Ross Robert Barnett (1898 - 1987) - Find A Grave Memorial

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Ross Robert Barnett

Birth:	Jan. 22, 1898
Death:	Nov. 6, 1987
Mississippi Governor. A World War I veteran and trial lawyer, Barnett entered politics by running unsuccesfully for Governor in 1951. He ran again in 1955, losing again. His third campaign, in 1959, was successful, and he served as Mississippi's fifty-third Governor from 1960 to 1964. Barnett is remembered primarily for his staunch segregationist attitudes and actions, including his fiery rhetoric when James Meredith, an African American, entered the University of Mississippi in 1962 (Meredith succeeded in graduating) and his decreeing that the Mississippi State University basketball team could not play in the NCAA tournament in 1963 because some of the teams included African Americans (the team managed to sneak away in the dead of night and play in the tournament despite Barnett's decree). Barnett's racist posturings overshadowed the economic accomplishments of his four years in office. He ran again for Governor in 1967 but lost by a wide margin in the primary. (bio by: NatalieMaynor) Search Amazon for Ross Barnett

Burial: Barnett Memorial Garden Standing Pine Leake County Mississippi, USA
Maintained by: Find A Grave Originally Created by: NatalieMaynor Record added: Jun 25, 2007 Find A Grave Memorial# 20096675