University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi , known informally as Southern Miss , is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg , Mississippi , United States . It is situated north of Gulfport , Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans , Louisiana . Southern Miss is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate , master ' s , specialist , and doctoral degrees . The university is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a " Research University " with " High Research Activity " ( designation " RU / H " ) . Founded on March 30 , 1910 , the university is a dual campus institution , with the main campus located in Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast campus located in Long Beach . Other teaching sites include the Stennis Space Center , Keesler Air Force Base , and the Gulf Coast Research Lab . The university has a particularly extensive " study abroad " program through its Center for International Education , and is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the nation for the number of students studying abroad each year . It is especially noted for its flagship British Studies program , which regularly sends more than 200 students each summer to live and study in the heart of London . The university is also home to a major polymer science research center , and one of the strongest fine arts programs in the southeastern United States . 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 , and while mascots , names , customs , and the campus have changed , the black and gold colors have remained constant . Institution . The university ' s primary mission is " to cultivate intellectual development and creativity through the generation , dissemination , application , and preservation of knowledge . " Southern Miss is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools , and its programs are fully accredited by 30 state and national agencies . Southern Miss offers approximately 189 programs leading to baccalaureate , master ’ s , specialist , and doctorate degrees . A faculty of about 715 serves 17 , 968 students according to school numbers for Fall 2011 . 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 of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra has more than 90 members ( including undergraduate and graduate students ) from the United States and 14 other countries . 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 . Southern Miss has more than 300 cultural events every year . In addition , the school participates in the NCAA ' s Division I - A , and Conference USA featuring year - round athletics in 16 sports . The institution ' s strengths include its large research endowment , its emphasis on accreditation at the departmental and college levels , its respected music and art programs , and its athletic prowess . Several degree programs at the university rank among the best of their kind in the nation . The " New York Times Book Review " rates the university ' s Center for Writers as one of the Top 10 in the country , and the Polymer Science and Engineering department is consistently ranked among the nation ' s top 10 by U . S . News & World Report . U . S . News & World Report also included the university on a list for “ Most Popular Universities ” . It is the only school in Mississippi included in this listing which makes it Mississippi ' s Most Popular University . The School of Communications is ranked among the top ten programs in the nation , according to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication , and Southern Miss is one of only one percent of business schools in the nation accredited in both business and accounting by the AACSB International Association for Management Education . Dr . Martha Dunagin Saunders , a 1969 graduate of USM , was selected as the ninth president of the university in April 2007 , giving her the distinction of becoming the first woman to hold that post . . Organization . The University of Southern Mississippi is governed by the University President along with the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning . The President of The University of Southern Mississippi is the day - to - day administrator of Southern Miss and is appointed by and responsible to the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board . The university is organized into five colleges , offering academic programs of study in : In addition to its five academic colleges , The University of Southern Mississippi also offers the following programs : History . Mississippi Normal College , eventually renamed The University of Southern Mississippi , was founded on March 30 , 1910 to train educators . 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 a total enrollment of 876 students . The school underwent more name changes in 1924 , to State Teachers College , and in 1940 , after instruction had expanded beyond teacher training , to Mississippi Southern College . The college ' s fifth president , State Archivist Dr . William David McCain , was installed in 1955 and worked diligently to expand Mississippi Southern College . He oversaw the construction of 17 new structures on campus and convinced Gov . Ross Barnett to give Mississippi Southern College university status in 1962 . This resulted in a fourth , and final , renaming of the institution to The University of Southern Mississippi . McCain ' s administration also superintended the inclusion of African - American students on campus . At the time the school ' s mascot was the Southerners and was represented by " General Nat " on the field . In a period when pressure was growing nationally to integrate the state ’ s institutions of higher learning , he was well known to vehemently oppose the prospect of having any black students at Mississippi Southern . In recognition of this , in 1964 James Meredith made his attempt to enter Ole Miss rather than Southern , thinking success more likely there . Indeed , when Clyde Kennard , a black Korean War veteran , attempted to enroll at Mississippi Southern in the late 1950s , McCain made major efforts with the state political establishment and local black leaders to prevent it . As a result , Kennard was twice arrested on trumped - up criminal charges and eventually sentenced to seven years in the state prison . Dr . McCain ’ s direct involvement in this abuse of the justice system is unclear . He was certainly as aware as other intimate members of the state political establishment were as to how fraudulent and bogus the charges were but made no public objection . At the very time McCain was so forcefully seeking to keep Clyde Kennard out of Mississippi Southern , he made