 17 new structures on campus and convinced Governor Ross Barnett to upgrade the school to university status in recognition of its graduate programs. On February 27, 1962, Barnett signed the bill into law that renamed the school the University of Southern Mississippi.

thumb|right|William David McCain (left) with Gov. Ross Barnett and Lt. Gov. Paul B. Johnson at signing of bill granting university status

===Desegregation and civil rights=== In 1954 the United States Supreme Court ruled in ''Brown v. Board of Education'' that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. But when Clyde Kennard, a black Korean War veteran, attempted to enroll at Mississippi Southern College in the late 1950s, USM President William McCain made major efforts with the state political establishment and local black leaders to prevent it. Kennard was turned down three times. After he wrote letters about educational integration to the local paper, he was twice arrested on trumped-up criminal charges; he was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven years in the state prison.

McCain's direct involvement in this abuse of the justice system is unclear. He was likely aware that the charges against Kennard were fraudulent, but neither he nor other public officials made any objection.<ref name="Evers">{{cite book |title=Medgar Evers |first=Jennie |last=Brown |publisher=Holloway House |date=1994 |pages=128–132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4hXtcZCJ0PoC |isbn=978-0-8706-7594-2}}</ref><ref name="Funding">Tucker, William H. ''The Funding of Scientific Racism: Wickliffe Draper and the Pioneer Fund'', University of Illinois Press (May 30, 2007), pp 165-66.</ref><ref name="Confederacy">{{cite book |title=Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction |editor-first1=Euan |editor-last1=Hague |editor-first2=Heidi |editor-last2=Beirich |editor-first3=Edward H. |editor-last3=Sebesta |publisher=University of Texas Press |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-2927-7921-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LfWdaR9wHEEC |pages=284–285}}</ref><ref name="report">{{cite web|url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=135|title=Sons of Confederate Veterans in its own Civil War|access-date=May 29, 2015|archive-date=October 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028143514/http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=135|url-status=dead}}</ref> Speaking to businessmen in Chicago on a trip sponsored by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, McCain said: "We insist that educationally and socially, we maintain a segregated society. ... In all fairness, I admit that we are not encouraging Negro voting," he said. "The Negroes prefer that control of the government remain in the white man's hands."<ref name="Evers"/><ref name="Funding"/><ref name="report" /> Kennard was finally released on parole in 1963, when he was terminally ill with cancer; he died six months later.

thumb|left|400px|Kennard meeting sister Sara Tarpley on arrival in Chicago after parole in 1963

By the early 1960s, national pressure was growing to integrate Mississippi's institutions of higher learning. McCain was well known to vehemently oppose having any black students at Mississippi Southern. In 1962 James Meredith attempted to enroll at the University of Mississippi, the state's flagship institution.<ref name="Evers"/> His enrollment was accomplished after white rioting and use of federal troops to end the violence.

By the fall of 1965 both Ole Miss and Mississippi State University had been integrated—the former violently, the latter peacefully. McCain, USM, and state leaders recognized that the state needed to integrate to appeal to businesses outside the state. They made extensive confidential plans for the admission of USM's first two black students. A faculty guardian and tutor was secretly appointed for each to help with the transition. The campus police department was instructed to prevent or quickly stop any incident against the two black students. Student athletic, fraternity, and political leaders were recruited to keep the peace and protect the university from the kind of negative publicity Ole Miss had suffered during rioting against Meredith's enrollment.

As a result, black students Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong and Raylawni Branch were enrolled without incident in September 1965.<ref name="sketch">{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m393.htm?m393text.htm%7EmainFrameBiographical%2FHistorical |title=M393 McCain (William D.) Pamphlet Collection |access-date=June 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917124123/http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m393.htm?m393text.htm~mainFrameBiographical%2FHistorical |archive-date=September 17, 2009}}</ref><ref name="lib.usm.edu">[http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m335.htm?m335text.htm~mainFrame Branch (Raylawni) Collection, The University of Southern Mississippi – McCain Library and Archives. Retrieved on November 7, 2008.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060912002820/http://www.lib.usm.edu/~archives/m335.htm?m335text.htm~mainFrame |date=September 12, 2006 }}</ref> In 2018, USM unveiled a Freedom Trail Marker in honor of Clyde Kennard in front of Kennard Washington Hall, named after him and the first African-American doctoral student to graduate from USM, Walter Washington. Shortly thereafter, at the commencement ceremonies in May 2018, Kennard was posthumously awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters ''honoris causa''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spring Commencement Ceremony Features Special Honor for Clyde Kennard |url=http://news.usm.edu/article/spring-commencement-ceremony-features-special-honor-clyde-kennard|website=Southern Miss Now |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=University of Southern Mississippi to award posthumous degree to Clyde Kennard|url=https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/education/usm/2018/05/07/clyde-kennard-get-posthumous-degree-southern-miss/581474002/|website=Hattiesburg American|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> A student in Kennard's Sunday School class at Mary Magdalene Baptist Church in Eatonville, Mississippi, accepted the honor on his behalf.

