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College of Liberal Arts
University of Mississippi

Southern Foodways Alliance

Alexandra Santiago

JTC 24: From Cooking to the Classroom

Alexandra Santiago keeps passion for food alive in academic pursuits APRIL 25, 2024  BY AILEEN LAMBERT/CENTER FOR INCLUSION AND CROSS CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from […]

Rob Samuels, managing director, is an eighth-generation distiller at the Kentucky-based Maker’s Mark, which has gifted $200,000 to support the work of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi.

A Winning Combination

Maker’s Mark Partners with SFA APRIL 23, 2024 BY MARY STANTON KNIGHT/UM DEVELOPMENT Just as well-thought-out drink pairings enhance a meal, the partnership between the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) and small-batch bourbon whiskey distillery Maker’s Mark is proving to be a winning combination. Rob Samuels, an eighth-generation distiller at the Kentucky-based Maker’s Mark, is a […]

Dr. Charles R. Wilson

HISTORICAL SOCIETY HONORS LONGTIME FACULTY MEMBER, SCHOLAR

Charles Reagan Wilson accepts Lifetime Achievement Award The Mississippi Historical Society presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Charles Reagan Wilson, retired University of Mississippi professor and former director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, on Feb. 23 at the society’s annual meeting. Wilson, who retired in 2014 after more than 33 years at […]

The Southern Foodways Alliance’s work with Lodge Cast Iron influenced the company to develop its new museum. A longtime supporter, Lodge Cast Iron has made a $150,000 gift to SFA to further its mission of documenting, studying and exploring the diverse food cultures of the changing American South.

Bolstering the Mission

Lodge Cast Iron Gift Supports SFA Work JULY 7, 2023 BY MARY STANTON KNIGHT/UM DEVELOPMENT Lodge Cast Iron, founded in 1877, is a fifth-generation family-owned cast iron cookware company based in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, that is strengthening the mission of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) with an unrestricted gift of $150,000. Based at the University […]

Sarah Rodriguez

Using Oral Histories as an ‘Avenue to Difficult Truth-telling’

Sarah Rodriguez blends love for food and meaningful conversation at Southern Foodways Alliance FEBRUARY 6, 2023 BY REBECCA LAUCK CLEARY Sarah Rodriguez engages with people through her work as an oral historian, honing skills such as honesty and empathy building. She also enjoys connecting with them over a meal, which is not surprising, given her […]

Roger and Rebecca Emerick want their planned gift to support the Southern Foodways Alliance based at the University of Mississippi.

Thinking Ahead

Estate Gift will fund John T Edge Southern Foodways Alliance Endowment AUGUST 6, 2020 BY BILL DABNEY Roger and Rebecca Emerick of Hillsborough, California, want their planned gift to extend the mission of the University of Mississippi’s Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA), an organization they applaud for its compelling storytelling and inclusive takes on cultures and […]

McIlhenny Company, maker of TABASCO®, is a longtime supporter of SFA work.

Hot Take

SFA Debuts Virtual Tour of Cajun Country with help from TABASCO® JULY 25, 2020 BY BILL DABNEY McIlhenny Company, maker of TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauces is a longtime partner of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA). This year, the duo collaborated on a first-of-its kind virtual tour of Cajun Country, a destination the TABASCO folks know […]

Randy Fertel presents the Ruth Fertel Keeper of the Flame award to Adrian Miller.

Fanning the Flame

Fertel’s $1M Planned Gift Will Support Southern Foodways Alliance MAY 29, 2020 BY BILL DABNEY A New Orleans-based writer’s $1 million planned gift to the University of Mississippi will fan the flames of one of the Southern Foodways Alliance’s (SFA) most prestigious awards. Each fall, the SFA honors an unsung hero or heroine with the […]

ony Chachere, pictured here on the set of his first cooking video, shared his passion for Creole cuisine with his family and friends throughout his life.

A Natural Fit

Tony Chachere’s Funds SFA Documentaries on Hero Home Cooks MAY 27, 2020 BY MARY STANTON KNIGHT Tony Chachere’s major gift to the University of Mississippi will fund the creation of three film documentaries over the next three years by the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA). Based out of Opelousas, Louisiana, the family-run corporation’s $90,000 gift will […]

Cathead Distillery founders Austin Evans (left) and Richard Patrick have made a donation to the UM Southern Foodways Alliance to fund a series of essays exploring the contemporary South and its future. Photo courtesy Cathead Distillery

Cathead Makes Major Gift to Southern Foodways Alliance

Gift honors SFA’s efforts on behalf of restaurant industry during pandemic and beyond APRIL 29, 2020 BY BILL DABNEY The Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi has received a major gift from the founders of Mississippi-based Cathead Distillery, whose efforts during the COVID-19 crisis are making statewide impact. The $75,000 gift from Cathead […]