(April 15, 2010) 31st & Pearl Bad President Fatigue The recent USMNEWS.net editorial about the dedication of a USM-GC education center to former USM president Horace Fleming struck a chord with many. Fleming may have become USM’s greatest president if only the USM family had properly accepted him. He fought hard for USM’s share of public support, and he sought to augment that with private donations. Sure, he was not Aubrey Lucas. But then again, Lucas sat in the stands and watched the Shelby Thames administration dismantle just about everything that was good about the institution. It’s difficult to imagine Fleming doing the same, as it is to imagine Fleming choosing to hold the title of president emeritus and drawing a near-six figure salary for years in that position.

HORACE W. FLEMING, FORMER PRESIDENT
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

(April 14, 2010) Gone and now remembered "USM News Item: On April 23, 2010 the Advanced Education Center at the Gulf Park Campus will be dedicated and re-named the Horace Weldon Fleming, Jr. Education Center." All too many people like to revise history to suit their own personal desires. When Horace Fleming was President of USM he was a man ahead of his time. Coming out of a non-state university environment, he started looking for ways to raise private money for USM. That is now expected. He was mostly disliked because he was not Aubrey Lucas. He thought wearing a suit just to be seen wearing a suit – especially in many months of summer – was silly and added nothing to productivity. It seems his stock value has now risen after the Shelby Thames administration, and perhaps, even during the Martha Saunders administration. Once again, as has so often happened at Southern Miss, people in the past start looking better as their successors administrate.