A MDAH Publication  |  Volume 43 No. 11  |  November 2001

Open House Nov. 11

The annual Old Capitol Museum Holiday Open House will be held on Sunday, November 11, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., and will feature Christmas Stories from Mississippi, a new book published by University Press of Mississippi. Editors Judy H. Tucker and Charline R. McCord will be on hand to sign copies. First-edition copies of the book have been signed by illustrator Wyatt Waters, who will be unable to attend. The Open House offers visitors a sampling of the state's folk art, crafts, and books by Mississippians and about Mississippi. Enjoy the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra in concert at 2 p.m. For more information, call 601/ 359-6920.

Illustration by Wyatt Waters from Christmas Stories

Dennis J. Mitchell, author of Mississippi Liberal: A Biography of Frank E. Smith, signs a copy for former Mississippi Humanities Council director Cora Norman while Alferdteen Harrison, director, Margaret Walker Alexander Research Center, JSU, looks on. Mitchell, currently chair of the Arts and Sciences Division at Mississippi State University, Meridian, was formerly professor of history at JSU. The book, published for MHS by University Press of Mississippi, was supported by a generous grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation.

Curator Offers Programs

Mary Lohrenz, the curator of the Governor's Mansion, offers a variety of programs to schools, civic groups, and other organizations: The History of the Governor's Mansion; Behind the Scenes at the Old Capitol Museum: What Do They Do with All That Stuff?; Mississippi Homespun: Nineteenth-Century Textiles and the Women Who Made Them; The History and Identification of Quilts; Pieced Together: Mississippi Quilts; The History and Identification of Lace; and Care of Historic Textiles. Groups interested in scheduling these programs are invited to call Mary Lohrenz at 601/359-6421.

Storytelling at Winterville Mounds

Native American stories will be told by Houma-Choctaw Grayhawk Perkins at Winterville Mounds, Greenville, on Sunday, November 18, 1:30 until 5 p.m. For more information, call 662/ 334-4684.

Teachers Examine Post-Civil War Era

At the Eighteenth Annual Social Studies Teachers Workshop on Friday, November 2, at the Old Capitol Museum, Jackson, teachers from all over the state examined the post-Civil War period of Mississippi's history. Each year over 200 teachers register for the Teachers Workshop, one of the Department's most popular and successful outreach programs. At the workshop, historians described the Reconstruction period (1865-76) and the years of rebuilding (1876-1900) as the state began the difficult task of economic recovery. Reconstruction politics, Chinese immigration, daily life, women's roles, and the establishment of an all-black community are among the topics discussed. Lesson plans and classroom applications are offered by veteran social studies teachers. CEU credit for the workshop is coordinated through Mississippi College, according to Lucy Allen, educational programs administrator.

Mississippi Heritage Trust Invites Entries

Mississippi Heritage Trust has announced a call for entries for the bi-annual Mississippi Heritage Awards. The awards, to be presented April 27, 2002, at the Grand Opera House, Meridian, honor individuals, organizations, businesses, agencies, or projects involving historic preservation in Mississippi.

For an entry form, criteria and categories, and general requirements, please call MHT, 601/ 354-0220. MHT, a non-profit organization established in 1992, works with local preservation groups as well as statewide and national organizations.

Randy J. Sparks, author of Religion in Mississippi, volume two in the Mississippi Historical Society's Heritage of Mississippi Series, signs a copy of his new book for MHS past president Libby Aydelott, Clinton. Religion in Mississippi was published for the MHS by University Press of Mississippi and supported by generous grants from the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Department of Archives and History. Sparks, associate professor of history at Tulane University, gave an interesting overview of the book and answered questions before the signing session.

Mississippi Historical Society Seeks Award Nominations

The Missississippi Historical Society is seeking submissions for the following awards, to be presented at the Society's annual meeting February 28-March 2, 2002, in Hattiesburg. To request a nomination form, please call MHS at 601/ 359-6850.

The John K. Bettersworth Award is given annually to an outstanding teacher of middle school or high school history in Mississippi. The winning teacher receives a $100 cash award and is invited as the Society's guest to attend the MHS annual meeting. The award honors the memory of Dr. Bettersworth, the distinguished historian and author who served as professor and administrator at Mississippi State University for almost forty years. He also served as MHS president and as a longtime member of the MDAH Board of Trustees. The deadline is December 1.

The James T. Dawson Award is presented annually as merited to a local government in Mississippi with an exemplary records management program. A local government eligible for the award may be a municipality, a county, or a school district. The award memorializes James T. Dawson, who established the Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History and played an integral role in the establishment of a records management program in Lauderdale County. The deadline is December 1.

The Glover Moore Prize, carrying a $300 cash award, is awarded annually if merited to the author of the best master's thesis on a topic in Mississippi history completed during the previous year. The prize honors Dr. Glover Moore, a professor of history at Mississippi State University and a longtime member of the Mississippi Historical Society. Submit four copies of the thesis to Glover Moore Prize by December 1 to address listed below.

The Franklin L. Riley Prize is awarded bi-annually to a doctoral dissertation on a topic in Mississippi history or biography, completed during 2000-2001. The prize honors Franklin L. Riley, former professor of history at the University of Mississippi and the MHS member most instrumental in the establishment of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Submit two copies to Riley Prize, MHS, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571 by December 1.

Published by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History • Elbert R. Hilliard, director • Chrissy Wilson, editor
Please send correspondence to: MHN, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205 or email to pubinfo@mdah.state.ms.us