Ross R. Barnett

Ross Robert Barnett (January 22, 1898 - November 6, 1987) was the Democratic Governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. He actively opposed the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith in 1962. The following year, he also actively tried to prevent the Mississippi State University basketball team from playing an NCAA Tournament game against the integrated team from Loyola of Chicago. The team defied Barnett by sneaking out of the state and playing the game, which they lost to the eventual national champions.