News

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, MDAH will celebrate the lives of Governor William Winter and First Lady Elise Winter at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. The event is sponsored by Jones Walker LLP and the Foundation for Mississippi History.

Program speakers will include President Bill Clinton, the forty-second president of the United States; former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour; and former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson.

Soon after William F. Winter’s death in 2020, Governor Haley Barbour described Winter to Mississippi Today as “a gentleman, honorable and gracious. While our politics didn’t always coincide, I’ve always admired him. He made great changes in the structure of Mississippi’s K-12 educational system . . . He and Mrs. Winter, who is a delightful, gracious lady, represented our state very well, both while he was in elected office and afterwards.”

William F. Winter served as Governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984. He had previously been elected to the state legislature, and to the offices of the state tax collector, state treasurer, and lieutenant governor. His term as governor has been nationally acclaimed for the groundbreaking passage of education reform legislation. He was later appointed to President Bill Clinton’s National Advisory Board on Race.

Throughout his political career, Elise Winter campaigned for William Winter, and she was a trusted advisor and policy advocate to her husband when he was elected to office. When Elise Winter was the state’s First Lady, she helped shepherd her husband’s key legislation and hosted social gatherings for prominent Mississippians at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.

Elise Winter advocated for improving the living conditions of imprisoned people, worked to increase funding for state correctional institutions, and campaigned for the construction of family visitor’s center at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and a separate prison for women in Pearl. She was a founder, fundraiser, and volunteer of the Jackson area chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which has constructed more than 600 homes in the metro area for those in need. Elise Winter was recognized for her steadfast commitment to volunteer service during the 2015 Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence Awards.

“With Elise Winter by his side, Governor Winter enjoyed a remarkable political career, but his commitment to public service extended well beyond electoral office,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “He led the MDAH Board of Trustees for nearly fifty years, making an unmistakable impact on the department and the state.”

William F. Winter joined the MDAH Board of Trustees in 1957. During his time as board president, Winter oversaw the opening of the Eudora Welty House & Garden, the restoration of the Old Capitol, and the construction of a state-of-the-art archives and history building that the state legislature named for him.

Winter also encouraged the department to strengthen its focus on African American history in Mississippi, acquiring significant collections of papers, mounting award-winning exhibits, and offering grants for the preservation of sites associated with African American history. Most notably, his close friendship with Myrlie Evers led to her decision to donate the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Collection to MDAH in 2002.

The opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2017 is Winter’s greatest legacy at MDAH. Winter helped convince state leaders of the need to build the Two Mississippi Museums, and he was instrumental in securing public and private funds for the project.

MDAH director Katie Blount said, “These museums stand at the intersection of William Winter’s greatest passions—history, education, and racial justice. Generations of young people will come here to experience the stories that have shaped our state and nation.”

More details about the celebration will be released at a later date. For more information visit mdah.ms.gov. 

The World of Marty Stuart exhibit will debut at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson on Saturday, May 7, coinciding with the inaugural Mississippi Makers Fest, a music, food, and arts festival on the museum grounds.

“We are thrilled to host The World of Marty Stuart exhibit and can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with the Mississippi Makers Fest,” said Pamela Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “Marty represents what it means to be a creative and hardworking Mississippian, and that’s what this festival will celebrate. We have a phenomenal musical lineup and several incredible food and art vendors from across the state.”

The World of Marty Stuart explores Stuart’s life and his legacy of collecting country music’s stories. The exhibit includes hundreds of items never shown before in Mississippi, including Marty’s first guitar, original handwritten Hank Williams manuscripts, guitars from Merle Haggard and Pops Staples, costumes from Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, personal items from Johnny Cash, including his first black performance suit, and much more.

"It’s been incredible to work on this exhibit with Marty Stuart, a true pioneer in the preservation of country music history," said Shane Keil, MDAH director of curatorial services. "The World of Marty Stuart not only showcases Stuart’s phenomenal artifact collection but highlights his journey to country music stardom. Visitors will see the role and influence of his small town Mississippi upbringing that took him to the world stage and ultimately has brought him back home."

The World of Marty Stuart is brought to you by the title sponsor, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, as well as by AT&T and Visit Mississippi. Visit mdah.ms.gov to learn more about the exhibit.

