When the University of Mississippi (UM) began offering courses in 1848, one of the first four faculty members was a mathematics and astronomy professor. During the early years, everyone in the senior class studied in the set curriculum of the day. In 1854, juniors began receiving instruction. Theory was taught largely by textbook and lecture with the aid of a large mechanical planetarium to illustrate celestial motions and several other smaller instruments. After the Civil War, the Department of Physics and Astronomy opened a “professional” course for students specializing in the field and a “cultural” course that offered less technical lessons for those interested in obtaining at least some knowledge in the area.

Items featured in this case include the following:

• Printed UM course catalog for 1857-1858.
• Handwritten astronomy test for 1884 (which received a 98.5 grade).
• Handwritten senior thesis “The Practical Value of Astronomy” (1891) by John B. Vineyard.
• Partly printed grade form for a 1916 Astronomy class.
• Photograph of UM professor William L. Kennon.
• Astronomy: A Textbook for Colleges (1948) written by UM professor William L. Kennon.