History & Club Information
Founded in Biloxi, Mississippi — 1924
The Order of Mithras was first organized in 1924 by a group of sixty-five young men of Biloxi and remains the oldest men's carnival organization on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The first Ball for Mithras was held on February 29, 1924 at the Biloxi Elks Home on Lameuse Street, and was ruled by his majesty King E. L. Dukate. The Order of Mithras holds its annual ball to honor its King, Queen and reigning court on the Friday evening before Mardi Gras. After more than a century, Mithras still holds true today to its original bylaws, which require that a man may only be considered for membership if he resides or works in the City of Biloxi. The club boasts more than 200 members of outstanding character and quality.
Historical Court
| Year | Captain | Theme | King | Queen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Dan Hunter | Mithras Twisted Tea Party | Nicky Filipich | Jennifer Mavar |
| 2025 | John Joachim, III | One For the Road | Dr. Todd Holman | Sally Joachim |
| 2024 | Peter Abide | Every Man A King | Jeff Elder, Sr. | Lee Ann Hunter |
| 2023 | Thomas Mueller | Mithras Is Legendary | Alan Sala | Anna Harris |
| 2022 | Tanner Swetman | Mithras Mania | William L. Guice, IV | Patti Guice |
| 2021 | NO BALL--COVID | NO BALL--COVID | NO BALL--COVID | NO BALL--COVID |
| 2020 | Bruce Marie, Jr. | Mithras Gets Weird | Damon Penny | Emily Burke |
| 2019 | Gavin Schmidt | Mithras Rocks | Jamey Hunt | Kathy Watts |
| 2018 | Leo Manuel | Back To The 80s | Steve Polk | Charlotte Delcambre |
| 2017 | Alan Sala | The Big Nine-0 on Ninety | Butch Oustalet | Laurie Dick |
| 2016 | Sam Burke | Mithras Life - Men of the Sea | Wes Fulmer | Lori Pontious |
| 2015 | Walt Denton | Mithras Metal | Ron Peresich, Sr. | Karla Steckler |
| 2014 | John Welter, IV | Brad Paisley - An Evening with Brad | Lloyd Moon, III | Julie Schmidt |
| 2013 | Jamey Hunt | Saturday Night Live | Dr. John Mallett | Linden Brashier |
| 2012 | Mark Mavar | Mithras Changes the Channel | Alvin Baker | Peggy Brashier |
| 2011 | Robert "Robbie" Schmidt, Jr. | Mithras Strikes Back | Walter "Buzzy" Bolton | Renee Dellenger |
| 2010 | James Brashier | Mithras Mojo | Bobby Brashier | Cindy Elder |
| 2009 | Mike Pontious | Wild Wild West | Buddy Baker | Nanette Burke |
| 2008 | Henry Dick, III | Rock Around the Clock | Dr. Michael Humphreys | Melissa Polk |
| 2007 | Kenny Holloway | Real Men of Genius | Dennis Burke | Jennifer Schmidt |
| 2006 | NO BALL--KATRINA | NO BALL--KATRINA | NO BALL--KATRINA | NO BALL--KATRINA |
| 2005 | Steve Polk | Elvis Lives | Charlie Dellenger | Cecilia Schmidt |
| 2004 | Alvin Baker | Mithras' Sundown Saloon | Andrew Adams, III | Dee Dee Munro |
| 2003 | Charlie Dellenger | Lights, Camera, Action! | Richard Schmidt, Jr. | Kathleen Shaughnessy |
| 2002 | Reed Breeland | Dream House Nightmare | Jerry Munro | Elanor June McGown |
| 2001 | Dennis Burke | Mithras Swings | Edward "Chip" Donovan | Linda Welter |
| 2000 | Robert Gryder, Jr. | Mithras Sport 2000 | Bill Hodges | Kappy Stephens |
| 1999 | Richard Schmidt, Jr. | Down In Biloxi | Larry Manuel | Lucy Denton |
| 1998 | Jerry Munro | Are you Ready to Bond | Victor Mavar | Sylvia Briscoe |
| 1997 | Kevin Shaughnessey | Mithras Magical Musical Mystery Tour | Clark Shaughnessy | Cindy McDermott |
| 1996 | Andrew Adams, III | Hap-Hap-Happy Holidays | James Brashier | Anita Humphreys |
| 1995 | Lawrence Stephens | Back to the Future | James Garner | Vickie Elmore |
| 1994 | Pat Kennedy | The Working Man | Donald Munro, Jr. | Laura Bolton |
| 1993 | Clark Shaughnessy | Jazz and Blues | Jack Humphreys | Marilyn Shaughnessy |
| 1992 | Chevis Swetman | Pirates of the Carribean | Albert Breeland | Anne Guice |
| 1991 | Michael McDermott, Sr. | Doc's Saloon | Clinton Bolton | Ramona Peresich |
| 1990 | Robert Brashier | Superheros | Charles Pringle | Carol Carpenter |
| 1989 | Dr. Michael Humphreys | Famous Cats | Walter Seymour | Beverly Baggs Kay |
| 1988 | James Brashier | Wizard of Oz | Lyle Page | Meribeth Brashier |
| 1987 | Donald "Sonny" Munro III | We Are the World | Gerald Piltz | Janet Kennedy |
| 1986 | Loyd Moon, Jr. | Greek Mythology | Burt Tremmel | Barbara Moon |
| 1985 | Clinton Bolton | Generation Gap | Michael McDermott, Sr. | Mac Seymour |
