David Gaffney Sansing (June 15, 1933 – July 6, 2019)[1] was a history professor and author in Mississippi who wrote extensively about the state's history. He was a professor emeritus at the
University of Mississippi at the time of his death.[2][3][4]
Sansing was born in
Greenville, Mississippi, and served in the Army during the
Korean War. Upon his return, he received his bachelor's and master's degrees from
Mississippi College and his PhD froom the
University of Southern Mississippi.[3] He was hired at Ole Miss in 1970. He wrote about various aspects of the state's history.[5] Among his books is The University of Mississippi: A Sesquicentennial History, considered to be the definitive history of the university. It was published for the school's sesquicentennial.[6][4]
Sansing died on July 6, 2019, at a hospital in
Memphis, Tennessee, following a fall at home.[2]
Writings
Mississippi Governors: Soldiers, Statesmen, Scholars and Scoundrels[7]
The University of Mississippi: A Sesquicentennial History
Making Haste Slowly: The Troubled History of Higher Education in Mississippi
A History of the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion with Carroll Waller
Mississippi: A Study of Your State with Ray Skates