Traditions: Prominent Buildings Features

History	Updated April 3, 2014

Prominent Buildings and Features (Hattiesburg Campus) | Original Buildings were all designed by architect R.H. Hunt of Chattanooga, Tenn., and built in 1912.

College Hall

College Hall was the original school building. It housed all classrooms, administrative offices, a library and the auditorium. In 2012 a $6.3 million renovation of the building began with University officials eagerly anticipating the project bringing the nearly century-old building back to its original grandeur. The historic structure reopened in fall 2013 and is now home to the School of Mass Communication and Journalism.

Forrest County Hall

Built as a residence hall for men and married students, the building is named for Forrest County, which in conjunction with the city of Hattiesburg provided funds for building the school. It currently houses business offices.

Hattiesburg Hall

Built as a residence hall for women, the building was named for the city of Hattiesburg in honor of its role in providing funds to build the school. The building continues to function as a residence hall.

The Honor House

Originally called the Industrial Cottage, this building was used to provide a laboratory for girls to "learn practical home-keeping in all its phases." Since then, the two-story brick structure has served as the campus clinic, a dormitory, faculty housing, the USM Foundation, and it currently houses the Honors College. The name Honor House came about in 1957 when the building housed upper-class and graduate female students who lived there "on their honor." This meant there were no house matrons, and residents made their own rules and regulations, abiding by them with the guidance and direction of the dean of women.

Ogletree Alumni House

The Ogletree Alumni House served as the president's home until 1975 when it was donated to the Alumni Association for use as its headquarters. The building is named for Powell G. Ogletree, the first executive director of the Alumni Association, who served from 1953 to 1987. An extensive restoration and expansion project completed in 2009 returned the structure to its original glory as well as significantly increased its size.

Buildings Named for Southern Miss Presidents

Joseph Anderson Cook Memorial Library

Named for the school's first president, Joseph Anderson "Joe" Cook (1911-28), the original Joe Cook Memorial Library was completed in 1940 and is now Kennard-Washington Hall. The first increment of the current Cook Library was built in 1960 with additions in 1966 and 1995. It houses the University Libraries' primary collection of books, periodicals, media resources, music resources and other related collections.

Bennett Auditorium

Named for the school's second president, Claude Bennett (1928-33), it was completed in 1930 and named in 1972. The building was designed in keeping with the architecture of the school's original structures and is used for a variety of purposes, including concerts and forums.

J.B. George Building

The former Speech and Hearing Building at The University of Southern Mississippi was officially renamed the J.B. George Building in honor of the University's third president during a ceremony held June 14, 2012, on the Hattiesburg campus. George's name previously graced the University's longtime cafeteria known as The Commons. That building was torn down in 2009 and replaced with a beautifully landscaped spot called Centennial Green.

R.C. Cook University Union

Named for the school's fourth president, Dr. Robert Cecil "R.C." Cook (1945-54), the University Union was completed in 1976. Use of the building is primarily for student-related activities. Housed in the building are Seymour's cafÃƒÆ’Ã†'Ãƒ € 'ÃƒÆ’ ‚¬ 'ÃƒÆ’Ã†' ' ¬ 'ÃƒÆ’Ã†'Ãƒ € ' ' ¬ 'ÃƒÆ’Ã†'Ãƒ € 'ÃƒÆ’ ‚¬ ' ' ¬ 'ÃƒÆ’Ã†'Ãƒ € 'ÃƒÆ’ ‚¬ 'ÃƒÆ’Ã†' ' ¬ ' ' ¬ ' © and grill, a convenience store, a game room and meeting rooms.

Richard Aubrey McLemore Hall

Named for the school's first interim president (January-August 1955), McLemore Hall was completed in 1956 and was the original home of the R.C. Cook Union. The union housed Nat's Nook, an on-campus eatery where Jimmy Buffett, a Southern Miss student, often performed. The building's current use is for classrooms and offices.

William David McCain Library and Archives

Named for the school's fifth president, Dr. William D. McCain (1955-75), this building houses several offices and programs, including the Graduate School and the Special Collections components of the University Libraries, including the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.

Aubrey Keith Lucas Administration Buildingy

Named for the school's sixth president, Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas (1975-96), it currently houses the offices of the University's president and vice presidents.

