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The University of Mississippi

Just as it shines among the great universities of America, the University of Mississippi is a bright beacon within the Oxford and Lafayette County communities. The international spotlight shines on Oxford and Ole Miss September 26 when the University hosts the first presidential debate of the 2008 campaign.

The light is powered by a beautiful campus, including the majestic Gertrude Ford Center for the Performing Arts, which seats 1,200 inside its regal main hall. Its acoustic splendor is perfect for presenting thrilling Broadway shows and international ballets, as well as the talents of Grammy Award winners. The Ford Center is the site of the debate.

Also kindling the light of the Lafayette-Oxford- University (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 walk the University’s campus and tour its historic buildings 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.

The light has attracted visitors to campus and Oxford from around the world for a variety of unique programs, such as the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference, Oxford Conference for the Book and Blues and Southern Foodways symposiums. There is also a full calendar of exciting Southeastern Conference action.

Nothing beats a weekend series at Oxford-University Stadium, home to the Rebels baseball team. With 3,000 theater-style seats and spacious outfield areas with picnic tables, barbecue stands and a playground, the stadium beats many minor league ballparks and is one of the country’s finest places to watch collegiate baseball.

At Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the state’s largest, the Rebels play seven games a year on the field where such greats at Charlie Connerly, Archie Manning, Deuce McAllister and Eli Manning thrilled generations of football fans. The stadium boasts two club areas, numerous skyboxes and seating for more than 60,500.

Much of the energy to produce this light is provided by a network of L-O-U friends working together to build a stronger community and to power cultural and economic growth. Their cooperation has produced not only 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, but also preserved historic buildings, provided low-income housing and ensured state-of-the-art fire protection, transportation and law enforcement services.

Certainly, the emotional bond between Ole Miss and Oxford is strong, and even the casual visitor who spends a few hours on the campus or on the town Square can feel it.

The beacon has been recognized for its brilliance by several businesses, including BioDerm Sciences and Radiance Technologies, which chose to locate here to enjoy the community’s amenities. Others, such as FNC, HomeSafe, Security Check and Medical Marketing Economics were created here by entrepreneurial students and faculty.

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 website, 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 662-915-7168.

The University of Mississippi
www.olemiss.edu

• General Directory/Information — 662-915-7211

• Admissions — 662-915-7226

• Athletic Department — 662-915-7241

• Athletic 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

• University Police Department — 662-915-7234