The eighth president of the University of Southern Mississippi and a pioneer in polymer science, Dr. Shelby Thames, passed away on April 17, leaving behind a legacy of impact in higher education and science.
Thames served as president of Southern Miss from May 2002 to May 2007. Before serving as president, he worked in faculty and administration roles for nearly 40 years.
“Shelby Thames is an iconic force in the history of the university,” Dr. Joe Paul, current president of USM, 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 USM. He completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Tennessee. He joined the Southern Miss faculty in 1964 and helped establish the polymer science programs.
Under him, the program earned national distinction as one of the first in the country to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in polymer science.
“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,” Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins, distinguished professor of polymer science and engineering, said. “His dream has given us purpose and profoundly changed our lives, and he will be dearly missed by our community.
Thames also founded the Thames-Rawlins Research Group and built a research legacy on advanced polymers, coatings and high-performance materials. The work he did helped secure the university’s first federally funded research facility.
As president of USM, Thames was defined by his leadership following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused nearly $290 million in damage to the university’s campuses and facilities. Classes at the Hattiesburg campus resumed within two weeks of the storm and the Gulf Coast campus within six weeks.
After his presidential service, Thames returned to a faculty position and continued his work as a polymer scientist until he retired in 2012 as a Distinguished University Research Professor Emeritus.
Alongside his leadership roles, Thames was a supporter of the university throughout his life. He was honored for his contributions with induction into the Athletic Department’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 2007 and the USM Alumni Hall of Fame in 2002.
Visitation will be held April 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Bennett Auditorium at USM, and service will be held the following day at 10 a.m. in the auditorium before burial in Highland Cemetery.