| History of the
Mississippi Humanities Council Begun in March of 1972 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mississippi Humanities Council was in the second round of states to receive money to plan a state humanities council, or Mississippi Committee for the Humanities as it was then known. Chartered in May of that year, the Council was chaired by Porter Fortune, Chancellor of the University of Mississippi. Charter members of the organization were John Bettersworth, Owen Cooper, John O. Emmerich, Thomas J. Flynn, Jack Gunn, George Howell, Betty Duvall King, R.A. McLemore, Robert Mayo, Charles Moorman, Linwood Orange, John Peoples, Sondra Powell, Sarah Rouse, Estus Smith, and Parham Williams. Dr. Cora Norman, founding Executive Director, remained with the Council for 24 years. |
Dr. Porter Fortune, Jr. and Dr.
Estus Smith
First Two Chairs of
Mississippi Humanities Council
First Two Chairs of
Mississippi Humanities Council