Between 1955 and 1965, USM and McCain infringed upon gay and lesbian students' civil rights. Gay and lesbian students, especially male homosexuals, were targeted and expelled. McCain's intention was to purge the campus of all sexual impurities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/southern-miss-docs/intro|title=Hunting Homosexuals at Southern Miss: 1955–1965; Analyzing the Journals of William D. McCain|last1=Bristol|first1=Douglas|last2=Ross |first2=Andrew|website=OutHistory.org|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>

In 1969, the Afro-American Cultural Society (AACS) was founded. Alvin Williams, an early member of the organization and professor emeritus of media at the university, called AACS an "instrumental part of student life for black students" attending the university in the late 1960s. The organization was renamed the African American Student Organization (AASO) in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.usm.edu/article/african-american-student-organization-reunion-set-august-30-sept-1|title=African American Student Organization Reunion set for August 30 – Sept. 1 {{!}} Southern Miss Now|website=news.usm.edu|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>

The transition from the 1960s to the 1970s involved a surge of social activism and major changes at the university. In response to black students' growing concerns, the university ramped up its efforts to hire black faculty. In 1972, "General Nat" (Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest) was discarded in favor of the Golden Eagles. In 1974, standout football player Fred Cook was voted the first black Mr. USM. The first black Greek organizations premiered in 1975.<ref name=":0" /> By the time McCain retired in 1975, enrollment had climbed to 11,000 students.<ref name="lib.usm.edu"/>

In the years following McCain's campus transformation, The University of Southern Mississippi continued to expand dramatically. Changes included replacement of the quarter system by semesters, creation of the Polymer Science Institute, reorganization of the university's 10 schools into six colleges including the College of Nursing, affiliation with Conference USA, the implementation of online classes; and an expansion of the Gulf Coast campus.

===Presidents=== {{div col}} * Joseph Anderson "Joe" Cook – 1912–1928 * Claude Bennett – 1928–1933 * Jennings Burton George – 1933–1945 * Robert Cecil Cook – 1945–1954 * Richard Aubrey McLemore (acting president) – 1955 * William David McCain – 1955–1975 * Aubrey K. Lucas – 1975–1996 * Horace Weldon Fleming Jr. – 1997–2001 * Aubrey Lucas (interim president) – 2001–2002 * Shelby Freland Thames – 2002–2007 * Martha Dunagin Saunders – 2007–2012 * Aubrey Lucas (interim president) – 2012–2013 * Rodney D. Bennett – 2013–2022 * Joseph S. Paul – 2022–present

===21st century=== {{Infobox US university ranking | Forbes = 522<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/|title=America's Top Colleges|website=Forbes}}</ref> | USNWR_NU = 318 (tie)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi-2441/overall-rankings|title=''U.S. News and World'' Report Best Colleges Rankings 2016}}</ref> | USNWR_W = 1724 (tie) | Wamo_NU = 235<ref name=wmcom>{{cite web|url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018college-guide/national|title=College Guide and Rankings|website=Washington Monthly}}</ref> }} In the early 21st century, Southern Miss developed under the presidency of Shelby Thames. His tenure was characterized by a significant increase in the quantity of research conducted at the university. USM was classified as a "Doctoral / Research Extensive" university by the Carnegie Foundation during the Thames era.<ref name="Carnegie">{{cite web |title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=176372 |publisher=Center for Postsecondary Education |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220331022502/https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=176372|archive-date= March 31, 2022|website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> According to the National Science Foundation, USM spent $61 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 183rd in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Table 20. Higher education R&D expenditures, ranked by FY 2018 R&D expenditures: FYs 2009–18 |url=https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2018/html/herd18-dt-tab020.html |website=ncsesdata.nsf.gov |publisher=National Science Foundation |access-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930141919/https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2018/html/herd18-dt-tab020.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Thames's work to respond to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina brought praise from the community. In October 2005, the Faculty Senate of the Gulf Park campus passed a resolution of appreciation. The ''Hattiesburg American'' reported that Thames's post-Katrina address to the faculty at Hattiesburg was well received. Thames did not lay off any university employees after the storm, although the Gulf Park campus alone sustained over $100 million in damage (By contrast, Tulane University in New Orleans released approximately 25% of its staff and dropped significant athletic and academic programs, including the computer science major and most engineering programs, in retrenchment after closure and damage to the campus.){{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The Thames administration gained financing and supervised several campus construction projects, often in partnership with private-sector entities. An addition to the student union houses the second-largest Barnes & Noble store in the southern U.S., which is open to the community. Barnes & Noble pays $1.5 million in annual rent for the facility. Thames also negotiated a food services agreement with Aramark which will donate $9 million to university construction projects. Other enhancements include the upscale Power House restaurant (at a former college power plant adapted for this use); the $15 million sorority village; additions to the football, basketball, and baseball facilities; and urban design elements to make the campus more open, "green," and pedestrian-friendly.

The university experienced an unexpected, highly publicized drop from "Tier 3" to "Tier 4" in the ''U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings in 2004. This roughly coincided with the height of the Shelby Thames controversy, when he fired tenured professors for "dissension". Several organizations scrutinized his actions' legality, as tenure is designed to protect academic independence. In 2004, the USM Faculty Senate expressed its grievances to Thames after the allegations were heard.<ref>USM Faculty Senate. "Open Letter to President Thames," ''Faculty Senate Resolutions,'' Paper 38, (2004): 2. https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1015&context=faculty_senate_resolutions</ref> The Faculty Senate later published a review of the Thames Administration describing its controversies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article%3D1000%26context%3Dfaculty_senate_reports |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226203207/http://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=faculty_senate_reports |archive-date=February 26, 2014 }}</ref> After Thames resigned, by 2009, ''U.S. News & World Report'' again ranked the university as in the upper portion of "Tier 3.".<ref>[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national ''U.S. News and World'' Report Best Colleges 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911212325/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national |date=September 11, 2008 }}</ref> In the 2011 ''U.S. News & World Report'' College ranking, USM was in the "Tier 2". In 2016, USM was ranked by U.S. News & World Report 125th in national public universities and 220th in national universities.<ref>[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi-2441/overall-rankings ''U.S. News and World'' Report Best Colleges Rankings 2016] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163237/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi-2441/overall-rankings |date=November 18, 2016 }}</ref>

USM is also ranked highly by ''Washington Monthly'', which has criticized rankings by ''U.S. News & World Report'' and developed its own system. These rankings attempt to make a more holistic assessment of an institution's value; USM ranked 98th out of 245 doctoral institutions, the highest ranking of any school in Mississippi. {{as of|2018}}, Washington Monthly ranked USM 235th overall nationally.<ref name=wmcom/>

On February 10, 2013, an EF4 wedge tornado tore through the Southern Miss campus, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. It formed in western Hattiesburg and continued into southwestern Alabama, destroying two buildings and damaging six others. As most students were away for Mardi Gras break and there were warnings of the tornado, there were no fatalities and few injuries on campus.

