The Mississippi State University history department will close until noon today so faculty, students and colleagues can attend a memorial service for a department graduate student.
Michael Shannon Mallard, 30, a doctoral graduate student in history, died Monday in an automobile accident.
Kirk Rosenhan, county fire coordinator, said the East Oktibbeha Fire Department was called to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. to the four-lane U.S. Highway 82 near where it crosses the old U.S. Highway 82 close to the Bel-Air estates. The highway patrol and Oktibbeha County Hospital also responded, with the fire department providing assistance to the paramedics in attempting to resuscitate Mallard.
The westbound Chevy Trailblazer reportedly crashed through a guardrail, flipped, rolled and landed on its wheels near the eastbound U.S. Highway 82.
During the accident, Mallard, the front-seat passenger, was ejected from the vehicle. His wife, restrained by a seatbelt, suffered only minor injuries. Their 4-month-old baby was restrained in a carseat in the rear of the vehicle and was uninjured in the accident, said Rosenhan.
According to Michael Hunt, Oktibbeha County coroner, Mallard was pronounced dead at 10:24 p.m. Hunt said although Mallard was wearing a seat belt, he was reportedly seated in a reclining position, which allowed for him to be ejected from the vehicle. Rosenhan, however, said he was not certain Mallard was wearing a seat belt. Mallard’s cause of death was attributed to suffering from multi-system trauma as a result of the accident.
Mallard originally received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Central Florida in 1999, arriving at MSU in the fall of 2000 to begin work on completing his master’s degree by the spring of 2002, said John Marszalek, his doctoral thesis adviser. He was working on completing a doctorate in American history while studying anti-Confederates in Civil War Mississippi. Mallard also taught two classes.
One of his students, Allyn Bryson, took early U.S. History under Mallard, who students called “Shannon.” She said he was “always personable, accessible, and taking an interest in his class.”
“You could tell he was doing what he loved. He always had this spark in his eyes as he lectured to the class. He would go so fast because it all came so easy to him, because he loved it. We didn’t mind because he made us so excited about history,” she said.
According to Peter Messer, an assistant professor in history, Mallard was well-regarded in the history department by faculty, his fellow graduate students and the students he taught.
“The history department and the university lost a fine young scholar and a committed and able teacher. And we lost a fine human being,” Messer said.
“I thought of him as the absolutely best type of student you could imagine: intelligent, hard working, inquisitive, polite and supportive to his colleagues and respectful to his professors. Shannon was also a first-class human being, giving, caring and selfless.”
Welch Funeral Home is handling arrangements for Mallard’s services. Visitation was held Thursday at the Welch Funeral Home. Students, friends and family may attend a funeral mass today at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
He is survived by several close family members, including his wife, Jennifer Mallard, and a 4-month old son, Nathan Cole.
The family has requested that memorials be made to the Marszalek Library Fund and Lecture Series. People wishing to do so may contact Debra Fairbrother at the Mitchell Memorial Library at 325-0812 or campus mailstop 9570.