The University of Southern Mississippi School of Mass Communication and Journalism will induct a former faculty member and five outstanding professionals into the school’s Hall of Fame as part the second annual Mass Communication and Journalism Symposium, “Hooray for Hattiesburg: Film, Television and Mississippi’s Story,” which will be held on the Hattiesburg campus Nov. 14.

Former professor Lawrence Albers will be inducted posthumously at a luncheon that day, along with four Southern Miss graduates and another Mississippi native who have had distinguished careers in film and television production. They include:

• John Duffy ‘75, an award winning editor who has accumulated more than 85 screen credits during his 30-year career, including work on acclaimed programs such as the CBS Network Television series “Tour of Duty.”

• Margaret Loesch ’68, a four-time Emmy Award winner and an executive for major media companies and networks throughout her career, who is responsible for founding FOX Children’s Network and many of its well-known children’s programs such as “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?”

• Patrik-Ian Polk ‘94, a writer-director-producer, who has achieved great acclaim with his independent feature film “Punks” and the hit cable television series “Noah’s Arc.”

• David Sheffield ‘72, a veteran Hollywood screenwriter known for his television work on “Saturday Night Live” as well as his films “Coming to America,” “Boomerang” and “The Nutty Professor.”

• Jennifer Ogden, a producer and studio executive known for her work on film classics such as “Annie Hall” and “Hair” as well as notable contemporary films like “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Family Stone.”

Albers joined the Southern Miss faculty in 1970 after retiring from the U.S. Army Air Corp. He was credited with making the university’s film studies program the largest of any university in the Southeast at the time, largely due to his “hands-on” filmmaking courses. He was twice awarded both the George Washington Freedom Foundation Award, once for film and once for writing, and the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

“The Hall of Fame was created three years ago to give the School of Mass Communication and Journalism a way of recognizing its many distinguished graduates, as well as other Mississippians who have contributed to the school or to mass communication and journalism in the state,” said Dr. Chris Campbell, director of the school.

“We’re thrilled to be able to honor some of the university’s, and in fact some of Mississippi’s, leaders in film and television production. There are so many accomplished professionals in this field and we plan to recognize other film and television writers, producers and executives in future years.”

The morning session of the symposium, which will feature discussions with each of the graduates about their work and careers, will be held in the Thad Cochran Center, Room 216, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The panel sessions are free and open to the public.

The Hall of Fame luncheon will be at 11:30 in Cochran Center Ballroom I. Inductee David Sheffield will deliver the keynote address. Tickets to the luncheon are $35 and are available by contacting the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at 601.266.4258. 

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lawrence Albers and Robert Gene Wiggins endowments, which are named for two prominent former Southern Miss faculty members and support scholarships and fellowships for deserving students in the School of Mass Communication and Journalism.

The final session of the symposium will be a screening of Polk’s latest film, “Noah’s Arc:  Jumping the Broom,” at 1:30 in the International Center Auditorium. The screening, co-sponsored by the Southern Miss Center for Black Studies and the Gay-Straight Alliance, is also free and open to the public.

“We hope the events will raise the visibility of our film and television production program, which has turned out so many respected professionals working in all aspects of the entertainment industry, while at the same time honoring Larry Albers, who was responsible for positively affecting so many students’ lives,” said Campbell.

The symposium’s financial sponsors include the Hattiesburg American, the Mississippi Film Office and the Southern Miss College of Arts and Letters.

The Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism is one of the university’s largest, with more than 500 majors working toward undergraduate and graduate degrees in advertising, film, journalism, media production and public relations.  For more information on this event, contact Mandy Nace, assistant to the director, School of Mass Communication and Journalism, at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or 601.266.4196.

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About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities.  In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world.  Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.