In June 2015 Southern Miss released a statement on the removal of the Mississippi state flag from all USM campuses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usm.edu/article/university-southern-mississippi-position-current-state-flag-debate|title=University of Southern Mississippi Position on Current State Flag Debate {{!}} Southern Miss Now|website=news.usm.edu|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> thumb|ROTC cadets fold the 2020 Mississippi flag before raising it over the campus.On October 25, 2015, university president Rodney D. Bennett released another statement announcing that the university would only raise flags that he felt united all students. Since the removal of the state flag, protests to bring it back have become common Sunday occurrences on the Hattiesburg campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usm.edu/article/message-university-president-rodney-d-bennett-removal-state-flag|title=Message from University President Rodney D. Bennett on Removal of State Flag {{!}} Southern Miss Now|website=news.usm.edu|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>

====Golden Eagle logo dispute==== In 2003, Southern Miss replaced its attack eagle logo from the 1990s with an eagle head logo. Two years later, when Southern Miss attempted to trademark the new logo, the University of Iowa filed against it, believing it too similar to its Hawkeyes logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91164745&pty=OPP&eno=1 |title=USPTO TTABVUE. Proceeding Number 91164745 |publisher=Ttabvue.uspto.gov |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> The new logo was very popular, and was placed on sports venues, advertising, and all merchandise.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller |first=Mark J. |url=http://brandchannel.com/2011/08/03/logo-showdown-iowa-hawkeyes-clips-southern-miss-golden-eagle/ |title=Logo Showdown: Iowa Hawkeyes Clips Southern Miss Golden Eagle |publisher=brandchannel |date=August 3, 2011 |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> In August 2011, the US Patent and Trademark Office denied the trademark.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lizerbramlaw.com/2011/08/17/college-logo-showdown-hawkeye-vs-golden-eagle/ |title=College Logo Showdown: Hawkeye vs. Golden Eagle – David Lizerbram & Associates |date=August 17, 2011 |publisher=Lizerbramlaw.com |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> In 2014, Southern Miss revealed a new logo that was a redesigned version of the 2003 logo. This logo was copyrighted and has mostly replaced the 2003 logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/7/9/8921063/it-is-official-southern-miss-has-a-new-logo |title=It is official, Southern Miss has a new logo |date=July 9, 2015 |publisher=Underdog Dynasty |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref>

====Army ROTC closure==== In October 2013, the U.S. Army announced that, due to financial constraints and the low production rate of commissioned officers, 13 ROTC programs at various universities would be shut down, including the Golden Eagle Battalion of Southern Miss.<ref>{{cite news |title=Army Will Close 13 ROTC Programs |work=Inside Higher Ed |location=Washington, D.C. |date=October 3, 2013 |access-date=February 6, 2014 |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/10/03/army-will-close-13-rotc-programs}}</ref> The programs were to be ended by the end of the 2015 spring semester, but the universities appealed the decision.<ref>{{cite news |title=USM to appeal Army's decision to close {{sic|i|t's|nolink=y}} ROTC program |publisher=WLBT 3 – Fox 40 |location=Jackson, Mississippi |date=October 4, 2013 |access-date=February 6, 2014 |url=http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/23613937/usm-to-appeal-armys-decision-to-close-its-rotc-program |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222170447/http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/23613937/usm-to-appeal-armys-decision-to-close-its-rotc-program |archive-date=February 22, 2014 }}</ref> On October 12, a press conference was held at USM to protest the closure; speakers included Governor Phil Bryant and Major General Augustus Collins.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kemp |first=Ed |title=USM Army ROTC not alone in falling short: Alcorn, JSU-MSVU also below required number |work=Hattiesburg American |date=October 13, 2013 |access-date=February 6, 2014 |url=http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20131013/NEWS01/310130026/USM-Army-ROTC-not-alone-falling-short|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140206184230/http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20131013/NEWS01/310130026/USM-Army-ROTC-not-alone-falling-short|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 6, 2014}}</ref> In November, the Army said it had changed its plan to end programs at specified institutions, putting them on a two-year probation, with reevaluation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Coll |first=Jim |title=U.S. Army Delays Closure of Southern Miss ROTC Program |work=Southern Miss Now |location=Hattiesburg, Mississippi |date=November 6, 2013 |access-date=February 6, 2014 |url=http://www.usm.edu/news/article/us-army-delays-closure-southern-miss-rotc-program}}</ref> USM has been taken off probation and the ROTC program continues.

==Campus== thumb|Hattiesburg campus in 2011 thumb|Aerial view of Bennett Auditorium (left), Lucas Administration Building (rear, dome), and Forrest County Hall (right) from the Johnson Science Tower

===Gulf Park campus=== The university's operations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast began in 1947 when Mississippi Southern College first organized classes at Van Hook Hall, on the Methodist Camp Grounds in Biloxi. In 1958, the operation was moved to Mary L. Michael Junior High School in Biloxi. To meet the educational needs of various occupational fields, the university relocated in 1964 to Keesler Air Force Base. In addition, it obtained classroom facilities for night classes from the Jefferson Davis campus of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College. It called this complex the USM Harrison County Resident Center.

