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HATTIESBURG – A University of Southern Mississippi
history professor has received a fellowship to continue his
research on the New Orleans flood of 1849, timely because of
the similarities between the epic 19th century disaster and
flooding of the city attributed to Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Greg O’Brien’s successful application proposal, “The Man
Who Saved New Orleans: George Towers Dunbar and the New Orleans
Flood of 1849,” earned him one of two inaugural Dianne Woest
Fellowships in the Arts and Humanities granted this year by
the Historic New Orleans Collection. The fellowship will fund
a month’s study at the Collection’s Williams Research Center.
O’Brien’s research focuses on the role of engineer George Towers
Dunbar in repairing city levees during the 1849 disaster, saving
the city from further harm, as well as the political infighting
that occurred in New Orleans as elected officials sparred over
how to handle the crisis.
“As was exposed so dramatically with the Hurricane Katrina
disaster, politics plays as much a role as nature in exacerbating
or alleviating the harm of a so-called natural disaster,” O’Brien
said. “New Orleans has had to deal with such problems since
its founding, and my research suggests that little has been
learned or remembered since 1849.”
Local, state and federal officials believe levees surrounding
the city were compromised because of the storm, resulting in
severe flood damage to many residential areas of the historic
city.
“Nearly the exact same areas that flooded during Katrina also
flooded in1849, the difference being that many more people lived
in those flood-prone areas in 2005,” O’Brien said.
Officials at the Historic New Orleans Collection believe research
funded by the fellowships can help revitalize the city and region
following Hurricane Katrina by promoting the area’s history
and culture.
“The Woest Fellowship is an indication of The Historic New
Orleans Collection commitment to furthering historical studies
of the region,” said Alfred Lemmons, director of the Williams
Research Center. “Therefore, it is particularly appropriate
that one of the first recipients (O’Brien) be from our region.”
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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.
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Last updated:
01/06/06 |
