A Great American Public University
The University of Mississippi helped put the L-O-U (Lafayette-Oxford-University) community in the international spotlight September 26, 2008, when Ole Miss hosted the first debate between presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
That memorable evening capped four decades of progress and commitment to cultural diversity, academic excellence and innovative research at the university.
Visitors found a beautiful campus, including the majestic Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, which seats 1,200 inside its regal main hall. The Ford Center’s acoustic splendor was not only perfect for the debate but also for presenting Broadway shows and international ballets, as well as the talents of Grammy Award winners and the viewpoints of intellectuals and world leaders.
Also contributing to the L-O-U community’s cultural environment are the University Museum and Historic Houses, Fortune and Lawrence Galleries, and the J.D. Williams Library, which boasts the Hall of Mississippi Writers, William Faulkner Room and world’s most extensive Blues Archive.
Not to be overlooked is Faulkner’s historic home, Rowan Oak, where visitors can almost hear the Nobel Prize winner pounding out another masterpiece on his Underwood. Those who choose to explore the university’s campus will learn about the University Greys, the telescope diverted by the Civil War, the Union and Confederate troops hospitalized here, and a milestone in the nation’s civil rights movement.
A variety of unique programs, such as the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, Oxford Conference for the Book, and Blues and Southern Foodways symposiums keep visitors from around the world coming back. There is also a full calendar of exciting Southeastern Conference sports action.
For baseball fans, nothing beats a weekend SEC series at Oxford-University Stadium. With 6,000 theater-style seats, club sections and spacious outfield areas featuring picnic tables, barbecue stands and a playground, the stadium is one of the country’s finest places to watch collegiate baseball.
For golfers, the Ole Miss Golf Course recently completed a $3.5 million renovation and was named among the top five renovated courses in America by Golf Inc. magazine.
At Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the state’s largest, the 2009 Cotton Bowl champions play seven games a year. The stadium boasts two club areas, numerous skyboxes and seating for more than 60,500. Other athletics facilities include Tad Smith Coliseum, home of the men's and women's basketball Rebels, and the Palmer-Salloum Tennis Center, where the reigning SEC champion men's tennis team led the nation in attendance for the 2009 season.
A network of L-O-U friends works together to build a stronger community and power cultural and economic growth. Their cooperation produces L-O-U’s Summer Sunset Series of free outdoor entertainment each Sunday in June, a Fourth of July Celebration complete with a dazzling fireworks display and Oxford’s Double Decker and Shakespeare festivals. It also helps preserve historic buildings, provides low-income housing and ensures state-of-the-art fire protection, transportation and law enforcement services.
Certainly, the emotional bond between Ole Miss and Oxford is strong, and even a casual visitor who spends a few hours on campus or on the town Square can feel it.
Several businesses, including Radiance Technologies, chose to locate here to enjoy the community’s amenities. Others, such as FNC, ElSohly Laboratories, Security Check and Medical Marketing Economics, were created here by entrepreneurial faculty and students.
We hope you will take the time to tour our campus, attend our events and see why we are proud to call Oxford and Lafayette County our home. Visit UM’s Web site www.olemiss.edu for a calendar of events. For tickets, call the UM Box Office at 662-915-7411 or the UM Athletics Ticket Office at 662-915-7167 or 915-7168.
The University of Mississippi Useful Phone Numbers
• General Directory/Information 662-915-7211
• Admissions 662-915-7226
• Athletics Department 662-915-7241
• Athletics Ticket Office 662-915-7167
• Financial Aid 800-891-4596
• Registrar 662-915-7792
• Student Health Center 662-915-7274
• Student Housing 662-915-7328
• Turner Center 662-915-5591
• UM Box Office 662-915-7411
• University Police Department 662-915-7234
