News

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has completed a preservation and stabilization project at Windsor Ruins that includes a walking trail and new signs that tell the stories of the plantation owners and the people who were enslaved there.

Windsor Ruins, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is a Mississippi Landmark that annually draws visitors from across the nation and the world to see what remains from a devastating 1890 fire – 23 enormous, full columns and five partial columns.

“Windsor Ruins is one of those iconic Mississippi places that has fascinated people for more than 100 years,” said Katie Blount, MDAH director. “This stabilization project has helped to preserve this site’s structure and history, providing a larger narrative to be shared with future generations.”

Windsor, completed in 1861, was designed by David Shroder of Maryland and built by White artisans and carpenters, and enslaved laborers. The mansion was at the heart of an extensive cotton plantation of 2,500 acres, with a workforce of over 300 enslaved people. In 1860, Claiborne County was a wealthy plantation district, producing thousands of bales of cotton for export through New Orleans to markets in New England and the United Kingdom.

Near Windsor is where Union soldiers landed to begin their ultimately successful overland campaign to take Vicksburg and control the entire Mississippi River. At least 17 men who had been enslaved at the site joined companies of the United States Colored Troops.

Destroyed by a fire in 1890, the only remains of the mansion were 27 of its original 29 columns, the balustrade, and four iron staircases – three that disappeared in the years after the fire and one set that now serves as the entrance to Oakland Memorial Chapel at Alcorn State University. By 1970, only 23 columns remained.

Beginning in 2016, MDAH undertook a significant effort to stabilize the columns. This project included stabilizing the masonry and stucco for all the columns by installing anchors to bond materials together and reconstruction of missing brickwork and repointing deteriorated joints in the plinths.

Large areas of stucco had been lost on the bases since 1936, resulting in the exposure of this brickwork. Preservationists focused on stabilizing detached sections by injecting a conservation mortar. The project was completed in 2024.

The site is administered by MDAH. For more information, visit mdah.ms.gov/explore-mississippi/windsor-ruins, call 601-576-6850, or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Two Mississippi Museums – the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum – will participate in Blue Star Museums, a program offering free admission to currently serving military personnel and their families, from Armed Forces Day on May 17 to Labor Day, Sept. 1.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, and participating museums across America. For a list of participating museums, visit arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

“We are proud to take part in this program, which allows the families of servicemen and servicewomen to enjoy these museums at no cost,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums.  “The proud tradition of military service is an important part of Mississippi history, and those stories are reflected in each museum.”

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States military — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps — and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened in tandem with the Museum of Mississippi History on Dec. 9, 2017, in celebration of the state's bicentennial and is administered by MDAH. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum explores the period from 1945 to 1976 when Mississippi was ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement nationally. The Museum of Mississippi History explores the entire sweep of Mississippi’s territorial and state history and the inhabitants of its land. 

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

Bradley Smith, a University of Alabama doctoral student, will research the role of 

religion in the Army of Vicksburg

Bradley Smith, the 2025 Religion in Mississippi History Fellow. 

Bradley Smith, a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, has been named the 2025 Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellow. Smith will use archival holdings at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) to research the role of religion in Mississippi from the state's secession to the surrender of Vicksburg.

“My primary focus will be on religion in the Army of Vicksburg and learning how faith provided a sense of purpose to Civil War soldiers, sustained morale, and reinforced discipline,” said Smith. “I hope that my research will help us better understand the religious sentiments of the rank-and-file, as well as the influential effect on the army of Chaplains and other ranking officers who were ministers in the Antebellum South.”

After receiving his Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Art from Shelton State Community College, Smith completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in history at the University of Alabama, where he is currently working toward his doctorate. He will use the $5,000 fellowship to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while conducting primary research.

In December 2022, Lilly Endowment, Inc., awarded a $2.5 million grant through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative to the Foundation for Mississippi History to help MDAH expand public understanding of religious history in Mississippi.

“The Lilly Endowment’s support allows researchers to use the many MDAH archival collections that contain religious history,” said Laura Heller, MDAH acquisitions and collections coordinator. “Smith’s research this summer will provide new insights into an important part of Mississippi history and culture.”

Archival holdings related to religion may be accessed online and at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building at 200 North Street in Jackson. For more information on the archival collection or the Religion in Mississippi History Research Fellowship, contact Laura Heller at 601-576-6889, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov.

Theron Wilkerson, Auburn University doctoral student, will research the connection between Medgar Evers, environmental policy, and racial segregation 

Theron Wilkerson, the 2025 Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellow.

