Jim Gulley
Historian

My research and teaching in history is interdisciplinary and include elements of political science, economics, religion, and literature.

View CV
Jim Gulley in a seersucker jacket and bow tie in front of a columned brick building

About Me

Historian  ●  Author  ●  Corporate Executive  ●  Investor

Leveraging Experience to Inform my Scholarship

After a 28-year career with The Coca-Cola Company, I embarked on a second career in academia in 2020.  I earned an MA in History from the University of Mississippi in 2023 and am currently a Ph.D. candidate in History at SMU.

During my career at Coke, many of my roles employed similar skills to those required of a historian: critical thinking, investigating sources, public speaking, and persuasive writing.

Contact Me

Having passed my comprehensive exams in December 2025, I am now writing my dissertation under Dr. Jeffrey Engel and expect to graduate in May 2027. I am also teaching U.S. history at the University of Mississippi during the 2026 academic year.

My first journal article, “Greenfield Farm: Faulkner, Mules, and Time,” appeared in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of the Journal of Mississippi History.

Jim Gulley speaking at a podium

My Work and Projects

Political and Cultural History of the American South  ●  History of Christianity

Computer screen icon
Publications

Journal of Mississippi History

Mississippi Encyclopedia

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation Centennial Magazine

University of Mississippi, MA Thesis

Megaphone icon
Work in progress

Southern Methodist University, Doctoral Dissertation

Article, “John Knox and the Unintended Consequences of the First Blast”

Computer settings icon
Digital Humanities

Mississippi Elections Database

The Diaries of Kathryn Brumfield Gulley, 1937-1981

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation Archives

Scholarship in progress

Here are a few things I am currently working on

Engraved portrait of John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation, with a quotation
SMU William P. Clements Department of History doctoral dissertation: Turning the Page: Republican Ascendancy in Yellow-dog Mississippi
Mamaw diaries
Southern US Elections database

What My Colleagues Say

One of my favorite things about academia is collaborating with outstanding and interesting colleagues

Garrett Potts

Jim’s leadership in organizing our panel for the 2025 SHA convention in St. Pete Beach exemplifies his exceptional collaborative spirit. His deep historical knowledge, combined with his remarkable ability to communicate complex ideas and foster meaningful discussions, makes him an invaluable colleague in academic settings.

Garrett Potts, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Religious Studies University of South Florida

Stay In Touch

I am eager to connect with anyone interested in similar areas of scholarship