University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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A rare picfure showing fhe desolafion The people are unidenfified and ruin leff by fhe Union forces 'fllolfwi' The courses pursued by fhese firsf Ole Miss sfudenfs are nof found foo prevalenf foday. Languages, especially Lafin and Greelr, were considered paramounf sfudies. Menfal and moral sciences, rheforic, logic, polifical economy, infernafional law, and evidences of Chrisfianify were also imporfanf subiecfs. Sfudenfs of I948 would find if impossible fo enfer fhe Universify in l848. This, because of fhe exfremely difficulf wriffen examina- fions. Said examinafions insisfed on, among ofher fhings, a lrnowl- edge of fhe five boolrs of Caesar and fhe six boolrs of fhe Aeneid of Virgil. ln July of I856, Presidenf from fhe Board of Trusfees. His influence confinued fo be greafly felf, however, as his son-in-law, L. C. Lamar, fhe noblesf Mis- sissippian of fhem all, became a professor, in furn, Lamar's son- in-law, Edward Mayes became a Chancellor. The reign of Longsfreef was followed by fhaf of Fredericlr A. P. Barnard, who was fo become one of fhe greafesf figures in American educafion and also a greaf name in science. A facile fallxer, Presidenf Barnard addressed a meefing of fhe sfafe legislafure and managed fo secure funds fhaf were badly needed for new buildings and for larger and beffer equipmenf for fhe library and science deparfmenf. Shorfly afferward, fhe Universify of Mississippi foolr ifs honored place as one of fhe besf equipped universifies in America. lf was a remarlrable facf, con- sidering fhaf fhe universify had been in exisfence only I3 years. lf was fhrough Barnard's efforfs fhaf fhe largesf Telescope in fhe world, af fhaf fime, was ordered for fhe school. The war came and if wenf fo Norfhwesfern Universify, where many hisfory malring observafions were made, and if is sfill in use foday. Jusf as The war fool: our felescope, if fool: our greafesf Chancel- lor lfhe fifle of presidenf had been changed fo chancellorl. ln I86l, fhe Universify was closed and Chancellor Barnard refurned fo his home in fhe norfh. Buf, even fhere, he was sfill concerned for fhe welfare of his beloved Ole Miss. lf was 'Through his influ- Longsfreef resigned under profesf ence fhaf General Granf did nof burn or desfroy any of fhe prop- erfy of fhe Universify. Though nof a parf of fhe hisfory of our universify, we of Ole Miss always poinf wifh pride fo fhe record of F. E. P. Barnard affer leav- ing fhe campus. ln IB64, he was chosen presidenf of Columbia College, N. Y. Upon arriving fhere, he found a second or fhird rafe college. When he leff, if was one of fhe oufsfanding edu- cafional insfifufions in America. The women's division is named for him. The drums rolled arcoss fhe eleven soufhern sfafes. From every fown, village, and hamlef fhe horses dashed ouf carrying fheir riders for an appoinfmenf wifh hisfory. Across fhe hof hinferland fhe Sfars and Bars rode in glory. A iubilanf populace raised fheir voices singing a new song-a song fhaf would send fhrills in fo fhe hearfs of men long affer fhose who firsf sang if were gone. A piercing yell brolce everywhere fhe sfillness of fhe evening air and Ole Miss was ready for if's dafe wifh desfiny. The opening of hosfilifies nafurally affecfed fhe academic life of fhe campus for fhe worsf. Many of fhe sfudenfs leff fhe campus immediafely fo ioin fhe Confederafe army. On fhe campus ifself a company was formed. William B. Lowry was elecfed com- mander. lf was iusf an ordinary college company fo fhe eye. There were many such formed 'lhroughouf fhe counfry on bofh sides, buf fhe Universify Greys were fo make a name for fhem- selves 'lhaf would sfand wifh fhe immorfals who wore fhe grey. Forming Company A of fhe Elevenfh Mississippi Davis Brigade. fhey followed Piclreff in his lasf charge againsf Missionary Ridge. As fhey approached fhe summif under fhe hail of wifhering fire fhaf would have forced less daunfless hearfs fo wifhdraw, General Piclreff was sfrucl: down: buf fhe sons of Ole Miss wenf on, reach- ing fhe furfheresf poinf of penefrafion. However no morfal could have falren fhe ridge fhaf day, so fhe Universify Greys were forced fo give way for laclc of supporf. lf was fruly fhe high wafer mark of fhe Soufh, and if was only iusf fhaf fhe gallanf men of fhe Uni- l il l in s: 'i l , I 'z Ml .2 is 1 1 I. l