In September 1966, Southern Miss extended its offerings by adding the Jackson County Resident Center, located on the Jackson County campus of the MGCCC in Gautier. The Jackson County Center was built for the university by the Jackson County Board of Supervisors. This effort was encouraged by Shelby Thames when he was executive vice president of USM. The center was constructed with the intention of enabling students in Jackson County to complete four-year degrees in several fields through combined programs at MGCCC and USM. In 2009, however, the university decided to close its Jackson County Center and consolidate course offerings at other teaching sites on the Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Park College for Women in Gulfport, Mississippi, opened in 1921. The last commencement was held in 1971 and the University of Southern Mississippi acquired the campus in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collections.msdiglib.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/gpcw|title=Gulf Park College for Women|access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> In March 1972, USM moved its Harrison County Resident Center program from the Jefferson Davis campus of MGCCC to the Gulf Park campus, located on Highway 90 in Long Beach. One of the most prominent landmarks on campus is the Friendship Oak. This huge live oak tree on the lawn of Hardy Hall and the Administration Building, dates from approximately 1487. The earliest available reference to the moniker Friendship Oak is found in an article written by Bob Davis, correspondent for the ''New York Sun.'' He described the tree in his book ''People, People, Everywhere'' (1936).

In July 1972, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning established the USM Gulf Park and Keesler Air Force Base Center as an upper-level degree completion regional campus of the university. It offered programs leading to degrees at the baccalaureate and graduate levels. University development has continued and on August 19, 2002, Southern Miss admitted its first class of freshmen on its Gulf Park Campus. USM is the only comprehensive university in the state with dual-campus status.

In the early 21st century the Gulf Park campus serves as the central campus for several remote teaching centers, including: * The Stennis Space Center Teaching and Research Site is located in Hancock County on the Mississippi-Louisiana border; it is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. Stennis also is home to the university's Department of Marine Science. * Gulf Coast Student Service Center Teaching Site: located in Gulfport, this became the interim site of the Gulf Park campus following Hurricane Katrina, from 2005 to 2012. * Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Teaching and Research Site (GCRL), located in Ocean Springs, is home of the Department of Coastal Sciences, the Center for Fisheries and Research and Development, the Marine Education Center, and the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. * Point Cadet Teaching Site, located in Biloxi. The R/V ''Tommy Munro,'' a 97-foot research vessel, is a unit of GCRL and docks at Point Cadet. * The Keesler Center, located on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, provides courses for military personnel as well as the civilian community.

Other USM units in the Gulf Coast region are elements of the College of Marine Sciences; the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs; the J. L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Point Cadet in Biloxi; the Hydrographic Science Research Center; and the Center for Marine Sciences at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused about $115 million in damage to Gulf Park. Classes were relocated to the Healthmark Center in Gulfport. In 2012, the Gulfport campus was closed and all facilities were moved back to the renovated Long Beach campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usm.edu|title=The University of Southern Mississippi|access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> The Friendship Oak survived this storm as it survived Hurricane Camille and countless lesser storms that have hit the area.

===Libraries=== * The '''Cook Library''', located on the Hattiesburg campus, contains the principal collections of books, periodicals, microforms, government documents and other materials which directly support the instructional programs of The University of Southern Mississippi at all levels. * The '''McCain Library and Archives''' houses the Library's Special Collections and University Archives on the Hattiesburg campus. Collections include the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection as well as Mississippi oral history, manuscripts, and civil war materials. * The '''Gulf Coast Library''', located on the Long Beach campus, is part of the University Libraries serving the Gulf Coast campuses (Gulf Park, Keesler, and Jackson County campuses). This state-of-the-art library is the only comprehensive university library on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. * The '''Gunter Library''' is located at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), Ocean Springs, MS campus. The Library provides technical information for the research staff, resident faculty and students, and visitors. Included are files of abstracts and reprints, books and journals, expedition reports, dissertations, and reference works. Special book collections support the academic program of the Laboratory.

===Landmarks=== thumb|Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building, the "Dome" thumb|Bennett Auditorium * '''The District''' is located near the intersection of US Highway 49 and Hardy Street. The historic district of campus is anchored by the five original buildings of the campus: Ogletree Alumni House, The Honor House, College Hall, Forrest Hall, and Hattiesburg Hall. It is also the traditional tailgating site for students during football season. It is home to Lake Byron, which has served as a focal point for many university activities and several weddings. * '''The Century Gate''' is a brick and stone wall at the front of the university, between East and West Memorial Drive. It was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the university's founding in 1910. It displays the university seal, as well as the words "The University of Southern Mississippi." * '''The All-American Rose Garden''' is one of two All-American Gardens in the state. The garden at Southern Miss was developed by the Hattiesburg Area Rose Society in 1972 through the leadership of the late William Wicht, a Hattiesburg resident who served as the first president of HARS. A memorial to Wicht's efforts to make the garden a reality is located next to the garden. Since its official dedication in 1974, the Southern Miss rose garden has received numerous awards for maintenance and display. Many a student has tried to impress his sweetheart by picking a rose, which if caught, carries a fine of up to 500 dollars.

