Posted by John Sewell on Nov 22, 2017
 
December promises to be a busy month for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), as the state agency prepares for the opening of two new major museums along with the celebration of the state's bicentennial.
 
Chris Goodwin, director of public information at MDAH, provided an overview of the agency's mission and its role in the development and support of the new Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
 
"The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is a comprehensive historical agency, started in 1902," Goodwin said. "The agency holds the greatest collection of Mississippi artifacts." In addition to its work in collection and preservation, the agency oversees several museums around the state, works with local agencies and municipalities on historic preservation, and assists state, county, and local agencies with the management of their records. 
 
In his remarks to the Rotary Club, Goodwin also provided a brief history of the founding of Mississippi. A group of elected delegates met at historic Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi in 1817 to develop the state's founding constitution and submit it to Congress as part of their application for statehood. Mississippi officially became a state on December 10, 1817.
 
Goodwin also offered a sneak peek into the two new museums scheduled for their grand opening on Saturday, December 9. The Museum of Mississippi History will give visitors a chance to experience a broad spectrum of history from 13,000 B.C. to the present day. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will focus on the state's often difficult history, from the period of 1945 to 1976.
 
Once the museums are permanently opened, operating hours will be 9:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. The museums will be closed on Mondays.