History of the Gulf Park Campus
This Spanish Mission style educational facility was first founded by Col. J. C. Hardy in 1919 as the Gulf Park College for Women. Classes started September 10, 1921. It graduated its last class on May 29, 1971 when it closed due to damage from Hurricane Camille and an economic downturn.
In 1972, the campus reopened as the Gulf Park Campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. The regional campus provided upper-level coursework toward bachelor's and graduate degrees until August 19, 2002 when the campus admitted its first class of freshmen and made Southern Miss the only dual-campus university in the state of Mississippi.
On August 29, 2005, the Gulf Park Campus sustained significant damage from Hurricane Katrina and has been under repair since that time. Classes were moved from the damaged site to a temporary location in leased space at the HealthMark Center in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Limited evening classes resumed at the Gulf Park Campus in January 2007 in the least damaged buildings at that site. As repairs are completed, more classes will be moved to the Gulf Park Campus, but portions of the HealthMark Center containing specialized laboratories will be retained for the continued operation of the College of Health and College of Science and Technology.