Ellisville in Jones County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
JCJC Bobcats Defy Segregation
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
1. JCJC Bobcats Defy Segregation Marker
On December 10, 1955, under threat of losing state and local funding, Jones County Junior College became the first athletic team from Mississippi to cross racial barriers and play an integrated team. Before the largest crowd ever to witness the Junior Rose Bowl, the Bobcats played Compton (Calif.) College. JCJC president J.B. Young stood firm against statewide opposition to the school's participation, saying that he gave his word the Bobcats would play. JCJC lost the game 22-13.
Erected 2018 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is December 10, 1955.
Location. 31° 35.723′ N, 89° 12.023′ W. Marker is in Ellisville, Mississippi, in Jones County. It is on Stadium Avenue south of College Drive, on the right when traveling north. Located within Jones College. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ellisville MS 39437, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Mississippi’s Pine Belt. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mississippi National Guard Korean War Memorial (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lynching of John Hartfield (approx. 0.6 miles away); Jones County Courthouse
this page online
More about this marker. Notice: Visitors driving at Jones College need to be aware of parking rules, and a visitor decal may be required, which can be obtained from the Campus Police in the Administration Building.
Also see . . . Jones College Historical Marker. A Mississippi State Historical Marker was unveiled Oct 26, 2018, at Jones College, honoring the 1955 Jr. Rose Bowl football team. Source: The Laurel Leader-Call newspaper (Submitted on October 25, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
2. JCJC Bobcats Defy Segregation Marker (Jones Hall on right).
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
3. Listing of the JCJC Junior Rose Bowl team.
This plaque is located at bottom of marker on east side.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 25, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 82 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 25, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
