University Forum at Southern Miss Begins 50th Year

Wed, 08/28/2024 - 08:46am | By: Dr. David Tisdale

Kurt Vonnegut. Stephen J. Gould. Gloria Steinem. James Baldwin. Sir Harold Wilson. Lilly Ledbetter. Susan Sontag. G. Gordon Liddy. Tom Wolfe. Barbara Ehrenreich. E.O. Wilson. Art Spiegelman. Antonin Scalia. Carl Bernstein. Sebastian Junger. Ralph Nader.

That list, a who’s who of some of the most respected and talented thought leaders, scientists, historians, educators, artists, and activists, is also a roll call of past presenters for The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) University Forum, which marks its 50th year in 2024-25.

Since 1974, the University Forum has been the premier speaker series at the University. Sponsored by the Southern Miss Honors College with support from the Office of the President, this year’s lineup follows that half-century tradition with compelling speakers scheduled to share their wisdom and talent with Forum audiences. Admission is free and members of the university and general public are invited; all University Forum events are held at historic Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus, unless otherwise noted.  

“When the first University Forums were held in fall 1974, Nixon had just resigned the presidency, pocket calculators were the hot new technology, and Peter Benchley’s novel about a shark, Jaws, had been on the bestseller list for 28 weeks,” said University Forum Director Dr. Andrew Haley. “Yet it was clear from those first couple of Forums - originally called the ‘Man, Science, and Society’ series - that Forum’s influence would not be as fleeting as presidencies, tech innovations, or bestsellers.”

Dr. Haley notes that the first two University Forums looked at the place of populism in American politics, past and present, and believes those two talks could easily be reprised today.

“University Forum has provided Southern Miss students and the greater south Mississippi community with a magnifying glass to examine their times and a crystal ball to see into the future,” Dr. Haley continued. “Its legacy is not that it has survived 50 years, but that the words spoken at Forum’s podium have had a lasting impact on the lives of so many and continue to shape our world view.”

Dr. Joyce Inman, Dean of the USM Honors College, says it’s an honor to celebrate 50 years of the University’s commitment to ensuring “our community has the opportunity to hear from the most notable voices of our time and participate in meaningful conversations as a community of engaged citizens through University Forum.” 

B. Twilbeck, a senior in the USM Honors College from Ocean Springs, Miss., says University Forum has been a vital part of her experience as a student at the university, and is grateful to the program for hosting a broad range of topical perspectives presented by prominent expert speakers she may have not otherwise encountered.

“University Forum has broadened my horizons and been a pillar of enlightened engagement on a variety of issues,” Twilbeck continued. “It’s an incredibly vital facet of this institution, encouraging lifelong learning for the entirety of the Hattiesburg community and beyond.”

USM President Emeritus Dr. Aubrey Lucas lauded University Forum for being a program that “has helped USM be what it should be” as a place that fosters learning and helps the communities it serves better understand their world.

“University Forum brings in people who are particularly informed on a wide array of subjects that are of vital interest not only to members of the Southern Miss community, but to people across our state and region,” Dr. Lucas said.

University Distinguished Professor of History Dr. Andrew Weist echoed Dr. Lucas’s sentiments, praising Forum for the exceptional speakers it has brought to the university for the last five decades, including during his days as a student at USM. 

“I love University Forum – it has consistently brought in a steady stream of top speakers from across the spectrum of potential interests, from politicians, to authors, to business leaders, to writers,” Dr. Wiest continued. “It is exactly what a university should do – expose students and other members of our university and local communities to the best and brightest in a massive variety of fields.

“My favorite memory of Forum is from when I was a student when it brought in an ex-British Prime Minister – Sir Harold Wilson.  As someone who was studying British History at the time, it was a dream come true.  Not only did I get to hear this pivotal figure of Modern Britain speak, I got to meet him and talk with him for a good long while.  It was life changing for me.”

This year’s fall schedule begins Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. with Ed Yong, a Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist who explores complex scientific concepts in accessible ways. The former staff writer for The Atlantic is the author of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (2022), which won the Andrew Carnegie Medal.

Veteran television journalist Kathleen Koch, a Southern Miss alumna and former Honors College student, will speak on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Koch is author of Rising From Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered, in which she recounts her coverage of the worst natural disaster in modern American history and its effects on her native Mississippi Gulf Coast and hometown of Bay St. Louis, Miss. Koch’s Forum presentation will be immediately followed by an official celebration of University Forum’s golden anniversary.

The fall University Forum schedule concludes Tuesday, Nov. 12 with famed environmental justice activist Erin Brockovich, author of Superman’s Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It, who was portrayed by actress Julia Roberts in the 2000 movie Erin Brockovich. Brockovich will discuss America and Mississippi’s water crisis in her Forum presentation.

The spring 2025 University Forum schedule includes:

• Feb. 11: Ada Limón, Poet Laureate of the United States and author of Bright Dead Things; she is the first Latina to be named Poet Laureate.  

• March 18:  Armstrong- Branch Distinguished Lecture Series, honoring the first two African American students to enroll at USM, Elaine Armstrong and Raylawni Branch. This event is a collaboration with the USM Dean of Students Office; a speaker for the event will be announced in November. 

• April 8: Internationally recognized musician Lachi, famed for her soulful voice and distinctive blend of pop and dance music, will perform. The visually impaired performer will also discuss disability rights during her presentation at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center on the USM Hattiesburg campus.  

Although they’re not students, Hattiesburg area residents Margaret and Bob Ciraldo’s favorite part of the Southern Miss academic year is University Forum, which the couple rarely misses.

“We appreciate and need University Forum at USM,” Margaret Ciraldo said. “The speakers are famous people in their respective fields, and the topics are enlightening and enjoyable. You always walk away having learned more than you did before the lecture, and the program has shown me that the best way to learn is firsthand from an authority in their respective field.”

Learn more about University Forum.