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GEORGE FREDERICK HOLMES The first presidenf of Ole Miss UNVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI 94 'if' ng . L 534254 -xii Ga-N.: The Lyceum Building in l860 Q 0 Q 0 If was on a brighf, brisk, Monday morning in November, in fhe year I848, fha? fhe Universify of Mississippi, now affecfionafely known as Ole Miss came info exisfence. Sfanding on fhe sfeps of fhe Lyceum Building a Mr. Thompson delivered an address on behalf of fhe Board of Trusfees followed by Presidenf George Frederick Holmes who spoke for fhe faculfy. Thereupon fhe Uni- versify was declared officially open and ready fo receive sfudenfs. The firsf session found some eighfy Soufhern genfIemen enrolled. There has probably never been in fhe hisfory of a Universify such an assemblage of sfudenl's . None of fhem had any back ground whafsoever for college work and being fhe scions of fhe soufhern heiarchy fhey were nafurally nof inclined fowards discipline. No more crude and disorderly sef of young men ever assembled in any colIege. These were fhe words of fhe Reverend John N. Wadell who Iafer be- came Chancellor. They came fo fhe Universify affended by fheir slaves and carrying fheir hunfing dogs and guns. Noi' a man on fhe campus wenf abou? wifhouf his pisfol or af leasf a dirk and fhere is acfually a case of an affair of honor fhe cause of which was fhe love of a young maiden of fhe village of Oxford. Pisfols, by 'Ihe way, had fo be checked wifh fhe Dean of Men before going fo class. The sale of infoxicafing beverages wifhin five miles of fhe universify was nafurally prohibifed by law, and five miles being five miles in fhose days of fhe horse and buggy insfead of five minufes was nafurally fough on fhe boys. Buf fhese fellows were no more daunfed from having a sociable drink before breakfasf fhan fhose fhaf followed fhem. The long wagon frains bearing hay or coffon fhrough 'Ihe village of Oxford were more offen fhan nof carrying confraband liquor hid- den under fheir innocenf looking loads. Such acfivifies were nafurally very much frowned on by fhe faculfy and every efforf was made Io curb fhis debauchry, buf fhe sfraw fhaf broke fhe camels back was laid on when one of fhese eager scholars was found keeping a lewd woman in his room. He was severely reprimanded and dismissed from fhe school. Presidenf Holmes foughf fhe good fighf, always opfimisfic, remembering fhaf you'lh musf have ifs fling: buf, in fhe spring of I849, a liffle over a year from fhe fime he came info office, he resigned: and Ieff fhe campus fo regain his heaIfh . Following fhe deparfure of Mr. Holmes, 'Ihe presidency of fhe college was Taken over by Dr. Augusfus B. Longsfreef of Georgia. He was considered somewhaf of a characfer buf was liked by all fhe boys. The aufhor of Georgia Scenes , a series of humorous skefches depicfing early I9fh cenfury life in Georgia, he became fhe fafher of fhe modern American comic sfrip. If was under fhe benevolenf despofism of Judge Longsfreel fhaf discipline of a sorf was inforced on fhe campus and a greaf measure of scholasfic progress gained. 1 I, I I