The '''All-American Rose Garden''' is a rose garden found near Hardy Street on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. The garden has a semicircular form and contains many types of hybrid roses in 32 rose beds. It has existed since 1973 and was accredited the status 'Public Rose Garden' by the All-American Rose Selection Inc. in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usm.edu/about/visitors|title=The University of Southern Mississippi – Visitors|access-date=July 7, 2014|archive-date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701124210/http://www.usm.edu/about/visitors|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many biologists and botanists come from all over the world to study the roses found in the rose garden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msucares.com/news/print/sgnews/sg02/sg020401.html|title=Flower growers depend on roses (04-01-2002) |access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.rose.org/site/directory/directory.exc?cmd=view_directory_search_results&co_id=429&company_name_from=g&company_name_to=izz All-America Rose Selections – Directory; The All-America Rose Selections is a non-profit association of rose growers and introducers dedicated to the introduction and promotio...] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060106034628/http://www.rose.org/site/directory/directory.exc?cmd=view_directory_search_results&co_id=429&company_name_from=g&company_name_to=izz |date=January 6, 2006 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Mississippi/Where+to+Go Where to Go in Mississippi | iExplore] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927012604/http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Mississippi/Where+to+Go |date=September 27, 2011 }}. Retrieved on October 26, 2008</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usm.edu/pr/prnews/aug03/rose03.htm|title=Office of University Communications – The University of Southern Mississippi|access-date=May 29, 2015|archive-date=October 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017131756/http://www.usm.edu/pr/prnews/aug03/rose03.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to the large number of rare roses in the rose garden, plucking out a rose is against college policy, and getting caught results in a fine of $500.{{Ref}} * '''The Eagle Walk''' is found underneath the upper deck of M.M. Roberts Stadium. Two hours prior to football game day, a cannon is fired, which begins the procession. ROTC, The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, university officials, and football players make a march through this street to the cheers of thousands of fans. Every fall, the incoming freshman give the walls and street a "fresh coat of paint" as they have done for half a century. * '''The Dome''' is a nickname for the Lucas Administration building found at the Hardy Street entrance to campus. It is so named due to the large cupola at the peak of the roof. Originally, it had an orange-copper color, which faded to a dull green over the years. In 2001, a restoration project was undertaken to paint the dome back to its original copper color. The Dome houses the offices of the president, vice president and other supporting staff. * '''Shoemaker Square''' is an expanse of land formed near The Hub and the Walker Science Building Quad. The bricked fountain is focal point of the "Friday Night At the Fountain", a student-led pep rally prior to Saturday football games. The fountain has been tainted with soap suds by pranksters on many occasions. * '''The Little Rock''' can be found in the historic district of campus. It is traditionally painted weekly and is used to promote various campus athletic, academic and fine art events. Occasionally, it can be found to be painted with logos of secret societies that exist on campus. * '''The Eagle Statue''', formally named "Lofty Return", is a massive three-ton sculpture of a Golden eagle, measuring 22 feet tall and 20 feet wide, and resting on an eight-foot-high pedestal. It stands behind Southern Hall, facing Hardy Street. A slightly smaller replica of it was also erected on the Gulf Park campus as a symbol tying the two campuses together.<ref>{{cite web|author=Van Arnold |url=https://www.usm.edu/news/article/southern-miss-dedicates-massive-golden-eagle-statues-campuses |title=Southern Miss Dedicates Massive Golden Eagle Statues on Campuses | Southern Miss Now |publisher=Usm.edu |date=October 25, 2013 |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref>

==Academics== thumb|College Hall, one of the original structures thumb|right|Scianna Hall, home of the College of Business and Economic Development thumb|right|Liberal Arts Building (left) and International Center (right) Southern Miss offers approximately 189 programs leading to baccalaureate, master's, specialist, and doctorate degrees. Southern Miss has traditionally drawn many of its students from Mississippi schools and community colleges, hailing from every county in Mississippi, though today the majority of undergraduates come from public schools across the southern United States and around the globe. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and its programs are accredited by 30 state and national agencies.<ref>The University of Southern Mississippi (2006). [http://www.usm.edu/admissions/profile/ Southern Miss Profile] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307123844/http://www.usm.edu/admissions/profile/ |date=March 7, 2012 }}</ref>

The University of Southern Mississippi offers more than 250 clubs and organizations, as well as intramural athletics and special events. Student organizations at Southern Miss include the Student Government Association, The Legacy, ''The Student Printz'' (the biweekly student-produced newspaper), ''The Southerner'' (the yearbook), Southern Style (the university's student orientation team), national fraternities and sororities, honor societies, and various religious organizations. In addition, the school participates in the NCAA's Division I-FBS, and Sun Belt Conference featuring year-round athletics in 16 sports. Southern Miss also hosts, participates in, and promotes more than 300 cultural events every year. Regular events include the Jazz and Blues Festival held on the Long Beach campus, performances by the theater, dance and music departments, and exhibits presented by the art department.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usm.edu/arts/arts-institute-mississippi|title=Arts Institute of Mississippi {{!}} The University of Southern Mississippi|website=www.usm.edu|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> The university's Dale Center for the Study of War and Society hosts several lectures and programs throughout the year. Several guest lecturers including General David Petraeus (2017), Robert M. Gates (2014), and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (2010) visited Hattiesburg as a part of the center's Dale Distinguished Lecture Series. 2018 marked the 13th annual Richard McCarthy Lecture Series, wherein students and the community at large could participate in a broad range of events and programming from panel discussions to roundtables focusing on war and the effects it has on the societies surrounding it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usm.edu/war-society/richard-mccarthy-lecture-series|title=Richard McCarthy Lecture Series {{!}} The University of Southern Mississippi|website=www.usm.edu|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>

The University of Southern Mississippi is governed by the university president, along with the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.<ref>[http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/ Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402125019/http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/ |date=April 2, 2009 }} website</ref> The president is the day-to-day administrator of Southern Miss, and is appointed by and responsible to the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board. Rodney D. Bennett became the tenth president of the university in April 2013, while the current president, Joseph S. Paul, began his position on November 1, 2022, after serving as interim president from July 16 through October 2022.<ref>[https://magnoliatribune.com/author/joepaul/]</ref> Paul is an alumnus of Southern Miss (BA 1975, MA 1978),<ref>{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519072309/https://magnoliatribune.com/author/joepaul/ |date=May 19, 2024 }}</ref> as well as the University of Alabama, where he earned a PhD in the administration of higher education administration. One goal of his administration is expansion of the Coastal campuses.