a trip to Chicago sponsored by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission , where he explained the reality of Mississippi life saying that those blacks who sought to desegregate Southern schools were " imports " from the North . Kennard was , in fact , a native and resident of Hattiesburg . " 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 . " By the fall of 1965 both Ole Miss and Mississippi State University had been integrated – the former violently , the latter peacefully . The University of Southern Mississippi leaders , such as President McCain , had come to realize that the battle to maintain segregation was lost . Therefore , they made extensive confidential plans for the admission and attendance of their first black students . A faculty guardian and tutor was secretly appointed for each . The same campus police department which six years before had attempted to railroad Kennard to prison when he attempted to enroll , now had very strict orders to prevent or quickly stop any incident involving the two black students . Student athletic , fraternity , and political leaders were recruited to keep the calm and protect the university from such bad publicity as Ole Miss had suffered from its reaction to James Meredith . As a result , black students Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong and Raylawni Branch were enrolled without incident in September , 1965 . [ 1 ] . In 1972 , the Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus was founded and the university athletic teams were renamed from the “ Southerners ” to the “ Golden Eagles . ” By the time McCain retired in 1975 , enrollment had climbed to 11 , 000 students . In the years following McCain ' s campus transformation , The University of Southern Mississippi continued to expand dramatically . Notable changes included : replacement of the quarter system with the semester system , creation of the Polymer Science Institute , reorganization of the university ’ s 10 schools into six colleges , affiliation with Conference USA , establishment of the School of Nursing as a college ; the implementation of online classes ; and an expansion of the Gulf Coast campus . Recent developments . The beginning of the 21st century at Southern Miss saw growth , in the person of Dr . Shelby Thames . The tenure of Shelby Thames was characterized by a significant increase in the quantity of research being done at the University . USM was assigned the " Doctoral / Research Extensive " designation by the Carnegie Foundation during the Thames era , a category that includes the largest , most important research universities in the nation , which number approximately 150 . The most recent figures indicate that annual research funding entering the University exceeds $ 100 million per year . Dr . Thames has been praised by many , including the faculty , for his response to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina . The October , 2005 meeting of the Faculty Senate of the Gulf Park campus , for example , passed an official resolution of appreciation , and the Hattiesburg American reported that his post - Katrina address to the faculty at Hattiesburg was well received . Furthermore , no University employees were released in the aftermath of the storm , although the Gulf Park campus alone sustained over $ 100 million in damage . Such was not the case at Tulane University , for example , where approximately 25 % of the staff was released , and significant athletic and academic programs - including the Computer Science major and most engineering programs - were dropped . The Thames administration has presided over the financing and execution of several construction projects on the campus , often in partnership with private - sector entities . A new addition to the student union holds the second - largest Barnes and Noble store in the southern U . S . , for instance , and Barnes and Noble pays $ 1 . 5 million in annual rent on this facility . Thames also negotiated a financially favorable food services agreement with Aramark ( who will donate $ 9 million to University construction projects ) . Other enhancements to the campus realized under Dr . Thames include the upscale Power House restaurant ( at an old college power plant ) , the $ 15 million sorority village , additions to the football , basketball , and baseball facilities , and many enhancements designed to make the campus generally more open , green , and pedestrian - friendly . In at least one obvious way , though , the overall academic reputation of the University suffered under Thames , and improved when he left . The University experienced an unexpected , highly - publicized drop from " Tier 3 " to " Tier 4 " in the U . S . News & World Report college rankings beginning in the 2004 edition , a development which roughly coincided with the height of the Shelby Thames controversy . By 2009 , Thames was gone , and the University had experienced an atypically large jump back into the upper portion of " Tier 3 . " . In the 2011 U . S . News & World Report College ranking USM is in the " Tier 2 " . USM ranks highly in the college rankings developed by Washington Monthly , a persistent critic of the U . S . News & World Report rankings . In these rankings , which attempt to make a more holistic assessment of an institution ' s value , USM ranks 98th out of 245 doctoral institutions . This is the highest ranking of any school in Mississippi . A January 2006 college ranking list created by a graduate student at Stanford University based on Google hits also ranks Southern Miss rather high - 62nd out of over 1700 U . S . institutions . On February 10 , 2013 a violent EF4 wedge tornado tore through the Southern Miss campus causing tens of millions of dollars in damage . The tornado formed in western Hattiesburg and continued into Southwestern Alabama . The tornado destroyed 2 buildings and damaged 6 others , however there were no fatalities and few injuries on the campus due to advanced warnings before the tornado hit . Campus and student life . Semesters at the university run from August to December and January to May , with a 10 - week summer session . There are also two four - week accelerated summer terms . In Fall 2006 , The University of Southern Mississippi dedicated a 4 - story , multi - million dollar addition to its R . C . Cook University Union . The Thad Cochran Center is now home to a 2 - story Barnes & Noble Bookstore ( proclaimed to be the largest college bookstore in the Southeastern U . S . ) , three ballrooms , a stadium - style theater ( currently unfinished ) , student organization offices , and Southern Miss Dining and Fresh Food Company . There are also several meeting