On July 19, 2023, Heather Denne’ presented “Complex Compromises: The Life and Legacy of Jacob L. Reddix” as part of the History Is Lunch series.
Born in Vancleave in 1897, the youngest of nine sons born to former slaves, Jacob Lorenzo Reddix served in the army during World War I then earned his degree in civil engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and did graduate work at the University of Chicago as a Rosenwald Fellow.
In 1940 Reddix became the fifth president of Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) and held the position until 1967—still the longest tenure for any JSU president. During those 27 years he oversaw the school’s transition from private to public, built a new academic program, added a graduate program of studies, and worked with the state to fund the construction of twenty-seven academic buildings and two faculty housing units.
“Jacob Reddix had a tremendous influence on the sustainability of the university,” said Denne’, who is director of community engagement for Jackson State University. “He led through some of the hardest years of the civil rights struggle, and JSU might not still exist if not for Dr. Reddix.”
Heather Denne’ earned her BA in women’s studies from the University of Kansas and her MS and PhD in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University, where she coordinates development activities for community residents, JSU students, neighborhood associations, businesses, and other stakeholders in the community. Denne’ has led or worked on various preservation projects involving the historic Mt. Olive Cemetery, Ayer Hall, COFO Center, Dr. Jacob L. Reddix Property, Stamps Super Burger, and the Washington Addition Exhibition.
History Is Lunch is sponsored by the John and Lucy Shackelford Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation for Mississippi. The weekly lecture series of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History explores different aspects of the state's past. The hour-long programs are held in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum building at 222 North Street in Jackson and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook.
