Happy Founders Day

Today is Founders Day for The University of Southern Mississippi. On this day in 1910, Governor Edmund Favour Noel signed the bill that created Mississippi Normal College, which would go on to be known as State Teachers College, then Mississippi Southern College, and finally The University of Southern Mississippi.

Just as a reminder on how far we've come from the humble beginnings of our early days, I'm reposting a resolution I authored with other Southern Miss alums in the House last year, when we celebrated our Centennial. Southern Miss to the top!

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 67

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, ADMINISTRATION, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, UPON THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING.

WHEREAS, March 30, 2010, marks the one hundredth anniversary
of the founding of the University of Southern Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, the University of Southern Mississippi began as
Mississippi Normal College through the passage of House Bill No.
204, which was introduced by State Representative Marshall
McCullough of Lincoln County, then passed by the Mississippi House
of Representatives on March 16, 1910, approved by the Senate a
week later and signed into law by Governor Edmond Favor Noel on
March 30, 1910, with no state appropriation; and
WHEREAS, during the search for a location for the college,
Hattiesburg residents, Dr. T.E. Ross, Mr. H.A. Camp and Mr. A.A.
Montague, saw the tremendous opportunity for their city and state,
and donated 120 acres of land on a stretch of wilderness a few
miles west of downtown Hattiesburg, thus enabling Hattiesburg to
be chosen over Jackson and Laurel as the site for the new college;
and
WHEREAS, leaders of the City of Hattiesburg and Forrest
County took the bold and courageous step of selling bonds to raise
the needed money to build the first buildings on the new college's
campus; and
WHEREAS, the first classes began at Mississippi Normal
College on September 18, 1912, under the leadership of its first
president, Dr. David Anderson Cook, with the education and
training of new teachers to serve the people of Mississippi as the
college's mission; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, this noble institution has
built a reputation of persevering and succeeding in both good and
tumultuous times, surviving several politically motivated
dismissals of presidents and even attempts by the Mississippi
Legislature to close its doors; and
WHEREAS, this determination to succeed, advance and "do more
with less" pushed the institution to greater heights, as its
mission expanded and its name changed from Mississippi Normal
College to State Teachers College (1924), Mississippi Southern
College (1940) and, ultimately, the University of Southern
Mississippi (1962); and
WHEREAS, under the vision and leadership of nine different
presidents, the University of Southern Mississippi's breadth and
depth of academic programs have evolved from its humble beginnings
of solely training teachers to its current status as an
internationally recognized pioneer in areas such as nursing,
economic development, language disorders, marine research, gifted
education, athletics, the arts and polymer science; and
WHEREAS, the University of Southern Mississippi has graduated
over 125,000 alumni, counting among its ranks statesmen, scholars,
entertainers, educators, athletes and artists; and
WHEREAS, the same desire to survive and succeed continues to
mold and motivate its students, faculty, staff, administration and
alumni, thus ensuring the University of Southern Mississippi's
second century will be all the more prosperous than the first; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to
commend 100 years of service to the State of Mississippi by such
an outstanding institution as the University of Southern
Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby
commend the students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and
friends of the University of Southern Mississippi, both past and
present, on one century of loyalty and excellence, and express
best wishes on guiding the university to greater heights in the
next century.