Stuart Rockoff

Stuart was born in Ft. Worth and raised in Houston, Texas and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut with a BA in history. He received his Ph.D. in US history from the University of Texas at Austin with a special emphasis on immigration and American Jewish history. He has taught several history courses in American and ethnic history at such schools as the University of Texas and Millsaps College. From 2002 to 2013, he served as the director of the History Department at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, in Jackson, Mississippi and was editor and lead writer for its digital Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. He has published numerous articles and essays on southern Jewish history. In November, 2013, he became the executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council, where he works to develop and support public humanities programs around the state. He also serves on the advisory board of the Mississippi Book Festival. He lives in Jackson with his wife Susan and their two daughters.