The inaugural exhibit of the Louis Burns Brock, Jay Brock, and Hank Brock Gallery at Old Main Academic Center is newly installed. The exhibit, titled The Life of Old Main, pays homage to the building's namesake, Old Main Dormitory, and highlights student life during the time period of Old Main Dormitory's life.
Originally built in 1880, Old Main Dormitory served not just a home to the University's students but as a center of life on campus. Old Main hosted a barber shop, the armory, offices for student publications, and the library throughout various parts of its history. By 1922, after multiple additions and renovations to the building, Old Main Dormitory is thought to have been the largest college dormitory in the country at that time. Though the building burned down in January 1959, the legend of Old Main and it's storied past has lived on through the many people who called it home.
The Life of Old Main features historical photographs of Old Main Dormitory in various stages, panoramic images of the campus as it existed at the turn of the 20th century, and images of student life on campus. Other items on display include memorabilia, historical Reveilles, and rounds from a pine tree that once stood near Old Main, painted by Carol McReynolds Davis depicting Old Main, The Chapel of Memories and a Magnolia.
Curated by Mississippi State University Libraries, this exhibit will be available until mid-September and is free to the public. The Louis Burns Brock, Jay Brock, and Hank Brock Gallery is located on the 1st floor of the Old Main Academic Center. For more information about Old Main Dormitory, please contact University Archives at 662-325-7679 or sp_coll@library.msstate.edu. For more information about the Louis Burns Brock, Jay Brock, and Hank Brock Gallery, contact Nancy Bardwell.