===Colleges and schools=== The University of Southern Mississippi recently{{when|date=January 2026}} began an academic reorganization changing the academic structure at the university and the roles of administrators. This plan reduced the number of colleges from six to four and consolidated traditional departments into thematic schools.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/education/usm/2017/07/15/draft-southern-miss-reorganization-plan-reduces-colleges/475861001/|title=USM draft reorganization plan reduces colleges, defines administrative roles |work=Hattiesburg American|access-date=March 6, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Academic Reorganization Planning |url=https://www.usm.edu/provost/academic-reorganization-planning-0 |website=Office of the Provost |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=July 3, 2018}}</ref>

{{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * '''College of Business and Economic Development''' ** School of Accountancy ** School of Finance ** School of Management ** School of Marketing * '''College of Education and Human Sciences''' ** School of Child and Family Sciences ** School of Education ** School of Kinesiology and Nutrition ** School of Library and Information Science ** School of Psychology ** School of Social Work * '''College of Nursing and Health Professions''' ** School of Health Professions ** School of Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice ** School of Professional Nursing Practice ** School of Speech and Hearing Sciences {{col-2}} * '''College of Arts and Sciences''' ** School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences ** School of Communication ** School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering ** School of Construction and Design ** School of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Security ** School of Humanities ** School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development ** School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences ** School of Music ** School of Ocean Science and Engineering ** School of Performing and Visual Arts ** School of Polymer Science and Engineering ** School of Social Science and Global Studies {{col-end}}

In addition to its academic colleges, The University of Southern Mississippi also offers the following programs: * George R. Olliphant Honors College<ref>[http://www.usm.edu/honors/ George R. Olliphant Honors College] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728183909/http://www.usm.edu/honors/ |date=July 28, 2016 }} website</ref> * Graduate Studies<ref>[http://www.usm.edu/graduatestudies/ Graduate Studies] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510031831/http://www.usm.edu/graduatestudies/ |date=May 10, 2009 }} website</ref> * International Studies Program<ref>[http://www.usm.edu/internationaledu/ International Studies Program] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823050842/http://www.usm.edu/internationaledu/ |date=August 23, 2011 }} website</ref> * Fully Online Programs in Sport Management (M.S.) and Sport Coaching Education (M.S.)<ref>[http://www.usm.edu/hpr/ Fully Online Programs: Master of Science in Sport Management and Master of Science in Sport Coaching Education] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526144747/http://www.usm.edu/hpr/ |date=May 26, 2011 }} website</ref> * DuBard School for Language Disorders<ref>[https://www.usm.edu/dubard DuBard] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915002649/https://www.usm.edu/dubard |date=September 15, 2016 }} website</ref> * Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies thumb|Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

== Student life == {| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: University of Southern Mississippi|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?176372-University-of-Southern-Mississippi|website=College Scorecard |publisher=United States Department of Education |access-date=July 26, 2025 }}</ref> |- ! Race and ethnicity ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | White |align=right| {{bartable|57|%|2||background:cyan}} |- | Black |align=right| {{bartable|28|%|2||background:purple}} |- | Hispanic |align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:green}} |- | Two or more races |align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:violet}} |- | International student |align=right| {{bartable|3|%|2||background:#008080}} |- | Asian |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:orange}} |- | Unknown |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:grey}} |- ! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity |- | Low-income{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.}} |align=right| {{bartable|47|%|2||background:red}} |- | Affluent{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.}} |align=right| {{bartable|53|%|2||background:black}} |}

Semesters at the university run from August to December and January to May, with a 10-week summer session. There are two four-week accelerated summer terms.

In 2006, The University of Southern Mississippi dedicated a 4-story, multimillion-dollar addition to its R.C. Cook University Union. The Thad Cochran Center now houses a 2-story Barnes & Noble bookstore, three ballrooms, a stadium-style theater, student organization offices, and Southern Miss Dining and Fresh Food Company. Several meeting rooms are within the union complex. The Union and Programs team hosts more than a thousand events each year.

In 2010, the University of Southern Mississippi opened Century Park (now known as Century Park North), a gated living community with four residence halls and a multi-purpose building containing a convenience store. In the 2014–15 school year, the university opened Century Park South, another gated living community with three residence halls and the campus's new student health center.

At nearly 300, Southern Miss's student organizations appeal to a wide spectrum of interests: Business, Education and Psychology, the Arts, Games and Athletics, Graduate Studies, Greek Life, Health and Human Sciences, Honors Societies, Liberal Arts, the Military, Religious Life, Residence Halls, Community Service, and Science and Technology. The largest organizations based on student membership include the: Student Government Association, African-American Student Organization, Southern Miss Activities Council, The Legacy Student Alumni Association, and Baptist Student Union.