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'-1' .. , . Jhsf. A-F 7-2 .116-1 A ' . 4,1-a:,?.' JL, , jg, .L A- .F . -9-flffg' ' ' v fd' ,,-1: -1'- . Q.-. , .-.,.a. ru! 'l.. Taylor Hall in I870. ln This building was housed The UniversiTy preparaTory school O 0 O' O versiTy of Mississippi should follow Them in Their TradiTion Today should be lrnown Throughoui' a naTion as The Rebels. When The blood had dried on Missionary Ridge and The long years oT TighTing againsT insurmounTable odds had drawn To a close. The roll of Company A ElevenTh Mississippi Davis Brigade was Talren. Of The I36 ThaT enlisTed on The morning of February 28, I86I, only 24 could be accounTed Tor. No school company in all The SouThland or in The counTry of The enemy gave so much precious blood or esTeemed a cause so highly as These crude and dis- orderly seT of young men oT our UniversiTy Greys. Ole Miss, The SouTh, The NaTion has good cause To honor Their name. They made of a losT cause, a deTeaT, a Thing of glory ThaT remains Tor all Time an inspiraTion To Those who Tollow. Men did noT have To go Tar ofT To Tind The war. The war came To Them in all iTs horror of invading armies, pillage, and burning. The war came To Ole Miss. The long line of Grey slowly gave way, Talling baclr To CorniTh. IT had been a heavy price paid aT Shiloh and There was greaT need for a base hospiTal close enough To The TronT To TaciliTaTe easy car- riage and yeT, where in This wilderness was such housing Tor The hundreds of suTTering men. The answer was The Lyceum Building of The Ole Miss campus. This imposing hall dedicaTed To The peace and progress of all manlrind was called on To do a iob of mercy and iT served well and wiTh honor. Some l,500 sick and wounded Johnny Rebs were cared for in The rooms where we now aTTend class, un- mindful of The Tacf ThaT many came To Those rooms wiTh a more graver purpose-some never To wallu ouT again. For a shorT dis- Tance Trom The campus in unmarked graves lie Those who breaThed Their lasT under The sound of The planTaTion bell. ThaT Ole Miss escaped The wanTon desTrucTion commiTTed upon many oi The SouTh's greaT seaTs of learning was Through our Two greaT Triends in The norTh, Chancellor Barnard and Professor Boyn- Ton. Through Their inTersecTion GranT spared The UniversiTy The TaTe of Those who sTood in The paTh of Sherman. ,, .yo Q. ' 7 f- ' -- ' ,,: ',.If iy 's . - I ii .15 I-pg .T '... --' ' ,s H16 -1 tv 'T-I4 , - i ' ' --. 5,4 ' - .uh LAY- 'fx' -' 4 1. - - .ek V - 4 , ., SM The UniversiTy Gymnasium in l860 The war came To an end. The men came home To seTTle down To The serious Taslc of mailing Their lives Trom noThing. The SouTh had losT The war. Though The spiriT of The souTh was sTill unconquered. There were Those men who would seelr To desTroy even ThaT. Men came baclc To shambles ThaT had once been homes. They had leTT wealThyg They reTurned impoverished. They reTurned To Ole Miss. They came wiTh noThingg They hoped To Take away all. How dif- Tereni' were These men Than when They had TirsT come To The campus beTore Tour long years of war. The UniversiTy ToughT To lieep iTs independence, buT The sTaTe legislafure, now carpeTbagged and scalleywagged, made aTTempTs To change The school To suiT Their poliTical views. The Board of TrusTees was changed consTanTly. Chancellor Wadell, STewarT and Mayes, in ThaT order, resigned because of ThaT inTerTerence. As Wadell expressed iT, The name UniversiTy applied To our insTiTuTion is unquesTionably a misnomer under presenT circumsTances. Bui' The TyranTs of The NorTh and Their cringing allies in The SouTh had noT reclconed wiTh The spiriT ThaT had never been conquered- a spiriT ThaT burned on ScoTland's hills-a spiriT ThaT again would lighT up in The burninig flames in The Tiery crosses raised To heaven. The sound of men riding Through The nighT and pale figures, ghosTs of deparTed heroes, rode on errands of vengance, lighTed by The Tires oT unmericiful iusTice. Ole Miss had her clansmen and They rode wiTh all The courage ThaT had made Tor Them a name in The war They had Thought was over. The fires had noT burned in vain, and finally The SouTh emerged inTo The lighT oT hope and Ole Miss lrnew her sons would live again. Normalcy came To Ole Miss as iT came To The enTire SouTh. IT was in I872 ThaT Chancellor FulTon assumed The leadership of The UniversiTy. His reign was Tree from The poliTical inTerTerence of The reconsTrucTion, and This academic freedom resulTed in Ole Miss coming once again inTo iTs own as iT had never beTore in The days oT F. A. P. Barnard. A summer school was inauguraTed. An addiT- ional Township was secured Tor The UniversiTy. A sysTem of high