Horace W. Fleming Jr. Education Center

Named for the school's seventh president, Dr. Horace Weldon Fleming Jr. (1997-2001), it features 20 regular classrooms, three computer laboratories, two interactive video network rooms, a conference room and a 500-seat auditorium.

Shelby Freeland Thames Polymer Science Building

Named for the school's eighth president, Dr. Shelby F. Thames (2002-07), it currently houses the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, the Mississippi Polymer Institute and the Polymer Science Center.

Icons

All-American Rose Garden

Planted in 1973 by the Hattiesburg Area Rose Society, the Rose Garden is maintained by the Southern Miss Physical Plant. In 1975, the garden was approved as an accredited Public Rose Garden by All-American Rose Selections Inc. It was featured in the September 1992 issue of American Rose magazine. Located near the front entrance of the campus, the semicircular garden consists of 32 separate beds, each containing its own unique hybrid of rose. It has become an unofficial campus tradition to have one's photo taken in cap and gown on graduation day.

The Dome

Aubrey Keith Lucas Administration Building, affectionately referred to as "The Dome," is named for the school's sixth president, Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas (1975-96). With its patina top and distinctive architecture, The Dome is the focal point of the campus. Housed inside are the offices of the University's president and vice presidents.

Centennial Gateway

The Centennial Gateway serves as an impressive and dignified entrance to The University of Southern Mississippi. In 2009, the Ed Langton family of Hattiesburg donated $200,000 to fund the construction of the gateway in addition to a $17,777.77 contribution from The Gold Leaf Society, a secret society that has helped support a number of Southern Miss projects in recent years. The 125-foot wide brick and cast stone welcoming structure at the main entrance to the Hattiesburg campus on Hardy Street was completed and dedicated on March 30, 2010, as part of the University's 100th anniversary celebration.

Lake Byron

In October 1933, members of the senior class voted to construct an artificial lake in a low, swampy plot of ground at the front of campus as their gift to the school (then State Teachers College). Dr. Byron E. Green, president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, assisted the class in its preparations and secured laborers from government relief agencies to dig the lake. Ground was broken on November 20, 1933, and plans called for the lake to be four feet deep (sufficient for canoeing), 500 feet long, and 135 feet across at its widest part. In appreciation for his assistance on the project, the senior class voted to name the lake in honor of Dr. Byron Green. The lake was officially dedicated as Lake Byron on May 28, 1934. Over the years, the lake became a campus icon.

Roberts Schoolhouse

Built in 1899 in Northeast Jackson County for $80, the one-room Roberts Schoolhouse offers visitors a rare glimpse into the past. Now located in its original form on the patio of Owings-McQuagge Hall, the structure is complete with McGuffey's Readers, desks with inkwells, slate chalkboard, wood stove, individual lesson slates, and many other items familiar to early learners.

Classes were held in the one-room schoolhouse until 1922 when consolidation forced its closure. Everything in the schoolhouse is original except for a few nails and several windowpanes. In 1981, the building was disassembled, and every part was numbered. The parts were then brought to Southern Miss, and the building was reassembled on the patio of Owings-McQuagge Hall.

The structure has special significance to Southern Miss. Dr. M.M. Roberts, a well-known local attorney, a member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and for whom the University's football stadium is named, received his early education in the building.

The Rock (M.M. Roberts Stadium)

Our stadium is named for local attorney M.M. Roberts, a Southern Miss alumnus, longtime Southern Miss supporter, and former member of the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning. Roberts was on the University's football team from 1914-15. The east side of the stadium, which was completed in 1939 and also served as a men's dormitory, was nicknamed "The Rock" by football players who helped with the construction of the stadium for scholarships and training purposes. The west side of the stadium was completed in 1953, and the upper decks were added in 1976. In 2008, a construction project was completed that enclosed the South End Zone of M.M. Roberts Football Stadium,which added 4,000 seats to the stadium.

Other Buildings, Facilities and Features

Danforth Chapel

Built in 1957, the $10,000 seed money for the chapel was donated by the Danforth family of St. Louis, owners of the Purina cereal and pet food company. Matching funds of $25,000 were raised primarily through donations from faculty, staff and students. Dr. John F. Nau, professor of religion and philosophy and University chaplain, was largely responsible for raising funds needed for the chapel. The chapel's stained glass windows were added in 1987.

