75 Years of Excellence STORY BY MACKENZIE ROSS
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tudent journalism has been a part of the University of Mississippi campus for over a century. The yearbook, The Ole Miss, was started in 1896. The student-run newspaper, The Mississippian, followed shortly after in 1911. It wasn’t until 1947 that the university finally added a department of journalism to its campus. The chancellor chose to place the department within The School of Business and Dr. Gerald Forbes became the first chair of the newlyformed Department of Journalism. In February 1947, the department was located in a tiny space in the Lyceum. A few months later, it was moved to two classrooms and two offices in one of the war-surplus buildings near Bishop Hall. Around 80 students signed up for courses, which instantly made it one of the largest departments on campus. New classes included management of the weekly newspaper, principles of advertising, layout and copy editing, news photography and more. The same year, Forbes established the Mississippi Scholastic Press Institute with the goal of exposing high school students to journalism at Ole Miss. Nearly 150 students and teachers attended the first event. Today, the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association still brings hundreds of high school students from across the state to the university each semester. In 1948, Sam Talbert joined the journalism team at Ole Miss, aiding in the growth of the program. He later became chair of the department when Forbes stepped down in 1956.
The Ole Miss yearbook is founded, highlighting campus and student life
1897 10
1911
The student-run newspaper, The Mississippian, is founded
THE REVIEW 2021-2022
The university creates a department of journalism
1947
1949, THE OLE MISS ARCHIVES From the beginning of his tenure as chairman, Talbert recruited female students to help break the gender barrier at the time. Talbert served in that role until his death in 1972. In 2020, the school created the Talbert Fellows Program in his name, offering scholarship opportunities and financial assistance to students. In the summer of 1975, the department of journalism left the School of Business and joined the School of Liberal Arts. It wasn’t until 1979 that the department moved from Brady Hall to Farley Hall, the current home to the program. Another influential professor in the department’s early years was newspaperman S. Gale Denley. As a third-generation newspaper publisher, Denley brought a wealth of knowledge to the department and served as general manager of student media until
1948
Sam Talbert joins the journalism department
The department joins the School of Liberal Arts
1975
1979
The department of journalism moves to Farley Hall
