University of Mississippi History Markers

Introduction

EDHE 105 History Project

Instructor: Erin E Parker

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past”- William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun (1951)

How do we remember? Why do we remember?

You will conduct research on Historical Markers on the University of Mississippi Campus. For the project you will use documents online and in person at the University Library or special collections to help others in the University of Mississippi Community understand the meaning of several Historical Markers more clearly.

https://youtu.be/irJlZo6Onnc

Task

Below are listings of historical markers that are on the University of Mississippi Campus The project requires you choose 4 historical markers. Choose your Historical Markers carefully, you will be writing a minimum of 500 words about each marker

You should physically visit the historical markers you are writing about.

Take a photograph of the marker and include it in the google document before your written research

Follow this link to view a full paper example: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fwbucqh8w2BU7kKTqmvj3Oxcv8A757Z93qLMEpye6-I/edit?usp=sharing

Review a brief example:

Robert M. Langley III Memory Marker

Driving down Jackson Avenue, all the buildings begin to blur together and being in the car with friends may not allow someone to recognize a small sign at the intersection of Hathorn and Jackson. A sign that remembers a man who protected the students at the University of Mississippi while living and continues to protect them now through drug and alcohol enforcement.

Robert M. Langley grew up always being involved in school from being on the football team to winning state on the track team. During his Junior year of high school, he joined the Mississippi Army National Guard and after graduation attended Valley Forge Military (Ledger, 2006). He ultimately transferred out of the Military college to attend Delta State University where he was the running back on their football team. Later, he graduated with mortuary science degree and had a career in the funeral business.

After a few years in the funeral business, Robert Langley began a career at the University of Mississippi in the grounds department. Later, in 2002, he began his career as a University of Mississippi police officer. He grew in the community and became a family within the University Police Department (UPD). Three years later, Robert M. Langley was “called to active duty with the 114th Battalion from New Albany, MS” (Ledger, 2006). He served for fourteen months in Afghanistan and every week he was gone he would do a weekly check in with the UPD. He would consistently tell his coworkers his work was classified to focus the conversation on what was happening at the University (Newsom, 2016). In 2006, Robert M. Langley came back from Afghanistan, thankfully unharmed, and was promoted to working with the K-9 unit.

In 2006, Robert M Langley was a well-known University Police Department officer that was known for being a “dedicated police officer, loving father and good friend who was always bringing people together” (Newsom, 2016). He had regained the closeness he had with his colleagues and went on hunting trips with them over the weekend. His hard work was always praised especially when he had the opportunity to be the personal bodyguard for Prince Edward when he toured the University of Mississippi campus (Ledger, 2006). Just six months after coming back to Oxford, MS, Robert Langley was killed in a traffic accident when assisting with a traffic stop.

Robert M. Langley had pulled over the University of Mississippi student for speeding down Jackson Avenue and when he approached the vehicle the driver suddenly sped off consequently dragging Langley 200 yards (Newsom, 2016). The student that had been pulled over on Jackson Avenue that day had previous drug and alcohol violations and was most likely under the influence when pulled over. The death of Robert Langley struck the University of Mississippi and caused the creation of the Alcohol Task force we have today. This incident is the reason the University has the two-strike policy that helps prevent drug and alcohol violations and will hopefully prevent any incidents such as this in the future.. To remember his death, the UPD vehicles have B-5 on them which was Langley’s radio call number and a portion of Jackson Avenue has been dedicated to him (Newsom, 2016). The death of Robert Langley ultimately brought the community together and his legacy still lives on throughout our community.

Process

Below are listings of historical markers that are on the University of Mississippi Campus The project requires you choose 4 historical markers. Choose your Historical Markers carefully, you will be writing a minimum of 500 words about each marker

You should physically visit the historical markers you are writing about.

Take a photograph of the marker and include it in the google document before your written research

Your project should:

Use outside sources, a minimum of 2 sources for each historical marker.
- Use APA formatting when citing your sources
- Utilize the University Library research system to find appropriate sources
Describe the historical place, event, or person(s)
- EVENT-How did the event develop? What happened, how long did it take? What persons were involved?
- PLACE- What events occurred at this particular place? If a building- who/what is it named after? What is the names significance?
- PERSON- Who/what organizations was/were associated with the person? What did this person do in their lifetime?

Provide contextual information about the time period in which the event occurred or the person(s) lived.
- What other relevant things were happening at the time that affected or influenced this person, place, or event?
Why is this subject important to the University of Mississippi Community?
- Utilize the Introduction and Conclusion of each essay to provide your own personal thoughts, feelings or significance to the historical marker.
- What is the significance? Why should we remember? What should we know?

