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Edward Mayes was the first native Mississippian and the first University
of Mississippi alumnus to become Chancellor of the University. Born in Hinds
County, Mississippi, in 1846, Mayes served as a private in the Fourth
Regiment of Mississippi Cavalry during the Civil War. When the University
reopened after the war, Mayes was the first non-Oxford student to arrive
--in October 1865. He was one of only 193 students enrolled at the
University that year. After graduating in 1868, Mayes practiced law in
Coffeeville and Oxford. He was selected to teach law at the University
in 1877. During his tenure, Ventress Hall was constructed as the
University's first library building. Mayes returned to his law practice
at the end of his term and he later served as dean of the Millsaps School of
Law. Among his most notable writings is a history of education in
Mississippi.