=== Greek life === {{Main|List of fraternities and sororities at Southern Miss}} The university has 26 Greek organizations on campus, including 14 fraternities and 12 sororities. There are 19 fraternity and sorority houses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usm.edu/greek-life/calendar-fast-facts |title=Office of Greek Life: Calendar & Fast Facts |year=2017|publisher=USM.edu}}</ref>

===Residential housing=== The University of Southern Mississippi has 13 residence halls, and about 5,000 students live on campus throughout the school year. thumb|right|Century Park South dormitories [[File:Lake Thoreau longleaf pine.JPG|thumb|Restored, second-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannah at USM's Lake Thoreau Environmental Center, located along the rails-to-trails Longleaf Trace which passes behind the Century Park dormitories]]

===Publications and media=== * ''Southern Miss Now'' is the official news source of the University Communications Office.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.usm.edu/ | title=Southern Miss Now. Your news, your university |publisher=The University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> * ''The Student Printz'' is the university's student-run newspaper, published once weekly during the fall and spring semesters. * ''The Southerner'', the university's full-color yearbook publication, was discontinued in 2015. * WUSM FM 88.5 is the 3000-watt Southern Miss public radio FM station, located on the first floor of Southern Hall. * ''Mississippi Review''<ref name="usm.edu-mississippi-review--about">{{cite web |title=About |url=https://sites.usm.edu/mississippi-review/about.html |website=Mississippi Review |access-date=31 January 2021 |quote=Frederick Barthelme took over the editorial reigns in 1977 and along with managing editor Rie Fortenberry quickly turned Mississippi Review into a literary magazine of national acclaim.}}</ref><ref name="Mississippi Review Online 2002 Vol 8, Num 2">{{cite web |title=Spring 2002 Vol 8, Num 2 |url=http://www.mississippireview.com/ |website=Mississippi Review Online on the web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020524102756/http://www.mississippireview.com/ |archive-date=24 May 2002 |date=9 May 2002}}</ref> is a quarterly published journal that features fiction, poetry, and essays. Gordon Weaver founded it in 1970.<ref name="usm.edu-mrw-about"/> Frederick Barthelme became editor in 1977.<ref name="mississippi-encyclopedia">{{cite web |title=Barthelme, Frederick |url=https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/frederick-barthelme/ |website=Mississippi Encyclopedia |access-date=31 January 2021}}</ref> In 1995, it was the first large literary magazine to launch a fully online issue.<ref name="MississippiReview1995-04=1-1">{{cite web |title=Volume 1, Number 1, April 1995 |url=http://sushi.st.usm.edu/mrw/1995baks.html |website=The Mississippi Review |publisher=University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990224191409/http://sushi.st.usm.edu/mrw/1995baks.html |archive-date=February 24, 1999 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="theatlantic199702">{{cite web |last1=Lombreglia |first1=Ralph |title=Digital Culture - An Exchange with Frederick Barthelme |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/digicult/dc9702/barthelm.htm |website=the atlantic |access-date=31 January 2021 |date=February 1997 |quote=...we print the paper magazine twice a year, and even that is hard with no staff, no money, no time. By contrast, the Web magazine is a monthly, it's relatively easy to produce (everything is digital, first to last, so there's no typesetting, no scanning, no paste up), and the production costs next to nothing.}}</ref> In 1998, its print version was published twice yearly, the online version, a separate publication, was published monthly except August by ''Center for Writers'' at The University of Southern Mississippi.<ref name="usm.edu-mrw-about">{{cite web |title=about |url=http://sushi.st.usm.edu/mrw/ |website=The Mississippi Review |publisher=Center for Writers, The University of Southern Mississippi |access-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980109043111/http://sushi.st.usm.edu/mrw/ |archive-date=9 January 1998 |date=9 January 1998}}</ref> * ''The Drawl'' is a publication that highlights the traditions and history of Southern Miss. Incoming Golden Eagles are given a copy of ''The Drawl'' in their first week of school. * ''The Talon'' is a quarterly magazine for alumni and friends of the university.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southernmissalumni.com/s/995/index.aspx?pgid=422|title=The Talon|publisher=Southern Miss Alumni Association |access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref> * ''Gulf and Caribbean Research'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal focusing marine and coastal ecology, fisheries, and oceanographic studies from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. The journal is published in an online only format and is sponsored by USM libraries and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gulf and Caribbean Research {{!}} The University of Southern Mississippi |url=https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=aquila.usm.edu}}</ref>

===Mardi Gras holiday=== 250px|thumb|right|Mardi Gras parade on Hardy Street The University of Southern Mississippi is one of the few universities in Mississippi to allow a two-day holiday each year for Mardi Gras. The university does not hold classes on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many USM students expressed a desire for the holiday. The university is near New Orleans and has ties to Biloxi and Mobile, where Mardi Gras is also celebrated. In 1981, Ken Stribling, president of USM's student body, organized a student drive to establish an annual holiday on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). The university's Calendar Committee refused the request, but Stribling appealed to USM President Aubrey Lucas. At an annual Christmas celebration at USM in December 1981, Lucas announced that USM would try the holiday on Fat Tuesday in 1982 to see how it worked. Stribling appealed again in 1982, and Lucas allowed the holiday for Fat Tuesday in 1983. The next year, the holiday for Fat Tuesday was made a permanent part of the university's calendar.

