MS SC658

Recognizes syndicated columnist and Capitol correspondent Bill Minor for covering Mississippi politics and history since 1947, including the Civil Rights era and formation of the Mississippi Republican Party.

Documents Minor's career beginning with The Times-Picayune in 1947 as Mississippi correspondent for 30 years, followed by retirement in 1976 and subsequent work as a statewide political columnist.

Highlights Minor's investigative reporting during the Civil Rights Movement, including uncovering a 1961 state-sponsored report documenting racial disparities in school funding that was used by Congress to support the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Notes Minor's awards including the 1966 Louis Lyons Award for "conscience and integrity in journalism" from Harvard's Nieman Foundation and the 1997 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism, and his 1991 induction into the Mississippi Press Association Hall of Fame.

Acknowledges Minor's contributions to the Capitol Press Corps as a leader and mentor whose historical reporting and journalism skills have enriched colleagues and the Mississippi legislative process.