Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, is the new president of the Mississippi Historical Society. He was elected Thursday, March 6, during the society’s annual meeting in Jackson. He will lead the organization for the next year through March 5, 2026, when the meeting is held in Meridian.
“I am grateful to the Mississippi Historical Society for having faith in me and for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” said Barnes. “I am excited about my new role, and I look forward to working with our members and partners to create exciting programs and other endeavors over the next year.”
As the new president, Barnes fills the position previously held by Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, associate professor of history at the University of Southern Mississippi. He will serve alongside Keena Graham, the society’s new vice president. Graham is the superintendent of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Jackson.
“The Mississippi Historical Society has benefited from the leadership of Roscoe Barnes in recent years and is proud that he will be the organization’s president for 2025-26,” said secretary-treasurer Brother Rogers.
The Mississippi Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that works with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to promote understanding of the state’s history. Barnes joined the society’s board of directors in 2022. In 2023, he was named chairman of the Awards Committee. He became vice president in 2024.
In January, Barnes completed his term as a trustee of the Natchez Historical Society. In 2023, the Mississippi Humanities Council selected him for its 2023 Humanities Partner Award.
In addition to his work at Visit Natchez, Barnes is an award-winning newspaper journalist and independent scholar whose research focuses on Anne Moody, the Civil Rights Movement, F.F. Bosworth, Ernest Hemingway, and the history of Natchez. He is founding chairman of the Anne Moody History Project, a public history endeavor created to promote the legacy of Anne Moody and her book, “Coming of Age in Mississippi.”
Barnes holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Church History and Church Polity from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a Master of Arts in Religion from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.
A prolific writer, Barnes is the author of multiple books, including “F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind ‘Christ the Healer’” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009); and “Off to War: Franklin Countians in World War II” (White Mane Publishing, 1996). His work is widely published in newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, and academic journals.
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