. ▁The ▁party ▁chairman ▁is ▁Luci en ▁Smith ▁and ▁is ▁based ▁in ▁Jackson , ▁Mississippi . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁Republican ▁Party ▁of ▁Mississippi ▁was ▁founded ▁following ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁current ▁inc arn ation ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Republican ▁Party ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁would ▁grow ▁in ▁popular ity ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁with ▁w edge ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Act , ▁and ▁today ▁the ▁party ▁has ▁the ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁W irt ▁Adams ▁Y er ger , ▁Jr ., ▁an ▁ins urance ▁agent ▁from ▁Jackson , ▁founded ▁the ▁modern ▁Mississippi ▁Republican ▁Party ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁chairman ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁He ▁was ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁deleg ation ▁to ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁four - year ▁term ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Association ▁of ▁Republican ▁State ▁Chair man ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁central ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Republican ▁Party ▁named ▁Y er ger ▁Chair man ▁Emer it us . ▁ ▁The ▁Mississippi ▁Republican ▁Party ▁would ▁grow ▁in ▁supp or ters ▁with ▁then ▁President ▁D w ight ▁D . ▁Eisen h ower