\n09\/20\/2007\n<\/p>\n
\nOXFORD, Miss. – Two distinguished Mississippians with <\/p>\n \nThe honorees are Curtis Wilkie, holder of the Kelly G. Cook \nWhile the center’s dedication and grand opening are planned \nKnown nationally for his work as political writer for The \nWilkie and Hailman are to write, lecture and conduct \nPaying tribute to Wilkie and Hailman individually, Overby \n“John is a keen observer of the Southern scene. He \nAdjacent to the newly renovated journalism department \nThe center soon is to have state-of-the-art technology and \n“We expect to be able to take advantage of the technology \nWilkie, a Greenville native and 1963 Ole Miss graduate, was \nHailman, who earned his law degree from Ole Miss, received
\nnational reputations – one a journalist, the other a lawyer
\n– have been named inaugural fellows at the new Overby
\nCenter for Southern Journalism and Politics at the
\nUniversity of Mississippi.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nChair of Journalism at UM, and John R. Hailman, recently
\nretired assistant U.S. attorney from Oxford.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nfor next spring, its first event Friday (Sept. 21) is a 5
\np.m. reception featuring U.S. Sen. Trent Lott and former
\nSenate majority leader Tom Daschle, who is on campus for a
\nprogram with the Lott Leadership Institute. Wilkie and
\nHailman are also expected to be on hand for the reception.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nBoston Globe, Wilkie joined the university’s journalism
\nfaculty in 2003. Hailman has traveled worldwide for the
\nJustice Department, training prosecutors and educating
\njudges about issues related to terrorism, white-collar
\ncrime, drug-trafficking and undercover operations.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nprograms at the Overby Center during their one-year
\nfellowships. “The common thread between Curtis and John is
\nthat they are astute observers of people, they are great
\nstorytellers and they are good writers. They represent the
\nvery best of journalism and public service,” said Charles
\nL. Overby, chairman of the Freedom Forum, which funded the
\nbuilding and beginning operations of the Overby Center with
\na $5 million grant.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nsaid, “Curtis is synonymous with Southern journalism and
\npolitics. If you said those words to leading journalists in
\nthe country, they would mention Curtis’ name immediately.
\nHe is one of the great assets on the Ole Miss campus.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nunderstands politics going back to his days in Washington
\nwith Sen. John Stennis. He has a broad range of interests
\nand now that he is retired from the Justice Department, he
\nwill be free to write about what he has seen and what he
\nthinks.”
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nfacility at Farley Hall, the Overby Center is a new
\nbuilding that features 16,000 square feet of conference
\nspace. It includes a 225-seat auditorium, a multipurpose
\nconference room that will accommodate 100 people for
\nseminars and dinners, and a boardroom seating up to 24
\npeople.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nvideo throughout the building, including a news wall with
\nnine large-screen TV monitors for showing live news
\nprograms and current front pages from 12 Southern states.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nand the content at the Newseum,” said Overby, who is CEO of
\nthe Newseum being built on Pennsylvania Avenue in
\nWashington D.C. It is to be the world’s most interactive
\nmuseum that focuses on the importance of a free press and
\nthe First Amendment. It is expected to open in 2008.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\na reporter and editor at The Clarksdale Press Register from
\n1963 to 1969, a time when the civil rights movement was at
\nits height. While at The Boston Globe for 25 years, he
\nserved as national and foreign correspondent. He covered
\nseven presidential campaigns for the Globe and served as
\nWhite House correspondent 1977-82. He established and
\nheaded the Globe’s Middle East bureau and lived in
\nJerusalem from 1984 to 1987. He covered numerous wars and
\nconflicts in the Middle East. He is a frequent contributor
\nto national magazines and has written or co-written three
\nbooks about the South.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\na bachelor’s degree from Millsaps College, where his
\nwriting professor was author Eudora Welty. He began his law
\ncareer as clerk for federal judge William C. Keady of
\nGreenville, then served as legal counsel to U.S. Sen. John
\nStennis. He worked as a legal services attorney in Oxford
\nfor three year and was chief of the Criminal Division in
\nthe Office of the U.S. Attorney in Oxford. He supervised
\nall trials, grand jury investigations, indictments and
\nappellate briefs. His work for the Justice Department sent
\nhim throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.
\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n