rooms held within the union complex . The Union and Programs team hosts more than a thousand events each year . At nearly 300 , Southern Miss ' student organizations appeal to a wide spectrum of interests and are categorized under the following areas : 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 . Gulf Park campus . The university ’ s presence on the Mississippi Gulf Coast began in 1947 when then Mississippi Southern College first organized classes at Van Hook Hall , Methodist Camp Grounds , in Biloxi . In 1958 , classroom space and facilities moved to Mary L . Michael Junior High School in Biloxi . To meet the educational needs of various occupational fields and interests along the Gulf Coast , the University relocated in 1964 to Keesler Air Force Base . Classroom facilities were obtained for night classes from the Jefferson Davis campus of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College ; the addition was called the USM Harrison County Resident Center . One of the most prominent landmarks on campus is the Friendship Oak . This huge live oak tree , that adorns the lawns 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 the late Bob Davis , correspondent for the " New York Sun " , who described the tree in his book " People , People , Everywhere " , published in 1936 . In September 1966 , Southern Miss further 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 , largely through the efforts of Dr . Shelby Thames when he was executive vice president of USM . The center was constructed with the hope that all four years of a number of degrees would be located in Jackson County through USM and MGCCC . In 2009 , however , the decision was made to close the 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 . In March 1972 , the USM Harrison County Resident Center program was moved from the Jefferson Davis campus of MGCCC to the campus of the former Gulf Park College for Women , located on Highway 90 in Long Beach . Gulf Park was a two - year private school founded by Col . J . C . Hardy , who also founded the Gulf Coast Military Academy . The school opened for classes September 10 , 1921 , and held its final commencement May 29 , 1971 . The school ’ s closing was attributed to the sagging economy , damage inflicted by Hurricane Camille in 1969 , and the increasing ability of community colleges to provide quality education at a low cost . 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 , offering programs leading to degrees at the baccalaureate and graduate levels . On August 19 , 2002 , Southern Miss admitted its first class of freshmen on its Gulf Park Campus , making the university the only comprehensive university in the state with dual - campus status . Today , the Gulf Park campus serves as the central campus for several teaching centers , including : In addition , other USM units in the Gulf Coast region are the 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 and led to the relocation of classes to a healthcare facility in Gulfport , Healthmark Center ( 1520 Broad Avenue , Gulfport , MS ) . As of July 2006 , USM Gulf Park is still being rebuilt . The Friendship Oak , however , has survived this storm as it survived Hurricane Camille and countless lesser storms that have hit the area . Residential housing . The University of Southern Mississippi has 14 residence halls and about 5 , 000 students live on campus throughout the school year . Freshman Quad Residence Halls : Triad Complex Residence Halls : Upper - Class Residence Halls : Special Housing : Mardi Gras holiday . The University of Southern Mississippi is one of the few universities to allow a two - day holiday each year for Mardi Gras . Currently , 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 , due to the university ' s proximity to New Orleans and its close ties to the Mississippi Gulf Coast , where Mardi Gras is celebrated with a devotion that rivals the annual New Orleans celebration . In 1981 , Ken Stribling , who was at the time serving his first of two years as president of USM ' s student body , organized a student drive to institute a holiday that would occur annually on Fat Tuesday . After the university ' s Calendar Committee refused to allow the holiday , Stribling appealed the decision to USM President Aubrey Lucas . At an annual Christmas celebration at USM in December 1981 , Lucas made a surprise announcement that USM would try the holiday on Fat Tuesday in 1982 to see how it worked . Stribling made a similar effort in 1982 , and Lucas again 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 . Subsequent efforts by the university ' s student government in 2003 led to the addition of the Monday before Ash Wednesday as part of the Mardi Gras Holiday , creating a two - day holiday for the event . While many USM students attend Mardi Gras during the holiday each year , the majority of students spend the four - day weekend preparing for mid - term exams or visiting loved ones at home . Regardless , the Mardi Gras Holiday has become a recruiting tool and an enjoyed novelty at Southern Miss . Athletics . 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 # 19 team in the Associated Press ( AP ) College Poll . 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 # 3 recruiting class in the country by Baseball America . 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 Mississippi , and one of only a dozen universities in America , to hold accreditation in all four fine arts emphasis areas : art , dance , theatre and music . The Southern Miss Wind Ensemble has a considerable reputation , as does The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra , which has performed with such figures as singers Renee Fleming and Ray Charles , cellist Yo - Yo Ma , violinist Itzhak Perlman , violinist Joshua Bell , flautist James Galway , trumpet player Doc Severinsen , and tenor Plácido Domingo . In the past few years , the Southern Chorale , the university ' s top choir , has come into national and international prominence . The Southern Miss " Pride of Mississippi Marching Band " has performed at such events as the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter and the Macy ' s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2010 . The Department of Theatre and Dance has been active in the Kennedy Center / American College Theatre Festival . Several productions from The University of Southern Mississippi have been selected for performance at the Region IV ( Southeast ) festival ; two productions ( " Catfish Moon " & " The Rimers of Eldritch " ) have been invited to the national KC / ACTF festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington , D . C . . Alumni . " See all . "