Featured in University Archives

Vintage valentines and modern creativity came together at the University of Mississippi Libraries’ IDEALab, where students and staff learned calligraphy and crafted personalized cards using designs from Archives and Special Collections' Ann Rayburn Collection of Paper Americana.

For the sixth Ole Miss Giving Day, Friends of the Library and the University Libraries raised funds for a new UM author reading space honoring longtime supporter Dr. Ann Abadie, showcasing works by UM authors and celebrating her legacy of strengthening the library and community.

Before the formation of the renowned “Pride of the South” Marching Band, Chandler Worley served as an instructor and band director at the University of Mississippi, shaping music education and community bands across the state. Known for his dedication and support of young musicians, Worley’s legacy includes early military band leadership and expanding access to music instruction in Lafayette County and beyond.

Every Halloween, Willie Price students parade through campus in costume, stopping at offices and buildings for candy, toys, and smiles. The tradition, embraced by faculty, staff, and students alike, continues to grow, with 122 trick-or-treaters joining the fun in 2024.

Because the University of Mississippi remained racially segregated until 1962, when James Meredith became the first Black student to enroll, M.B. Mayfield was barred from attending art classes in person. Instead, he listened from inside an adjoining broom closet with the door cracked open—an unconventional classroom that inspired the memory paintings for which he later became renowned.

The Robert L. Logan Collection in Archives & Special Collections documents the experiences of a newly deputized U.S. Marshal sent to Oxford in 1962 to guard the Lyceum during James Meredith’s historic enrollment.

Within the University of Mississippi’s Department of Archives and Special Collections are rare glass plate negatives taken by Professor Edward C. Boynton in the mid-1800s, offering a unique glimpse into early campus life, architecture, and student activities before the Civil War.