About the Center

Founded in 2006 and generously funded by a gift from the late Charles G. and Frances S. Summersell, the mission of the Summersell Center for the Study of the South is to investigate and promote understanding of the history and culture of the American South through research and public programming. While focusing its attention on the Deep South, the Center supports wide-ranging examination of the region as a whole through sponsorship of conferences, lectures, films, publications, and the use of scholarly resources available at the University of Alabama and elsewhere in Alabama and nearby states. The Center aims to be a focal point for the outstanding faculty in multiple disciplines who study the South at the University of Alabama; to facilitate the development of innovative intellectual explorations of the southern past, present, and future; and to encourage stronger connections among academics, students, and the general public.