“Marty Stuart embodies the diligent and innovative nature of Mississippians,” said Sheila Grogan, Vice President of Community and Public Relations at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. “Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi is proud to sponsor this opportunity for the community to learn more about his roots and storytelling at the Two Mississippi Museums.”

To celebrate the launch of the exhibit, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will host the inaugural Mississippi Makers Fest. North Mississippi Allstars will headline the all-day music festival. Other performers include Mr. Sipp, Framing the Red, Chapel Hart, the Chad Wesley Band, 5th Child, and more. Entergy Plaza at the museums will be packed with dozens of art and food vendors for this free event dedicated to celebrating Mississippi creativity in all forms.

Mississippi Makers Fest is brought to you by the title sponsor, Southern Beverage Company, as well as by Nancy and Ray Neilsen, New South Radio, Visit Jackson, Visit Mississippi, C Spire, StateStreet Group, and the Foundation for Mississippi History. Visit msmakersfest.mdah.ms.gov to learn more.

“Having begun in Jackson, Mississippi in 1939, Southern Beverage Company is exceptionally excited to support local artists and makers,” said Theo P. Costas, President and CEO of Southern Beverage Co., Inc. “We feel like the Mississippi Makers Fest will be the perfect opportunity for Mississippi creatives to display their craft. We are honored to support the first Mississippi Makers Fest and look forward to its success and future.”

The special exhibition Emerging Grace: Andrew Bucci’s Early Works is on display in the lobby of the William F. Winter Archives & History Building. The exhibition opened on January 12, the centennial birthday of Andrew Bucci. In honor of this special day, the first History Is Lunch program of 2022 featured Margaret Bucci and Beth Batton, curator of the Emerging Grace exhibit. Watch the Andrew Bucci HIL here. The artifacts showcased in this exhibit are from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s (MDAH) Andrew Bucci Collection. The collection was donated to the department in January 2021 by the Andrew Bucci Estate.  

“Andrew Bucci’s lifelong involvement in the Mississippi arts community played a central role in his artistic journey and in his extraordinary creative legacy. It’s a story that is richly documented in the sketchbooks, scrapbooks and biographical materials that constitute the new Andrew Bucci Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History,” said the niece of Andrew Bucci, Margaret Bucci. “By donating these treasures to MDAH, Andrew’s estate wishes to honor, preserve, and illuminate his life’s work and help cultivate a deeper understanding of one of Mississippi’s most revered visual artists.” 

The free exhibit runs through March 12 at the William F. Winter Archives & History Building. Hours are Monday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; and Saturday, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.  

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the United States. The department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers various museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, state and local government records management, and publications. For more information call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

On Wednesday, March 2, at noon, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will host legislators for a special History Is Lunch program–Finding Common Ground: Lawmakers and the New Flag. Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Senator Briggs Hopson, Senator Derrick Simmons, and Representative Robert Johnson will discuss the process of adopting the new Mississippi flag.

“MDAH was proud to support the Flag Commission in its historic work,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We are happy to be hosting legislators for History Is Lunch to talk about the transformation that the new flag has brought to our state.”

In 2020, the Mississippi legislature passed a bill that removed the 126-year-old state flag and created a commission that would be responsible for choosing a new design to be on the November statewide ballot.

The design selected by the commission was supported overwhelmingly by the voters, ratified by the legislature as the new state flag, and signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves. This program will take place in the auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums, the same room where the flag commission met and the bill signing took place.

MDAH livestreams videos of the program at noon on Wednesdays click here.

To view this event after air time click here.

The weekly History Is Lunch lecture series of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History explores different aspects of the state's past. The hour-long programs are held in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum building at 222 North Street in Jackson.

MDAH museums, sites, archives library will be closed on Monday, February 21, in observance of President’s Day.

Visit www.mdah.ms.gov/explore-mississippi for more information about each site. Learn more about researching at archives here.

On Thursday, February 24, at 7 p.m. the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) will premiere The Defenders: How Lawyers Protected the Movement in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium at the Two Mississippi Museums. Presented by Butler Snow and the Foundation for Mississippi History, the documentary film was produced by Red Squared and MDAH.