Theron Wilkerson, a doctoral student at Auburn University, has been named the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Research Fellow for 2025. Wilkerson will conduct research this summer in the Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers housed at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson. 

“It is an honor to carry forward the legacy of Medgar and Myrlie Evers through research that centers Black civic life, environmental memory, and public history in central Mississippi,” said Wilkerson.  

By examining the records and correspondence of Medgar Evers during his time as Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP, among other archival collections at MDAH, Wilkerson will explore how environmental policy and racial segregation shaped civic life for Black communities in central Mississippi, focusing on the Ross Barnett Reservoir and the legacy of Medgar and Myrlie Evers. 

After completing his Bachelor of Arts in History from Jackson State University, Wilkerson received his Master of Arts in African American Studies from Georgia State University. He is working toward his doctoral degree in Administration of Higher Education. Wilkerson will use the $5,000 fellowship to cover travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while doing primary research at the archives.   

Laura Heller, MDAH acquisitions and collections coordinator, said the department’s partnership with the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute makes the fellowship possible.   

“Our collaboration with the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute guides scholars in their pursuit of history and research,” Heller said. “Theron will gain valuable insight using the Medgar and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers this summer.” 

The fellowship also seeks to increase scholars’ lifelong interest in history and to promote continued academic and public appreciation of Medgar and Myrlie Evers’ life and work, the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and the struggle for human rights.

The Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson. For more information on the fellowship or about the collection, contact Heller at 601-576-6889, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov.  

Gabriella Tillman of Tougaloo Early College High School presents her project.

A group of Mississippi students will head to the National History Day Contest in College Park, Maryland, in June after winning at the state level at an event hosted by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 

The Mississippi History Day (MHD) competition on April 5 drew middle and high school students to the Two Mississippi Museums, where they displayed projects on the theme of rights and responsibilities.  

MHD is the state’s affiliate of National History Day, a cross-curriculum program focusing on in-depth research and critical analysis. 

During the current school year, more than 330 students completed a project for Mississippi History Day. Of those, 22 won first or second place to qualify for the National History Day Contest. Third-place winners act as alternates for qualifiers who are unable to attend the national contest held June 8-12, at the University of Maryland.  

The Mississippi students will join nearly 3,000 competitors from the United States, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Defense schools in the Atlantic, China and Korea for the national competition. 

2025 Mississippi History Day winners: 

Senior Group Exhibit: 

• First Place: Phoebe Jones and Michael Taquino from Starkville High School: From Ancient Text to National Tongue: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's Impact on the Hebrew Language
• Second Place: Emma Barton, Zoe Klement, and Jenae Nicholson from Hernando High School: 900
• Third Place: Roger Patrick and Jacob Scott from Hernando High School: Potato Problems 

Junior Individual Exhibit: 

• First Place: Jessica Fleeger from Simpson Central School: The Integration of the University of Mississippi: Rights and Responsibilities 

Senior Individual Exhibit: 

• First Place: Keylee Lang from Starkville High School: Different Mind, Same Opportunities: The Fight for IDEA
• Second Place: Gabriella Tillman from Tougaloo Early College High School: The Right to Liberty or the Responsibility to “Civilize”: The Spanish-American War
• Third Place: Gabriella Walker from Hernando High School: Love Under Conditional Ties 

Senior Group Performance: 

• First Place: Johnny Ford and Myrto Sergi from Starkville High School: The Satanic Panic: How Religious Panic Compromised Inalienable Rights 

Senior Individual Performance: 

• First Place: Israel Cecil from Mississippi School for Math and Science: Yin and Yang: The Colors of the South  

Senior Individual Documentary: 

• First Place: Ariel Bell from Tougaloo Early College High School: The Right to Abundance and Liberty for All: Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society 

Senior Group Website: 

• First Place: Shriyansh Dash, Kai Saiki, and Kevin Zhang from Starkville High School: Red Tailed Angels
• Second Place: Theo Ahn, Brendan Seo, and Joseph Thompson from Starkville High School: Dilemma, Duty, Legacy: Alvin York’s Heroic Actions and Responsibilities
• Third Place: Peter Buys, Cline Kemp, and Donovan Shaffer from Starkville High School: Rights and Responsibilities: Choctaw Code Talkers 

Senior Individual Website: 

• First Place: Hong Zheng from Mississippi School for Math and Science: Excluded from the Land of Opportunity: The Chinese Exclusion Act
• Second Place: Taja Mock-Muhammad from Tougaloo Early College High School: “Aloha-Oe”: The Rights of the People, the Responsibility of a Queen
• Third Place: Ian Jung from Starkville High School: Wong Kim Ark v. U.S: A Court Case that Defined Citizenship 

