History
The site for The Alumni House was selected in 1948 to be a lasting gift to the University from the Ole Miss Alumni Association. The Alumni House was dedicated to the heroes who had left the University of Mississippi campus to sacrifice their lives in the Civil War and World War I and World War II. The official groundbreaking was November 4, 1949. Public and private meeting space, private offices and a snack bar were part of the original project, which also included a 35-room hotel.
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On October 20, 1951, The Alumni House was presented to The University of Mississippi. The construction of the building marked the centennial of the founding of the university which was established in 1848. The Alumni House was created as a gathering place for those who wanted to join their fellow alumni in close comradeship to retell the stories of other days; to play the football games of another Saturday; to plan for the future of their University. The Alumni House had its first renovation in 1968 adding an outdoor pool and increasing the guest room total to 91.
In the mid-eighties, The Alumni House began to have guest rooms sponsored by individuals. This allowed alumni and friends the first right of refusal for their room during peak demand times (i.e. home football games, graduation). Most of the room sponsors have created a feeling of home in their rooms and suites. In the original hotel, many sponsors have had their room for years. Every time they visit they are likely to bring new items to update their space. Many are proud to show off family pictures, Ole Miss memorabilia and their own personal style in the décor they have chosen. Each room is a little different from the next, but all are comfortable and well-appointed. The alumni and room sponsors have really allowed the Hotel to grow. It is through their generosity and love for Ole Miss that allows the Hotel to continue to progress.
Ultimately, the demand for room sponsorship and the need for luxury accommodations in Oxford led to the $21 million expansion finished in 2008. It was also during this time that The Alumni House was renamed The Inn at Ole Miss. The eight story all-suite hotel came complete with a new dining area, gift shop and over 10,000 square feet of meeting space. The newly-expanded The Inn at Ole Miss was dedicated on August 29, 2008.
The success of the room sponsorship program enabled what was once a just a small bed and breakfast type hotel to become what it is today, a modern state of the art facility for all of our alumni and friends to use. In a combined effort with the Ole Miss Alumni Association, The Inn at Ole Miss has become one of the greatest additions to the Ole Miss campus in the 21st century.
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