Carlisle-Faulkner Field

In honor of one of the University's most generous supporters, Gene Carlisle, Faulkner Field underwent a name change in 2004 and became Carlisle-Faulkner Field. The playing field in Roberts Stadium was built in 1932 by unemployed men of Hattiesburg and named for Louis Edward "L.E." Faulkner, chairman of Hattiesburg's Committee on Unemployment Relief. Lights were added in 1934, and a public address system was installed in 1937. Prior to construction of Faulkner Field, football games were played in Kamper Park.

Little Rock

Located between The District and McLemore Hall, the Little Rock plays an important role during football season. Every Tuesday at 2 p.m., the Little Rock is given a fresh coat of paint by The Legacy, the student alumni association, and bears a spirited phrase about that week's opponent.

Pete Taylor Park

Home of the Golden Eagles baseball team, the facility is named for former coach and assistant athletic director, C.J. "Pete" Taylor (1955-83). Opened in 1985 and renovated in 1990, the facility's nickname is "The Pete." The Pete's field is named Hill Denson Field after former baseball head coach Hill Denson.

Petrified Tree

Located beside Danforth Chapel, the 60-foot, 23-ton, 11 million-yearold tree was discovered in December 1986 by Ovett, Miss., landowner William Thomas Johnson. The tree was relocated to the Southern Miss campus on September 4, 1987.

Reed Green Coliseum

Home of the Golden Eagles basketball teams, it was completed in 1965 and is named for former head football coach and athletic director Bernard Reed Green.

Shoemaker Square

The bricked pedestrian plaza in front of The Hub was named in memory of former Dean of Students Tom Shoemaker, who died as the result of a 1997 traffic accident.

Stephen Lane Hatten Memorial Grove

Located directly behind the grandstands in Pete Taylor Park, the grove features benches, tables, a pavilion and trees. It also serves as a living memorial to former Golden Eagle catcher Stephen Hatten, who lost his long battle with cancer May 2, 1998.

Lake Thoreau Environmental Center

Located on Thoreau Road off of Fourth Street in Hattiesburg, the property was donated to the USM Foundation in 2000 by the Eubanks family with the intention that it be utilized as a nature preserve for scientific, educational and aesthetic purposes. It is managed by the Southern Miss Department of Biological Sciences. It serves as an invaluable resource for biology research, teaching and outreach for students at the University as well as area high schools.

The Thad Cochran Center

The $34 million project, an expansion of the R.C. Cook University Union, added 270,000 square feet of additional space to the previous facility. The fourstory structure, which opened in 2006, houses a Barnes & Noble bookstore, an elaborate dining facility, conference rooms and a ballroom.

After serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's fourth district, Cochran was elected to the United States Senate in 1978 and continues to serve as the Magnolia State's senior senator.

Trent Lott Center

The Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship brings the University's renowned multiple academic and professional economic development programs together in a state-of-the-art educational facility that serves and advances the economic development professional throughout the state, nation and world.

The center is named for the former Senate Majority Leader from Mississippi who left Congress in 2007.

West Memorial Plaza

In 2003, West Memorial Drive was transformed into a pedestrian-only brick plaza. Located in the historic heart of campus and covered by a beautiful canopy of oak trees, the plaza connects Shoemaker Square to the University's main entrance. Since its creation, a number of engraved bricks have been installed along the plaza in honor of various individuals and campus groups. In 2012, the Southern Miss Alumni Association introduced the Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy Brick Program that encourages the purchase of engraved bricks by Southern Miss alumni, friends and fans with the proceeds benefitting the Pierce Legacy Scholarship Program.

Century Park

On Oct. 6, 2010, University of Southern Mississippi officials, state and local dignitaries, and students helped cut the ribbon at Century Park. Named in celebration of Southern Miss' centennial, Century Park is an 864-bed, living-learning community for freshman students, including Honors College and scholarship recipients. It also houses upper-class females. Construction has begun on phase II of the Century Park complex with the creation of Century Park South. Located on the south side of W. Fourth Street, the $55.6 million project will feature three buildings with five floors and will add an additional 954 beds for freshmen and scholarship students.

Centennial Green

Located on the former site of the J.B. George Commons, Centennial Green is a designated green space used for concerts, tailgating, outdoor events, and relaxation by Southern Miss students.

History