Headlines
Confederate Statue Plaque Officially Revised
In June 2016, it was announced that the plaque in front of the Confederate Statue in the Circle on the Ole Miss campus would be replaced with a new plaque after receiving input from various organizations such as the local chapter of the NAACP and Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter. This is a step taken to further former Chancellor Dan Jone’s 2014 action plan to place historical context on some of the University’s confederate symbols throughout the campus. When the wording for the new plaque was announced, the lack of any mention of slavery caused controversy, prompting immediate action. The old plaque read as follows and can be seen below.
“AS CONFEDERATE VETERANS WERE PASSING FROM THE SCENE IN INCREASING NUMBERS, MEMORIAL ASSOCIATIONS BUILT MONUMENTS IN THEIR MEMORY ALL ACROSS THE SOUTH. THIS STATUE WAS DEDICATED BY CITIZENS OF OXFORD AND LAFAYETTE COUNTY IN 1906. ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1962, THE STATUE WAS A RALLYING POINT WHERE A REBELLIOUS MOB GATHERED TO PREVENT THE ADMISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY’S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS STATUE THAT A LOCAL MINISTER IMPLORED THE MOB TO DISPERSE AND ALLOW JAMES MEREDITH TO EXERCISE HIS RIGHTS AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. ON THE MORNING AFTER THAT LONG NIGHT, MEREDITH WAS ADMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED IN AUGUST 1963.
THIS HISTORIC STATUE IS A REMINDER OF THE UNIVERSITY’S PAST AND OF ITS CURRENT AND ONGOING COMMITMENT TO OPEN ITS HALLOWED HALLS TO ALL WHO SEEK TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM”
Plaque that was originally placed in March 2016, moments after being taken down.
Earlier today, the old plaque was taken down and the new plaque was officially erected in its place. Vitter announced the official language of the new plaque via email to students and faculty back in June. The new plaque can be seen in the photo below, and reads as follows:
AS CONFEDERATE VETERANS WERE DYING IN INCREASING NUMBERS, MEMORIAL ASSOCIATIONS ACROSS THE SOUTH BUILT MONUMENTS IN THEIR MEMORY. THESE MONUMENTS WERE OFTEN USED TO PROMOTE AN IDEOLOGY KNOWN AS THE “LOST CAUSE,” WHICH CLAIMED THAT THE CONFEDERACY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO DEFEND STATES’ RIGHTS AND THAT SLAVERY WAS NOT THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR. RESIDENTS OF OXFORD AND LAFAYETTE COUNTY DEDICATED THIS STATUE, APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY, IN 1906. ALTHOUGH THE MONUMENT WAS CREATED TO HONOR THE SACRIFICE OF LOCAL CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, IT MUST ALSO REMIND US THAT THE DEFEAT OF THE CONFEDERACY ACTUALLY MEANT FREEDOM FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1962, THIS STATUE WAS A RALLYING POINT FOR OPPONENTS OF INTEGRATION.
THIS HISTORIC STATUE IS A REMINDER OF THE UNIVERSITY’S DIVISIVE PAST. TODAY, THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI DRAWS FROM THAT PAST A CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO OPEN ITS HALLOWED HALLS TO ALL WHO SEEK TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, AND WISDOM.”
New plaque placed in from of the Confederate Statue in the Circle on the Ole Miss campus on October 13, 2016
For Chancellor Vitter’s full statement on the matter, click here.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
Marilu Boutwell
October 13, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Is there a memorial on campus for the University Greys?
Jim. Hays
October 14, 2016 at 8:50 am
Trying to alter history by altering a plaque on a stature is wrong. What is done, is done! But when our leaders have no connection with the past. This is what we are left with.
Jim. Hays
October 14, 2016 at 9:00 am
Certainly not. Not allowed by today’s administration!
David
October 14, 2016 at 10:30 am
I agree Jim, they are trying to alter history. Next thing you know the civil war didn’t happen.
William McHann
October 14, 2016 at 1:07 pm
That monument was meant as a substitute tombstone for the dead Mississippians whose bones are scattered across the country.The plaque is wrong.
Susan Hathaway
October 14, 2016 at 2:03 pm
This is disgusting. The monument does not need any “interpretation”, especially by some PC revisionists hell-bent on pushing their social agenda. The memorial clearly states that it is dedicated “To Our Confederate Dead, 1861-1865”. The citizens of Mississippi erected it to honor and remember their fallen war dead. It is a grave marker for those sons, brothers, husbands and sweethearts who never returned home from battle. What may/may not have happened at or around the monument since then is irrelevant, and to use this marker to score political points with folks who will never be satisfied is further evidence (as if we needed any) of the lack of spine within the University administration, and that they have no plans to stop their ongoing attempt to completely destroy the good and honorable history and heritage of the University.
Patrick Price
October 14, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Another attempt to vilify the South!!!!
Brett
October 14, 2016 at 6:38 pm
I agree that using the monument for political reasons, and rewriting history to fit a progressive/Marxist political agenda, is wrong. The defeat of the Confederacy did not mean freedom for anyone. We must hold politicians to a higher standard.
Billy Bearden
October 14, 2016 at 7:01 pm
Just exactly how much $$$ was spent on historical revision plaque #1.
How much $$$$ was spent on historical revision plaque #2?
Where is the mention of the University Grey’s?
Where is the paragraph that tells of all the engagement proposals, all the passing of test answers, and each drug sale under this statue?
Chancellor vitter, FYI – as various Southern Veterans and women’s organizations were building these sacred Memorials to southern dead, Northern Veterans and women’s organizations were quite exact same Memorials to the Union dead. Since none of the northern Memorial statues contains mention of slavery, it is only fair you and your committee take more Ole Miss $$$$$ and erect plaques in front of them too.
mark
October 15, 2016 at 5:57 am
I wonder how many progs will actually stop by to read this thing? The total will probably be in the dozens per year.
Jay Mitchell
October 20, 2016 at 1:27 pm
You do know that if, it was not for a State law, the administration would have removed the statue some time ago—most people don’t know that a big burr under the administration saddle it the fact that there is a Confederate Cemetery located on the campus–it and the land is owned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The cemetery is the only location on campus where the Battle Flag can be flown. I feel sure that the current administration would love to build a parking lot there.
Rick
May 10, 2017 at 8:51 pm
When I was there 70-74, University Grays was the nickname for the Army Rotc unit. Has that changed?
keo bong da
July 22, 2017 at 11:28 am
In June 2016, it was announced that the plaque in front of the Confederate Statue in the Circle on the Ole Miss campus would be replaced with a new plaque after receiving input from various organizations such as the local chapter of the NAACP and Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter
toàn
February 3, 2020 at 8:51 pm
Azir