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Porter Lee Fortune, Jr., was Chancellor during a period of remarkable
growth and development. Born in 1920, Fortune served as a naval officer
during World War II and saw action in the South Pacific, where he was
awarded the Bronze Star. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he joined the faculty at Mississippi
Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi), where he later
served as dean of the University and Graduate School. During his first 10
years as Chancellor of The University of Mississippi, Dr. Fortune saw
enrollment increase by 40 percent and black enrollment increase from 17
students to 733 students. Dr. Fortune is remembered for helping to
smooth the way for both black and white students during the civil rights
movement. During his administration, funds were finalized for the
construction of the Ole Miss Union; the Turner Health, Physical
Education, and Recreation Center; the Athletic Dormitory; the Chemistry
Building (Coulter Hall); Dorothy Crosby Hall; the Kate Skipwith Teaching
Museum; Anderson Hall; the Lamar Law Center; and the J. D. Williams
Library addition. The Schools of Health Related Professions and
Dentistry were added to the Medical Center during his Chancellorship, as was
the School of Accountancy on the Oxford campus. New programs under his
administration included women's studies, Afro-American studies, communicative
disorders, social work, and court reporting. Other legacies of the
Fortune administration include The University of Mississippi Foundation,
the Chancellor's Trust, and the Alumni Hall of Fame. But Dr. Fortune may
be best-remembered for promoting the development of the eastern part of
the campus as a culture center--including the acquisition of Rowan Oak, the
William Faulkner property, and the Skipwith property--which attracts
visitors and scholars from around the world.