Additional Guiding questions:

What does important mean (historical significance)?
How do historians know something important happened at a site?
What makes a place a historic site?
What can historic sites teach us?
Why should we remember people, buildings/places and events?
What did the person contribute to society? What made them significant?
Why was an event significant locally, statewide and/or nationally?
What can buildings/places tell us about history?
How were the people, buildings/places and events chosen to have markers?

HISTORICAL MARKERS LIST

Choose 4 Historical Markers from the list to research and complete your project

University Campus
Dead House
Robert M Langley III
Hilgard Cut
Barnard Observatory
Magnolia Tree Memorial
Poole Drive
Coolidge Ball
Chucky Mullins Drive
Ventress Hall
Guyton Hall
The Old Chapel
Silver Pond
Porter Fortune Cultural Center
The Lyceum
Society of Professional Journalists Historic Site in Journalism

(is there a historical marker you are interested in using but do not see it on the list? Set up a meeting with Erin to discuss other options)

HELPFUL INFORMATIONAL SITES

Historical Markers locations, maps:

https://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?County=Lafayette%20County&State=Mississippi

http://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=msLandmarkList&City=Oxford&County=Any

http://www.mississippimarkers.com/ole-miss.html

http://www.mississippimarkers.com/oxford.html

University Library Digital Collections

http://clio.lib.olemiss.edu/

Purdue OWL- APA Citations

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

DUE DATES

Draft Due May 4th

Peer Edits Due May 9rd

Project Due May 12th

Evaluation

Rubric for History Paper (Each individual essay 25 pts= 100 pts total)

Inquiry and Analysis	Mature skill	Developing skill (Intermediate)	Developing skill (Early)	Emerging skill	Points Earned
	5	3	1	.5
Content: Relevance of Essay	complete; sufficient detail provided to support assertions; factually correct.	mostly complete; answer focuses only on issues related to the question; few and minor errors in content.	brief with insufficient detail. Unrelated issues were introduced and/or multiple errors in content.	incomplete. Excessive discussion of unrelated issues and/or significant errors in content.
Analysis	Organizes and synthesizes evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences, or similarities related to the question.	Organizes evidence to reveal important patterns, differences, or similarities related to the question.	Organizes evidence, but the organization is not effective in revealing important patterns, differences, or similarities related to the question.	Lists evidence, but it is not organized and/or does not articulate its relation to the question.
Reflection	Utilizes Reflection that is a relevant extrapolation from the analysis of evidence/data presented and specific personal experiences or conclusions.	Utilizes Reflection focused on the analysis of evidence/data presented and specific to personal experience. The conclusion arises specifically from and responds specifically to the analysis of evidence/data presented.	States a general reflection that, because it is so general, also applies beyond the scope of the analysis of evidence/data presented.	States an ambiguous, illogical, or unsupportable conclusion from analysis of evidence/data presented.
Writing	Mature skill	Developing skill (Intermediate)	Developing skill (Early)	Emerging skill	Points Earned
	2.5	2	1.5	1
Sources and Evidence	Demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate for the thought question. Original Photograph used	Demonstrates consistent use of credible, relevant sources to support ideas that are situated within the thought question. Original photograph used	Demonstrates an attempt to use credible and/or relevant sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the thought question. Original photograph used	Demonstrates an attempt to use sources to support ideas in the writing. photograph used is stock or not original
Organization and Logic of Answer	Clear and logical presentation; good development of an argument; Transitions are made clearly and smoothly.	Presentation is organized but does not present a clear argument for a given position.	Minor problems of organization or logic; Needs work on creating transitions between ideas.	No logical order to the information provided; sentences rambling; ideas are repeated.
Control of Syntax and Mechanics	Uses language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency. Clear, readable, prose. Good use of transitions; no problems with spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Infrequent and minor mechanical problems. Errors do not impair readability.	Uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to readers. Occasional errors and minor problems with mechanics of language. Occasional awkward sentences and poor transitions reduce readability.	Uses language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity, although writing may include some errors. Frequent problems with mechanics of language. Awkward sentence construction. Poor or absent transitions. Frequently difficult to understand.	Uses language that sometimes impedes meaning because of errors in usage. Problems with the mechanics of language serious enough to interfere with effective communication. Frequent errors in punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, etc.
Use of relevant APA style	All relevant aspects of APA style are used correctly. Title page properly formatted, use of in- text citations, format of references cited.	Infrequent errors in APA style; errors involve only minor aspects of APA style – no errors in style for citations & references.	Attempted to use APA style but errors are frequent and include errors in citations and references.	Minimal use of APA style; multiple errors in use of APA style.

Conclusion

By learning about our past, we can apply the knowledge to the future. As we move forward in the semester, and your career here at the University of Mississippi as a student, I hope you can connect the lessons of the past to your future endeavors.