Dr. Dennis Mitchell Collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS-734

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection contains correspondence, minutes, and statistical data related to various Mississippi community colleges and higher education organizations, including legislative proposals and materials. It also includes DVD, CDs, cassettes, photographs, and audio-visual materials related to the renovation of The Grand Opera House (now the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts) and the Marks-Rothenberg store collected by Mitchell as he wrote his book, "A Rich Past A Vibrant Future: The History & Renovation of the Marks Rothenberg and Grand Opera House Buildings."

Dates

Majority of material found within 1976 - 1998
1928 - 2005

Creator

Mitchell, Dennis, Dr., 1947- (Person)

Biographical Note

Dr. Dennis J. Mitchell (1947-) was a history professor and former head of the division of Arts and Science at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University. He also was Interim Dean at MSU’s Merdian campus twice: 2001-2002 and 2011. He has written several manuscripts about the state, including a comprehensive history of Mississippi in 2014. In 2006, he wrote about the Grand Opera House and the Marks Rothenberg company building following its renovation.

Extent

5 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

System of Arrangement

Contents were arranged into series based on topic. The series as follows: Series I. MJCFA (Mississippi Junior Colleges Faculty Association) / MFACJC (Mississippi Faculty Association for Community and Junior Colleges), Series II. Mississippi Higher Education Organizations Papers, Series III. Grand Opera House and Marks-Rothenberg Company Materials, and Series IV. Oversize.

Series I. MJCFA (Mississippi Junior Colleges Faculty Association)/MFACJC (Mississippi Faculty Association for Community and Junior Colleges), 1974-1998

This series is divided into five subseries: 1. Presidential correspondence, correspondence, statistical data, financials, and legislative materials. Since a vast majority of the collection pertains to this specific organization, it was made into a separate series. The name of the organization changed various times, but the two listed in the title were most widely used commonly.

Series II. Mississippi Higher Education Organizations Papers, 1977-1995

This series contains various other educational organizations in the state; they are grouped into a series together due to the small amount of contents per organization.

Series III. Grand Opera House and Marks-Rothenberg Company Materials, 1923-2005

Series contains material Dr. Mitchell collected as he wrote his book on the opera house. Subseries are broken into three subseries based on type: research notes, artifacts, and visual, audio, and audiovisual materials.

Series IV. Oversize, 1987-1988

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated in August 2016 by Dr. Dennis Mitchell.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Processing Note

Very minimal processing done on a single box prior to Spring 2025. Folder level processing was completed from March to September 2025 by Brittany Ellis, Archival Project Coordinator.

Two boxes from Grand Opera House (Riley Center) were transferred into this collection to complete the series on Mitchell's research notes.