Nonprofit Mississippi News TODAY in Mississippi: News from our state Associated Press. James Meredith, Jackson is one five people who will be inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame during October’s homecoming. Longtime U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, of Oxford, was also included in the list. He retired in April. The Hall of Fame was established in 1974 and honors selected alumni who have made a significant contribution to the country, state, or university through good works, services, or contributions that have preserved Ole Miss’ good name, according to a university news release.