Senior Paper 

• First Place: Naomi Simpson from Mississippi School for Math and Science: The Lavender Scare: The Origins and Development of the Eradication of Homosexuals from the U.S. Government During the Cold War
• Second Place: Jasmaan Banipal from Mississippi School for Math and Science: How New York Times Co. v. Sullivan Shaped the Press
• Third Place: Ryan Wei from Mississippi School for Math and Science: A Progressive Leap: How the Progressive Era Revolutionized Labor Laws 

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. Established in 1974, the National History Day Contest engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, The Better Angels Society, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.  

MDAH was founded in 1902 to collect, preserve, and provide access to the archival resources of the state. The commitment to preservation continues today through the work of the department’s five divisions. By preserving Mississippi’s diverse historic resources and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires the discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future.  

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

MDAH Announces 2025 Eudora Welty Research Fellow 
Kyle Alvey, Purdue University doctoral student, will center research on Welty’s short story about Medgar Evers’ Assassination  
 

Kyle Alvey, a doctoral student at Purdue University, has been named the 2025 Eudora Welty Research Fellow. Alvey will use archival holdings in the Eudora Welty Collection housed at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to research the life and work of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author to research the life and work of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. 

“Like many American writers, the legacy of Eudora Welty is complex and requires an understanding of contextual layering, looking at aspects of race, gender, class, identity, Southern qualities, and more,” said Alvey. “It is my hope with this fellowship to produce a series of essays fit for publication that is focused on Eudora Welty's short story, ‘Where is the Voice Coming From?,’ that tells the story of the assassination of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers from the perspective of the assassin. My focus is the role this story had in her life as a Southern writer and a social activist, as well as in the overall trajectory of the 20th century Civil Rights Movement.” 

Alvey will use the $5,000 fellowship award to cover his travel, housing, and other expenses incurred while conducting his primary Welty research at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building in Jackson.  

David Pilcher, director of the MDAH Archives and Record Services Division, acknowledged the Eudora Welty Foundation’s support of the fellowship program.  

“I am certain Kyle will gain valuable insights this summer, making excellent use of digitized Welty Collection materials and extensive paper archives to conduct his research,” Pilcher said, citing that the foundation makes those materials accessible through MDAH. 

Alvey received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Kentucky. He is completing a Master of Arts in History at Marshall University in May 2025. He is starting his PhD in English with a focus in American Literature of the 20th and 21st centuries in the fall and states the archival research experience will be an excellent precursor to his advanced studies. 

The Eudora Welty Collection is the world’s finest collection of materials related to Welty and one of the most varied literary collections in the United States. The collection includes manuscripts, letters, photographs, drawings, essays, and film and video footage that spans Welty’s entire life.  

Beginning in 1957, over the course of more than 40 years, Welty donated materials to the department, primarily literary manuscripts and photographs. At her death, her remaining papers were bequeathed to MDAH and included unpublished manuscripts and 14,000 items of correspondence with family, friends, scholars, young writers, and noted writers. 

The Eudora Welty Collection can be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building at 200 North Street in Jackson. The Eudora Welty Digital Archives also features selections of correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, and other media related to Welty.

For more information on the archival collections or the Eudora Welty Research Fellowship, contact Elisabeth Cambonga at 601-576-6868, or by email at fellowships@mdah.ms.gov. 

The Foundation for Mississippi History has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Community Foundation for Mississippi’s John and Lucy Shackelford Fund to support construction of Margaret Ann Crigler Park in downtown Jackson.

The announcement was made Tuesday, March 18, at a news conference at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Located adjacent to the Two Mississippi Museums, the park will feature native Mississippi foliage, a large open green space, an outdoor stage, and a play area for children. The park is a project of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and will be a new anchor on the city’s Museum Trail. Perkins&Will, a national architecture firm, is the landscape architect on this project.

“We’re extremely grateful for this gift from the John and Lucy Shackelford Fund,” said MDAH Director Katie Blount. “When we began work on this project, we knew that to be successful, we would need the support of a broad range of partners from the public, private and philanthropic communities. Support from the Shackelford Fund elevated our fundraising efforts when we built the Two Mississippi Museums, and we are proud to continue our partnership with the Community Foundation.”

“John and Lucy Shackelford were native Mississippians who left a legacy gift to this community,” said Jane Alexander, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Mississippi. “With an enduring interest in history and public green spaces, the Shackelfords invested during their lifetime in projects like these, which enhance the quality of life in our capital city. We believe this gift honors their commitment to ‘forever’ giving, and pays tribute to their personal interests.”

