Resources & Scholarships
Southern Studies Scholarships & Awards
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- Major in African American Studies, English, History, or Southern Studies
- Any classification
- At least a 3.0 GPA
- Itawamba County, MS residency
Strong applicants will have:
- Demonstrated interest in US Southern history or literature
Application process:
- No application required.
- Contact College of Liberal Arts Dean’s office for more information. Ventress@olemiss.edu
About Elmo Howell
Elmo Howell (1918-2013) earned his BA in English from the University of Mississippi, then went on to earn his MA and PhD in English from the University of Florida. He taught English with an expertise in Southern culture, Mississippi travel guides, and poetry for 26 years at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis). Read more about Elmo Howell’s contributions to Southern culture.
Eligibility:
- Full-time student
- Southern Studies major
- Rising Junior
- First preference for scholarship in the study of Jewish culture in the MS Delta. (From MOA)
- 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.5 in Southern Studies classes
- Financial Need (FAFSA required)
Application process:
- submit a 250-500 word essay
- Deadline is April 1 for scholarships awarded in the following academic year. The two undergraduate advisers and the director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture will review submissions. Submit materials to cssc@olemiss.edu.
About Rose Califf:
Rose Califf (1927-2001) received her B.B.A. in 1964 from UM, taught school for 40 years, many in the Clarksdale, MS public schools.
Eligibility:
- Graduate student in either the SST MA or MFA program
Strong applicants will have:
- Completed documentary project of outstanding quality. Project may make use of photography, film, oral history, or audio production.
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student projects.
About Ann Abadie:
About Ann Abadie, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, earned her doctorate in English from UM where she later served on the committee that planned the Center for the Study of Southern Culture (CSSC). Since the CSSC’s debut in 1977, she has served crucial roles, including associate director, as well as associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture and the Mississippi Encyclopedia.
Eligibility:
- UM undergraduate or graduate student
Strong applicants will have:
- Completed project of outstanding quality that emphasizes music of any genre
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student projects.
About Peter Aschoff:
Peter Aschoff (1950-2002) taught anthropology and African American studies at the University of Mississippi. He wrote and lectured extensively on issues in African American music and culture, especially the blues and was a contributing writer for Living Blues magazine for 18 years. He also worked with the National Endowment for the Humanities, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, National Endowment for the Arts and National Public Radio.
Eligibility:
- First-year UM graduate student in the SST MA program
Strong applicants will have:
- A completed paper or project of outstanding quality
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
About Motee and Lucille Daniels:
A Lafayette County native, Motee Daniels (1913 -1997) owned several businesses, including a general store and a road house juke joint. Also, a farmer & storyteller he is best known for being William Faulkner’s bootlegger and town character. Lucille (Starnes) Daniels (1915-2007) was born in the Toccapola community of Lafayette County. They were devoted supporters of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture from the time of its founding in 1977. The Lucille and Motee Daniels Endowment Fund, established in 1998 in honor of their friendship with the Center’s founding director, Bill Ferris, provides an annual award for an outstanding Southern Studies graduate student paper.
Eligibility:
- UM undergraduate or graduate student
Strong applicants will have:
- An outstanding paper or project in which the study of “the South” and the study of gender intersect
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
About Sue Hart:
Sue Hart (2012) a Canton, MS native, earned a master’s degree in library science from Louisiana State University (1963) and went to work as a research assistant at Yale University. It was there that she met Dr. William Ferris, newly hired as the founding director for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at UM. Sue returned to her home state to become research assistant at the Center in 1979. Along with Ann Abadie, Sue worked tirelessly as associate editor on the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture which was published in 1989. She contributed significantly to the work of the Center, retiring in 1995.
Eligibility:
- UM undergraduate or graduate student
Strong applicants will have:
- An outstanding paper or project about any aspect of music and “the South”
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
About Sarah Dixon Pegues:
Sarah Dixon Pegues, an Oxford native and long-time administrative assistant at the Center, received her BS from Mississippi State University. Referred to by one of the Center staff as the ’heart of the Center’ Sarah worked there for 35 years, retiring in 2016.
Eligibility:
- UM student who graduated from the SST MA program in the previous August or December or who is graduating in May
Strong applicants will have:
- A completed MA thesis of outstanding quality
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
About Motee and Lucille Daniels:
A Lafayette County native, Motee Daniels (1913 -1997) owned several businesses, including a general store and a road house juke joint. Also, a farmer & storyteller he is best known for being William Faulkner’s bootlegger and town character. Lucille (Starnes) Daniels (1915-2007) was born in the Toccapola community of Lafayette County. They were devoted supporters of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture from the time of its founding in 1977. The Lucille and Motee Daniels Endowment Fund, established in 1998 in honor of their friendship with the Center’s founding director, Bill Ferris, provides an annual award for the best MA thesis completed in Southern Studies.
Eligibility:
- UM student who graduated from the SST MFA program in the previous August or December or who is graduating in May
Strong applicants will have:
- A completed MFA thesis of outstanding quality
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
Begun in 1981, this award is named in honor of Colonel Homer Gray and Mrs. Katsy Gray, friends of the Center. It honors one of the two best papers or projects in Southern Studies undergraduate classes each year.
Col. Gray (1923-1992), a native of Oxford, served 28 years in active military duty, serving in WWII, Korean & Vietnam wars. After retirement he went to work as a material control supervisor in the chemistry department at UM, retiring in 1988. His wife, Katsy, (1939-2024) the former Katherine Dawson of Summit, MS, graduated from UM as did two of their three children. In 1981 Col. Gray established an endowment fund for permanent support of the award.
Eligibility:
- UM undergraduate student in a class with content relevant to the U.S. South
Strong applicants will have:
- An outstanding paper or project about any aspect of southern studies
Application process:
- There is no application process. Faculty nominate student papers or projects.
About the Coterie Club:
The Coterie Club is an Oxford-based, philanthropic organization.