Man who integrated Ole Miss chosen for alumni hall of fame

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – The University of Mississippi is honoring the man who integrated the campus in 1962.

James Meredith of Jackson is one of five people being inducted into the Ole Miss alumni hall of fame during homecoming in October. The list of honorees also includes longtime U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Oxford, who retired in April.

Meredith sued to gain admission as the first black student at Ole Miss and was escorted by federal marshals amid violence that erupted on campus.

The university announced the alumni honorees in a news release Sunday. Others entering the hall of fame are military veteran Howard L. Gerlach of Fairfax, Virginia; businessman and former pro football player Mac Haik of Houston, Texas; and planning and development executive Vernon R. “Randy” Kelley III of Tupelo.

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