The Defenders focuses on Mississippi lawyers who represented African Americans in the years leading up to and during the Civil Rights Movement. Few in number, and with limited resources, lawyers representing African Americans in Mississippi lost more cases than they won during the 1950s and 1960s. Though circumstances were difficult, hundreds of lawyers were inspired to work in Mississippi and transformed its legal infrastructure for future generations. Their work demanding equality of treatment under law for Black citizens also changed the nation.

"We knew when we opened the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2017 that there were stories we had not finished telling, including the story of the role of lawyers in the movement,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We are proud to join our partners and the lawyers themselves in highlighting this fascinating and critically important story.”

A question and answer panel will follow the premiere and feature former State Supreme Court Justice Reuben V. Anderson, former State Supreme Court Justice Fred Banks, attorney Martha Jane Bergmark, attorney Mel Leventhal, and director Roderick Red.

To view the official trailer for The Defenders click here.

For more information on The Defenders, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

Learn how to trace your military family tree with resources available at MDAH on Saturday, February 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. Jeff Giambrone, a historic resource specialist at MDAH, will lead the Finding Your Family: Intro to Military Research workshop at the William F. Winter Archives & History building.

“For anyone doing research into a Mississippi relative's military history, a trip to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History is vital,” said Giambrone.

MDAH staff will teach participants how to use military records of Mississippi soldiers from the American Revolution to World War II such as service records, pensions, grave registration cards, World War I draft registration forms, statement of service cards, and World War II discharge records that are available in the MDAH archival collections.

Giambrone is currently employed as a historian at MDAH. He earned his BA in history from Mississippi State University and an MA in history from Mississippi College. He has led numerous introductory genealogy workshops and enjoys helping curious participants research their family roots.

Registration is free and space is limited. Register online here. For more information call 601-576-6800. 

Carter Burns, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation (HNF), has been elected to the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The action took place at the regular meeting of the MDAH Board of Trustees on Friday, January 21. His nomination will be submitted to the Mississippi State Senate for confirmation.

“We are excited to welcome Carter Burns to the MDAH Board,” said board president Spence Flatgard. “Not only does he have deep roots in Natchez, but he brings valuable expertise in historic preservation. With MDAH focused on two major projects in Natchez—at Historic Jefferson College and Grand Village of the Natchez Indians—Burns will be a tremendous asset to the board.”

A Natchez native, Burns has served as the executive director of the HNF for three years, where he is responsible for all staffing, operations, and programs. He holds a bachelor of arts in English from Millsaps College, a juris doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law, and a master of historic preservation from the University of Georgia. He is a former board member of the Mississippi Heritage Trust and currently serves on the board of the Mississippi Historical Society and the National Preservation Partners Network.

Burns succeeds Helen Smith, who retired after two years on the board. Throughout her board service, Smith offered strong support and encouragement to the MDAH staff.

“Helen was an outstanding board member who represented the department with distinction on Natchez and brought a valuable perspective on historic preservation to board deliberations,” said MDAH executive director Katie Blount.

The board also reelected Spence Flatgard, Ridgeland, as president and Hilda Povall, Cleveland, as vice president of the board. Betsy Hamilton of New Albany, was elected to her third six-year term, and Kimberly Campbell of Jackson, was reelected to serve a six-year term, after fulfilling the remainder of Reuben Anderson’s term.

Board nominees must be confirmed by the state senate. Members serve six-year terms. The other members of the board are Nancy Carpenter, Columbus; Betsey Hamilton, New Albany; Web Heidelberg, Hattiesburg; Edmond E. Hughes Jr., Ocean Springs; and Mark Keenum, Starkville.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the United States. The department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers various museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, state and local government records management, and publications. 

At its regular meeting on January 21, the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) awarded over $3 million on behalf of the Community Heritage Preservation Grant program to eighteen preservation and restoration projects from across the state. The Community Heritage Preservation Grant program, authorized and funded by the Mississippi Legislature, helps preserve and restore historic courthouses and schools in Certified Local Government communities and other historic properties.

"The Legislature has saved hundreds of significant Mississippi properties through this program," said MDAH director Katie Blount. "The Department of Archives and History is grateful for the Legislature's support and pleased to be able to help preserve these local treasures."