In 2024, MDAH acquired the former Eudora Welty Library property with plans to replace the building with a new public park and green space. The plans for this project align with the original layout for Jackson from 1822, which included public green spaces on alternating blocks. Only two parks remain from the original layout: the Old Capitol Green and Smith Park.

The first $1 million for the project was donated by retired businessman Noble T. Crigler, and the park will be named after his late wife, Margaret Ann Crigler. The Mississippi Legislature has provided $3 million for the project.

“Plans for Crigler Park are continuing to move forward thanks to the Community Foundation for Mississippi’s support,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums—the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. “The park will serve as an artistic and cultural hub in the heart of the capital city, inviting visitors and tourists to engage with the environment and people around them. We’re especially excited to make this space available for our school visits program.”

During the news conference, renderings of the park amenities were displayed, including a design of the planned band shell that will highlight the gathering space and a treehouse-inspired play area for children.

Alexander noted that this gift extends investments in downtown Jackson made through the Shackelford Fund at CFM and will soon connect them. “This public park will provide visitors to the Two Mississippi Museums a place to reflect on what they’ve experienced, and a serene space to enjoy nature. We also believe this gift gives ‘legs,’ if you will, to the gift we made to the Two Mississippi Museums in 2017, and further connects this site to the Museum Trail – another project the Shackelford Fund has supported.”

Through the Shackelford Fund, the Community Foundation for Mississippi has long supported MDAH projects, including a $750,000 gift to sponsor the permanent exhibit gallery at the Museum of Mississippi History. Additionally, the fund sponsored the weekly “History is Lunch” series at the Two Mississippi Museums for several years.

Founded in 1902, MDAH collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state. The agency empowers people and places by telling Mississippi’s many stories.

The Foundation for Mississippi History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conducts fundraising efforts to support and promote the projects and programs of MDAH, which operates the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Eudora Welty House & Garden, Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Old Capitol Museum, Windsor Ruins, Historic Jefferson College, and Winterville Mounds.  

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

The Mississippi Historical Society held its annual meeting March 6-7 in Jackson to honor its 2025 award winners, including presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Frank Figgers, a lifelong civil rights and community activist.

Awards were also given for Book of the Year, Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year, and Teacher of the Year at the gathering that drew nearly 200 people to the Two Mississippi Museums.

Figgers was active in the Civil Rights Movement while a student at Lanier High School and Tougaloo College. Later at Jackson State University, Figgers preserved stories of civil rights activism through oral histories, and he led the interpretation and preservation of M.W. Stringer Lodge, which housed the office of Medgar Evers. The lodge also was the site of numerous significant events during the movement, including the convention of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Wright Thompson, senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, received the Book of the Year Award for The Barn: A Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi. The book examines the death of Emmett Till in 1955 and provides a wide social, political, and cultural context for understanding the role of place in history.

Eve Wade, a history teacher in Chicago, received the Journal of Mississippi History Article of the Year Award for “Look for Me in the Spring: Migration Clubs and the Black Metropolis,” which examines the movement of African Americans from Mississippi to Chicago in the early twentieth century.

Christina Thomas of Johns Hopkins University won the Outstanding Dissertation Award for What Shall We Teach Our Students Who Are Black?: The Intellectual Biography of Geraldine L. Wilson. Jerra Runnels of the University of Southern Mississippi won the Outstanding Thesis Award for “Black Women in Hattiesburg During World War II."

The Outstanding Local Historical Society Award was presented to the Pass Christian Historical Society. The Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Carlous Smith of Florence Middle School.

Awards of Merit were presented to the Black History Gallery for preserving the history of the Civil Rights Movement in McComb; Bridging Winona for commemorating the life of Fannie Lou Hamer; Catherine C. Myers for compiling a book on the history of Pass Christian; the City of Ridgeland for creating the Ridgeland History Trail as part of the city’s celebration of 125 years; Eddie and Frank Thomas for compiling the book, Miss Lyla’s Papers: A Posthumous History of Iuka, Mississippi; Jackson State University president Marcus L. Thompson for his leadership on historic preservation at the school; DeeDee Baldwin for researching and creating a website, Against All Odds, about the first African American legislators in Mississippi during Reconstruction; the Dr. Jane Ellen McAllister House Foundation for organizing a symposium on the 125th birthday of McAllister of Vicksburg, who was the first African American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in education; the Lafayette Community Remembrance Project for its memorialization work around historical racial injustice; the Laurel Black History Project for its work to expand knowledge about the history of Laurel’s Black community; Mississippi Heritage Trust for its work collecting, documenting, and preserving Freedom Houses; the Monroe County Rosenwald Schools Initiative for its work to preserve the story of Rosenwald Schools; the Neshoba Youth Coalition for commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of Freedom Summer; and the Simpson County Bicentennial Executive Committee and Simpson County Historical and Genealogical Society for organizing the celebration of the bicentennial of Simpson County.

