Photo Flash: Ellis Nassour Preserves His Legacy at University of Mississippi

It was a rainy Wednesday night but the people within J.D. Williams Library seemed oblivious to it in their warm cheer. The long-awaited Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts & Entertainment Collection exhibit was unveiled with its donor, Ellis Nassour, alum of University of Mississippi 1964. Souvenirs of Nassour's life, accomplishments and past friendships are exhibited for the university students and the world to see: rare movie posters, letters between authors and actors and memorabilia of Ole Miss in bygone days. Scroll down for photos!

Dean Julia Rholes, University of Mississippi dean of libraries, said in her speech last night the collection was vast -- spreading from the Archives on the third floor to severl thousand items in circulation to faculty and students to exhibit spaces on the first and second floors.

To her, the collection detailing histories of performing arts is important to University of Mississippi's continuned pursuit of education. The exhibition will be at the library until Dec. 18, 2015.

Dr. Jennifer Ford, head of Special Collections and associate professor, said, "Although the exhibition focuses on the entertainment writing and collection of three Mississippians it is Mr. Nassour's donations which form the nucleus of the exhibit. It was very difficult to choose from the extensiveness of the subject matter represented in his collection."

The Special Collections team focused on items that highlighted Nassour's collecting efforts as well as his own significant critical work on the entertainment world. The biggest feature, to Dr. Ford, is the comprehensiveness of materials documenting the entertainment world. The exhibition features historical documents on traveling circuses, signed playbills, theatre and film posters, items from actors and actresses past, to name a few.

Some of those who attended the exhibition's reveal also went to the staged reading by the University of Mississippi theatre department on Nassour's biography of Patsy Cline: "Honky Tonk Angel" adapted by both Nassour himself with original lyrics and with original music arranged by George Leonard. Patsy Cline's own hits as well as songs from Faron Young and Mel Tillis were featured.

The staged reading was a perfect ending to an evening in Ellis Nassour's life; the whole night was but a short summary of his storied life.

Written by Callie Daniels