The university's student government in 2003 gained addition of the Monday before Ash Wednesday as part of the Mardi Gras Holiday, creating a two-day holiday for the event and a four-day weekend for students. While many USM students attend Mardi Gras celebrations, most use the four-day weekend to prepare for midterm exams or visit family and friends. The novelty of Mardi Gras Holiday has become a recruiting tool.<ref>In neighboring Louisiana, the holiday is widely observed at all levels of public and private education.</ref>

==Athletics== {{Main|Southern Miss Golden Eagles}} thumb|left|M. M. Roberts Stadium The Golden Eagles have excelled in all areas of athletics. Southern Miss has captured national titles twice in football and three times in track and field. In 2011, the Golden Eagle football team finished as the No. 19 team in the Associated Press (AP) College Poll. The Golden Eagle football team has also competed in twenty-four bowl games throughout the course of the program's history. Twelve of these bowl games have resulted in a victory for the Golden Eagles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/smis-bowl-history.html|title=Southern Miss Football :: Official Athletic Site|website=www.southernmiss.com|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307082329/http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/smis-bowl-history.html|archive-date=March 7, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> On November 13, 1982, the Golden Eagle football team upset Alabama's Crimson Tide in famed coach Bear Bryant's last home game in Tuscaloosa.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://americansportsnet.com/conference-usa/southern-miss-golden-eagles/greatest-moments-southern-miss-spoiled-bear-bryants-final-home-game|title=Greatest Moments {{!}} Southern Miss spoiled Bear Bryant's final home game|last=Group|first=Sinclair Broadcast |work=ASN|access-date=March 6, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> M.M. Roberts Stadium is the home of the Golden Eagle football team and can hold up to 36,000 fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southernmiss.com/facilities/roberts-stadium.html|title=Southern Miss Facilities :: Official Athletic Site|website=www.southernmiss.com|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> The Golden Eagle baseball team are two-time Conference USA champions and have been invited to twelve regional NCAA tournaments and also a trip to the College World Series. The Golden Eagle baseball team has the No. 3 recruiting class in the country by Baseball America. University of Southern Mississippi baseball hosted the 2022 NCAA baseball regionals at Hill Denson Field at Pete Taylor Park, as well as the MHSAA softball championships at HawkinsBarker field. The Southern Miss basketball team is a one-time champion of the NIT tournament.

==Fine arts== The University of Southern Mississippi is the only institution within the state, and one of a dozen universities in America, to be accredited in all four fine arts emphasis areas: art, dance, theatre and music.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} It operates the Southern Miss Wind Ensemble and the USM Symphony Orchestra,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usm.edu/symphony/|title=About Symphony Orchestra|access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} which has enjoyed soloists such as singers Renee Fleming and Ray Charles, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, violinist Joshua Bell, flautist James Galway, clarinetist Anthony McGill, trumpet player Doc Severinsen, and tenor Plácido Domingo. The Southern Chorale has become nationally and internationally recognized. They recently performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and performed at various concerts in Norway and Sweden. The Southern Miss ''Pride of Mississippi Marching Band'' has performed at such events as the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in November 2010. The Department of Theatre and Dance has been active in the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival at times, placing first in various areas of the national competition. Several productions from USM have been selected for performance at the Region IV (Southeast) festival; two productions (''Catfish Moon'' & ''The Rimers of Eldritch'') were invited to the national KC/ACTF festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

==Alumni and faculty== {{Main|List of University of Southern Mississippi people}}

<gallery class="center"> File:Tori Bowie Beijing 2015.jpg|Tori Bowie, track & field Olympic gold medalist File:Roger Brent(2).jpg|Roger Brent, cell and molecular biologist File:Secretary Perry with Govt Phil Bryant KSS2455 (32743097363) (cropped).jpg|Phil Bryant, governor of Mississippi, 2012–2020 File:Jimmy Buffett 1.jpg|Jimmy Buffett, popular singer-songwriter File:CatCoraApr10.jpg|Cat Cora, chef, ''Iron Chef America'' File:Brian Dozier on June 24, 2015.jpg|Brian Dozier, baseball player, 2015 All-Star File:Ray Guy 1985.jpg|Ray Guy, American football player, punter, NFL Hall of Fame File:MG Jeffery W. Hammond.jpg|Jeffery Hammond, major general (retired), U.S. Army File:Brett Favre Super Bowl 50.jpg|Brett Favre, American football player, 11-time Pro Bowler, Hall of Fame File:Gary grubbs 2016 2.jpg|Gary Grubbs, film and television actor File:Steven Palazzo, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg|Steven Palazzo, member of U.S. House of Representatives, 2011–2023 File:Stewart-rl.jpg|Robert L. Stewart, astronaut File:Clarence Weatherspoon june2019.jpg|Clarence Weatherspoon, basketball player, NBA File:ZAK 7606.jpg|Mike L. Edmonds, interim president of Colorado College<ref>{{Cite web|title=Interim Leadership Positions Announced • Colorado College|url=https://www.coloradocollege.edu/newsevents/newsroom/interim-leadership-positions-announced#.Xv5kr-dMGUl|access-date=2020-07-03|website=www.coloradocollege.edu|date=June 15, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> </gallery>

==See also== {{Portal bar|Mississippi}} *Institute of Child Nutrition

==Notes== {{Notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}}

{{University of Southern Mississippi}} {{Navboxes |titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Southern Miss Golden Eagles|color=white}} |list = {{Hattiesburg, Mississippi}} {{Sun Belt Conference navbox}} {{Public Colleges and Universities in Mississippi}} {{Southeastern Universities Research Association}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Mississippi, The University Of}} Category:University of Southern Mississippi University of Southern Mississippi Category:Universities and colleges established in 1910 Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Category:Buildings and structures in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Category:Education in Forrest County, Mississippi Category:Tourist attractions in Forrest County, Mississippi Category:Education in Harrison County, Mississippi Category:1910 establishments in Mississippi Category:Hattiesburg, Mississippi