Rebecca Tuuri, associate history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, completed her term as president of the society and welcomed the new president, Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez. Keena Graham, superintendent of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, was elected vice president. New board members are Richard Damms, Mississippi State University-Meridian; Mandy Hornsby, City of Biloxi; Kristi Melancon, Mississippi College; John Spann, Mississippi Humanities Council; Stefanie Taylor, Alcorn State University; and Al Wheat, Mississippi Department of Education.  

The Mississippi Historical Society, founded in 1858, encourages outstanding work in interpreting, teaching, and preserving Mississippi history. Membership is open to anyone.  Benefits include receiving the Journal of Mississippi History, the Mississippi History Newsletter, and discounts at the Mississippi Museum Store. For information on becoming a member, visit www.mississippihistory.org. 

Robert George Clark, Jr, died on Tuesday, March 4. He became the first African American elected to the Mississippi Legislature since Reconstruction, serving from 1967 to 2003 and rising to the rank of Speaker Pro Tempore in the Mississippi House. Speaker Clark was a longstanding supporter of the Mississippi Department and Archive and History’s (MDAH) work, specifically the creation of the Two Mississippi Museums.

“We’re honored to hold the Robert George Clark, Jr., Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Along with his historic election win in 1967, Representative Clark is remembered for his support of education initiatives in our state and as an advocate for MDAH’s work to share and preserve Mississippi’s authentic stories. His life’s work has left an indelible impact for future generations,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH.

Born in Ebenezer, Mississippi, Clark was chairman of the Education Committee when the Education Reform Act of 1982 was passed. His other leadership roles included chairman of the Ethics Committee and vice chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee. Clark earned scholarships to attend Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) and graduated in 1952. When Clark decided to seek election to the legislature as an independent from Holmes County in 1967, he received support from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and his win was one of the results of a longstanding voter registration effort in the county. Clark narrowly defeated the White incumbent J.P. Love.

Clark also served on the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Advisory Commission since its formation and he participated in the 2015 MDAH documentary ”50 Years and Forward: The Voting Rights Act and Mississippi,” co-produced with the University of Mississippi. Clark and his wife, Joanne, were frequent attendees of department programs, and in 2017, we were honored to celebrate Clark in the historic House Chamber of the Old Capitol Museum. The event featured leaders of both political parties in the state, a testament to Clark's bipartisan agility.

To honor the legacy of the late Gov. William Winter, the Two Mississippi Museums will offer free admission to the public on Friday, Feb. 21. The free admission is made possible by Jones Walker LLP, which acquired Watkins, Ludlam, Winter and Stennis, where Governor Winter worked for over 50 years.  

"We are honored to acknowledge the contributions of Governor and First Lady Winter by facilitating access to the Two Mississippi Museums," stated Bill Hines, managing partner of Jones Walker LLP. "We trust visitors will come away with an understanding of their passion for Mississippi's history and their dedication to educating future generations." 

Known for his staunch support for public education in Mississippi, Winter helped raise endowment funds to bring Mississippi’s school children to the Two Mississippi Museums—the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. 

The Two Mississippi Museums stand at the intersection of Winter’s greatest passions — history, education, and racial justice. He was a leading force behind the public/private partnerships that created the site’s conception and eventual construction. He once said the museums “were built for all of us, but most especially they were built for our children and our grandchildren and future generations.” 

Winter served on the MDAH Board of Trustees for more than 50 years and was president for nearly that long. He died Dec.18, 2020, at the age of 97. Elise Winter, his wife of 70 years who was a community activist and author, died just six months after her husband on July 17, 2021.  

The Foundation for Mississippi History established The William and Elise Winter Education Endowment to memorialize Mississippi’s former governor and first lady and their commitment to education and preservation. Funds are used to defray costs such as admission, travel, and on-site lunches for students.  

For more information, email info@mdah.ms.gov or call 601-576-6850. To learn more about school field trips to the Two Mississippi Museums or to make a field trip reservation visit https://2mm.mdah.ms.gov/learn/field-trips.