The university was established as the flagship public institution of the state, and generations of leading families' sons and daughters have studied here.

Ole Miss was integrated by the enrollment of James H. Meredith, an African-American military veteran, on October 1, 1962.

The disturbances took place following court decisions for integration of public educational institutions, during the civil rights movement.

A metal flagpole stands at the center of the green, serving as a hub for the sidewalk paths through the area.

Since the mid-nineteenth century, The Circle has been the focal point and historic core of the Ole Miss campus.

During the famous desegregation riots, a former Ole Miss football player climbed the pole in an effort to attract rioters' attention and convince them to go home.

The Confederate Monument was moved to the site of a Civil War cemetery in a secluded area of campus.

During the desegregation riots on September 30, 1962, students broke into the building and threw Molotov cocktail bombs from its windows at federal and civilian vehicles parked around The Circle.

Students took up construction materials, including loose bricks, metal conduit pipes, and a bulldozer to attack federal officers.

Others crowded into the Y to watch United States President John F. Kennedy's televised speech regarding the desegregation of Ole Miss.