Mississippi State University is now one of five colleges in the nation to house a presidential library. Mitchell Memorial Library’s Ulysses S. Grant Collection will be recognized as the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, as decided during the association’s 50th anniversary ceremony on May 18 through 20.
MSU’s collection of Ulysses S. Grant related materials is the most comprehensive, with up to 15,000 linear feet of correspondence, research notes, hundreds of photographs, over 30 family scrapbooks, digital renderings, memorabilia and more than 5,000 books.
Artifacts range from Grant’s childhood to his later military career, Civil War triumphs and presidency. His post-White House years up to his death are also on display, including the note Grant wrote to his son when he was dying and unable to speak from throat cancer.
MSU President Mark Keenum expressed his gratitude to the Ulysses S. Grant Association for, “entrusting Mississippi State University with the long-term responsibility for managing and showcasing this treasure trove of vital American history.”
Frances Coleman, Dean of Libraries, emphasized the opportunity and recognition the collection will bring to the library.
“Not many libraries have this premiere collection of resource materials that researchers from across the world come to utilize,” Coleman said. “Board members were seeking a new home for the collection and MSU indicated interest in being the recipient.”
Nineteenth century prints and photos of the Grant family hang on the walls of the exhibit room, which also contains a book of Grant’s general orders, a copy of his death mask and the Seven Mile Funeral Cortege.
Ryan Semmes, assistant archivist for MSU’s Congressional and Political Research Center, said the cortege holds photographs of Grant’s tomb, his home in Detroit, Mich., and the longest funeral in American history.
“It is one of only four known to exist,” Semmes said.
Rhonda Keenum, MSU’s first lady, discovered the cribbage box and deck of cards displayed on the opposite wall at a local estate sale. H. P. Harvey, the owner of the set, was the surgeon on the USS Hartford ship during Grant’s presidency and is buried nearby in Crawford, Mississippi.
Tours of the exhibit space are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are not necessary, but encouraged.
Coleman said the museum aspect heightens appreciation for the collection.
“We will provide assistance in further development and maintenance,” she said.
Digitized elements of the collection, including political cartoons, sheet music of Decoration Day and Grant’s memorial service, and volumes 1 through 31 of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant can be found at library.msstate.edu/USGrant/.
Students can visit the database tutorial at youtu.be/L7_OhEl1KCQ for guidance on how to research, find the names of Grant’s correspondents and navigate the collections.