The grant awards are as follows:

Auburn, Natchez, Adams County-$234,192 
Portico columns, Billiard Hall, and Duncan Pavilion restoration

Alcorn County Courthouse, Corinth, Alcorn County-$150,000 
Courtroom and interior restoration

Carrollton Water Tower, Carrollton, Carroll County-$47,784
Repaint

Chickasaw County Courthouse, Houston, Chickasaw County-$214,690
Window Replacement

Saenger Theater, Hattiesburg, Forrest County-$250,000
Interior restoration

Holmes County Courthouse, Lexington, Holmes County-$276,630
Second floor courtroom restoration; masonry repointing

Fulton Grammar School, Fulton, Itawamba County-$93,860
Roof repairs

Jefferson Davis County Courthouse, Prentiss, Jefferson Davis County-$220,800
Roof repairs

Madison County Jail (Old), Canton, Madison-$54,456
Roof and interior repairs

Columbia Waterworks, Columbia, Marion County-$274,027
ADA restrooms; HVAC & electrical installation, interior paint

Booker T. Washington School, Philadelphia, Neshoba County-$115, 200
Gym floor and bleacher repairs

Noxubee County Library, Macon, Noxubee County-$80,000
Roof restoration; masonry and plaster repairs

McCormick Administration Building, Senatobia, Tate County-$264,000
Exterior and window restoration; masonry repairs

Bowmar Elementary School, Vicksburg, Warren County-$245,395
Exterior repairs

Warren County Courthouse, Vicksburg, Warren County-$100,000
Overall site drainage repairs; masonry wall stabilization

Edna M. Scott Elementary, Leland, Washington County-$167,920
Exterior repairs; masonry wall stabilization

Wilkinson County Courthouse, Woodville, Wilkinson County-$168,000
Clock Tower Stabilization

Yalobusha County Courthouse, Water Valley, Yalobusha County-$191,275
Window Restoration

Grant awards are paid on a reimbursable basis upon the successful completion of the entire project or at the time of the completion of pre-established phases of the project. Prior to application, all buildings must have been designated Mississippi Landmarks. Only county or municipal governments, school districts, and nonprofit organizations granted Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service may submit applications.

To become a Certified Local Government, a community must adopt a preservation ordinance establishing a preservation commission in accordance with federal and state guidelines. Once the commission has been established, application for CLG status may be made to the National Park Service through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. MDAH works closely with local government officials and citizens to help them create and manage a workable local historic preservation program. To learn more about the CLG program, contact Meredith Massey in the Historic Preservation Division of MDAH, at 601-576-6538.

Gather around the fire at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and hear storytellers share centuries-old stories about Native people and the natural world on Saturday, January 29, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

This outdoor storytelling program will feature Eli Langley, member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, and Dan Isaac, member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, along with local storytellers Marianne Raley and Brandon McCranie, emceed by Becky Anderson. 

“We are excited to bring Eleventh Moon Storytelling back to the Grand Village,” said Lance Harris, director of the site.  “This program has entertained families for decades with some of the biggest attendance seen the last several times.  This year’s event will be special due to our excellent guest storytellers.”

The Natchez Indians followed a lunar calendar that was measured by thirteen moons, or months. The month of January was referred to as Eleventh Moon or Cold Meal Moon.

Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided. For more information call 601-446-6502 or email info@natchezgrandvillage.com.

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will also offer a storytelling workshop earlier that day from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Storytellers Eli Langley and Dan Isaac will discuss and demonstrate the art of storytelling. Registration is limited to twenty people. The deadline is January 21, 2022. For more information or to register, call 601-446-6502, or email info@natchezgrandvillage.com.

Eli Langley is a storyteller who grew up in southern Louisiana surrounded by Coushatta culture and language. In 2021 he was the first Coushatta Tribe member to graduate from Harvard University, where he received credit for knowledge of his own tribal language—Koasati, the Coushatta language.

Dan Isaac is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and a veteran of the United States Air Force. He works with young people teaching the Chahta Social Dances as well as other aspects of Choctaw culture including language, spiritual practices, traditions, and values.

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians was the main ceremonial mound center of the Natchez people from 1682 until 1730. The 128-acre National Historic Landmark features three mounds, a plaza, nature trail, museum, and store. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Grand Village is located at 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard and is open free of charge to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays 1:30 to 5 p.m.