Exploration in the Mobile River area began in 1519 when the Spanish Admiral Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda entered and charted the area now known as Mobile Bay.  The old fort, now known as Fort Morgan, guarding Mobile Bay, was first fortified by the Spanish in 1559.  Settled in 1711 by the French, the bay area has had a tradition rich in culture and vital in the affairs of the nation from its formative years to the present.

Trade and shipping are important to the economy of the area.  More than forty-two million tons of shipping are handled annually through the Port of Mobile, which is rated among the top ports in the country.  More than fifteen million tons of shipping are carried yearly on the Tombigbee-Black Warrior waterway system with its modern locks and dams. 

The intracoastal waterway, crossing the southern end of the state, is connected at Mobile Bay with both inland and ocean shipping.  Three railroads and four airlines serve the Bay area.  Diversified farming, seafood and fisheries, timber, and paper and chemical manufacturing are major factors in the area's economy. The gulf coast region also has a reputation for hospitality, beaches, good food and fun times.

The University of South Alabama is a comprehensive, coeducational, state-assisted institution, which serves as a major center of undergraduate, graduate, and professional education for Alabama, the Gulf Coast region, and the southeastern United States.  It was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in May, 1963.  The University's mission encompasses the three traditional academic functions of teaching, research, and public service through which it pursues the discovery, preservation, and communication of knowledge.

The University of South Alabama provides equal educational opportunities to and is open and accessible to all qualified students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or qualified handicap/disability, with respect to all of its programs and activities.