Page 29 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2017

The home is a reminder of times past in the antebellum South: times of nobility and grace, charm and glamour.
Beauvoir, The Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Library
2244 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS 39531 228.388.4400
of the Southern lifestyle in the 19th Century,” he continued. “New
York has Central Park; Biloxi and the Gulf Coast have Beauvoir.”
Over the past 40 years, Payne has held a variety of leadership positions that will play an
integral role in his new position at Beauvoir. “The most valuable skill I have learned in my professional
life has been leadership. I have learned the value of every employee and the need to mentor and coach
each one to help them see their own value to the mission and their place in the continued improvement of the
organization,” Payne said.
Since the home was purchased by
the Mississippi Division of Sons of the Confederate Veterans in 1903, the goal has remained the same. Most
importantly, the home was to be used as a retirement home for Confederate
veterans, wives, and widows of Confederate soldiers. Once the last veteran, wife, and/or widow left, then the property would be a shrine to Jefferson Davis.
For Payne, the goal of Beauvoir remains the same. “The home is a reminder of times past in the antebellum South: times of nobility and grace, charm and glamour,”
he said. “Beauvoir’s mission has been the same since Mrs. Davis bequeathed the property. Our business is about education and commemoration, and that message
is universally accepted and welcomes all guests here at Beauvoir.”
Payne holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi in Adult Education with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and a Jurist Doctorate in Law from the University of Mississippi. He also attained special certification in the fields of security and terrorism. He has been married to Diane Maguire Payne for 33 years.
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March 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 29