1960: Miss Mississippi Lynda Lee Mead wins Miss America competition
Lynda Lee Mead
1960: Ross R. Barnett becomes Mississippi’s fifty-third governor
Governor Ross R. Barnett
Barnett served from 1960 to 1964.
Link to the catalogFebruary 1, 1960: Wave of sit-ins at segregated lunch counters begins in Greensboro, North Carolina
Lunch counter in Jackson
These sit-ins were led principally by African American college students.
Link to the catalogApril 24, 1960: Biloxi Beach wade-in held
Report on beach integration
Dr. Gilbert Mason led a demonstration to integrate the public beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In response, a group of forty white men attacked the African American men, women, and children.
Image: From the files of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission.
Link to the catalogMay 16, 1960: President Eisenhower signs Civil Rights Act of 1960
November 8, 1960: John F. Kennedy elected president
Mississippi’s votes went to ultra-conservative candidate Senator Harry Byrd, who was not on the primary ticket of either party.