The University of Southern Mississippi is mourning the loss of one of its former presidents.
University officials announced Monday that Dr. Shelby Freland Thames passed away April 17 at the age of 89. Thames served as president of Southern Miss from 2002 until 2007 after nearly four decades as a faculty member and administrator. Over the course of his career, Thames was recognized nationally as a pioneer in polymer science – the study of long chains of molecules that make up materials like plastics, rubber, and many fabrics – and helped bring the field to Hattiesburg.
“Shelby Thames is an iconic force in the history of the university,” current Southern Miss President Dr. Joseph S. Paul said. “His trailblazing work in establishing a polymer science and engineering program that is among the best in the nation was a pioneering catalyst, propelling the journey to our current status as a Carnegie R1 Research Institution.”
Thames earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry at Southern Miss before completing a doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Tennessee. He joined the Southern Miss faculty in 1964 and spent his entire career at his alma mater.
He founded the Thames-Rawlins Research Group focused on polymers, coatings, and high-performance materials. That work helped secure the university’s first federally funded research facility and opened the way for Southern Miss to become one of the first in the country to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in polymer science through what is now the School of Polymer Science and Engineering.
“As a result of Dr. Thames’ leadership for academic excellence, the University of Southern Mississippi enjoys global recognition in the field of polymer science and engineering through significant research funding and contributions aligned with evolving areas of critical need and by consistent recognition of our graduates validated through their employment and growth within the world’s most prominent institutions of science and engineering,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins, distinguished professor of polymer science and engineering at Southern Miss.
“Professor Thames displayed remarkable vision when he established polymer science and engineering at Southern Miss in the 1970s, at a time when the field was essentially nonexistent as formal undergraduate and graduate degree programs,” Wiggins continued. “His dream has given us purpose and profoundly changed our lives, and he will be dearly missed by our community.”
Beyond the lab, Thames became a prominent leader on campus – including when he was named the university’s president in May 2002. He used the position to expand doctoral programs, secure record fundraising, and oversee the completion of major projects such as the Thad Cochran Student Center and the Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.
Thames was also president during one of the most devastating periods in the university’s history: Hurricane Katrina. The August 2005 storm caused nearly $290 million in damage to university facilities and disrupted operations across all campuses and teaching sites. He guided the university with “determined optimism and steady leadership,” according to Paul. Classes resumed on the Hattiesburg campus within two weeks of the storm and on the Gulf Coast within six weeks. No jobs were lost, and campuses were repaired, renovated, and rebuilt.
“Dr. Thames ushered in economic development as part of our mission,” Paul explained. “And his work as president in reopening after Hurricane Katrina with no loss of jobs was truly heroic.”
Thames concluded his presidential service in 2007 and returned to the faculty, working as a polymer scientist and professor until his retirement in 2012. He has been honored by the university in several ways, including inductions into the University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Hall of Fame and into the athletic department’s M-Club Hall of Fame.
Visitation will be held Friday, April 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. The funeral service will be Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. in Bennett Auditorium, followed by burial in Highland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the university says donations of any size can be made to the Shelby F. Thames and Shirley D. Thames Scholarship for High Ability Students Endowment, which was created in 2002 to recruit high-achieving students through scholarship support.