| 1984 | Rob Briscoe | Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines | Dr. Sonny Selman, Jr. | Dottye Graham |
| 1983 | Dr. Andy Adams | Great Commedians | Joel Levi | Jane Humphreys |
| 1982 | Jack Humphreys | King of the Road | Clark Shaughnessy | Gloria Levi |
| 1981 | Loyd T. Moon, Sr. | Broadway | Chevis Swetman | Mary Sliman |
| 1980 | Louis Rash | Music, Music,Music | Dr. Harry J. Schmidt, Jr. | Gladys Schmidt |
| 1979 | Joel Levi | Center Ring | Tommy Sliman | Mary Edna Gillis |
| 1978 | John Lewis | Hawaii | Emile Fallo, Jr. | Ruth Wyatt |
| 1977 | MG James Garner | Tennis | Louis Rash | Pricilla Bolton |
| 1976 | Eldon Bolton, Sr. | American/Bicentennial | W.W. Gillis | Bobbye Holland |
| 1975 | Eldon Bolton, Jr. | Mexican | Robert Briscoe | Jean Garner |
| 1974 | Emile Fallo, Jr. | Football | George Sliman | Flo Piltz |
| 1973 | Bill Hodges | Godfather | Forrest Smith | Ann Pringle |
| 1972 | Sam Powell | Hunting | Beverly Briscoe | Virginia Elliot DeFrank |
| 1971 | Donald "Sonney" Munro | Sheik of Arabia | Jerry O'Keefe | Judy Howell |
| 1970 | Ben Wimberly | Phillip and His Officers | William Demoran | Charlotte Moseley Rhett |
| 1969 | WW "Buddy" Gillis | Old Biloxi Yacht Club | Larry Corban, Jr. | Vester Hollis |
| 1968 | Richard Graves | Artic Night | General Martin Hass | Martha McDermott Nungesser |
| 1967 | Albert Breeland | Atlantis | John McDermott | June Swetman |
| 1966 | Larry Corban, Jr. | Bacchus | Dixie Hollis | Elizabeth Munro |
| 1965 | Dixie Hollis | Moonshiners | W.P. Kennedy, III | Jo Boyd Corban |
| 1964 | John McDermott | The Toy Soldier | Tommy Munro | Louis Graves |
| 1963 | Stephen Whetstone | Chinese New Year | W.C. Gryder, III | Audrey Kennedy |
| 1962 | Chris Thygessen | Tropic Frolic | Dr. J. A. Graves | Gertrude Briscoe |
| 1961 | Charles Pringle | Under the Big Top | Victor Pringle, Sr. | Ann Longcoy Page |
| 1960 | C. J. Nichols | Spanish Matadors | Dr. Harry J. Schmidt, Sr. | Carolyn Bolton Cox |
| 1959 | Forrest Smith | The Ice Palace | L. Morse Page | Elaine Gryder |
| 1958 | Dr. J. A. Graves | Gay Paree | John Gryder | Anne Thygessen |
| 1957 | Lyle Page | Aladdin and His Lamp | Glenn L. Swetman | Julia Smith |
| 1956 | John Gryder | Ole King Cole | Dr. Lel Smith | Josephine Kelly Kennedy Johnston |
| 1955 | Frank Kennedy | Treasure Island | Arnaud Lopez | Ethel McDonnell |
| 1954 | Philip Joulian | Gondoliers of Old Venice | Dr. D.L. Hollis | Alyne Eisendrath |
| 1953 | UNRECORDED | Kentucky Colonels | Jacinto Baltar | Beatrice Kennedy |
| 1952 | UNRECORDED | Shrimp Boats is a Coming | W.P. Kennedy, Jr. | Mary Frances Martinez |
| 1951 | John Martiniere | Cowboy | Lynn Gottsche | Murrel Cousins |
| 1950 | Fred Moreton | Swiss | Tony Irwin | Carolyn Bolton |
| 1949 | UNRECORDED | Robinhood | Warren Goodman | Mrs. Robert Smith |
| 1948 | UNRECORDED | Gypsy | Carl Winecoff | Leinhardt Matthes |
| 1947 | Warren Goodman | Walt Disney | Cosman Eisendrath | Eunice Barbra Rose Kettering |
| 1946 | Dewey Reagan | Down Mexico Way | E.A. Hiller | Lidia O'Mara |
| 1945 | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII |
| 1944 | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII |
| 1943 | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII | NO BALL--WWII |
| 1942 | UNRECORDED | Mithras | Phil Joulian | Beth Irwin |
| 1941 | UNRECORDED | Sheiks | Dewey Reagan | Murrel Eastland |
| 1940 | UNRECORDED | Ali Babba and the Forty Thieves | Dr. E.L. Bolton | Nell Goodman |
| 1939 | Dewey Reagan | Dante's Inferno | Harry Barber | Ann Moreton |
| 1938 | Jack Goodman | Indians | Watkins Shelton | Martha Guice |
| 1937 | UNRECORDED | Butterflies | Bob Pringle | Mary Betty White |
| 1936 | UNRECORDED | Dutch | Dr. George Wallace | Sue Tonsmeire |
| 1935 | UNRECORDED | Egyptian | John Kennedy | Eulalie Castanera |
| 1934 | UNRECORDED | Russian | Jack Goodman | Mildred Eley |
| 1933 | UNRECORDED | Spanish | Emery Sadler | Vivian Pringle |
| 1932 | UNRECORDED | Artists | Walter White | Eleanor Virginia Greaves Huggins |
| 1931 | UNRECORDED | Sailors | Paul Bradford | Polly White |
| 1930 | UNRECORDED | Story Book | W.V. Joyce, Sr. | Katherine Farley Becnel |
| 1929 | John Becnel | Hawaiian | Bill Grant | Cornelia Miller |
| 1928 | UNRECORDED | Japanese | Carl Mathis | Ruth Gates Bradford |
| 1927 | UNRECORDED | Pirate | Mark Miller | Sarah Kennedy Bentz |
| 1926 | UNRECORDED | Carnival | John Baltar | Josephine Isele |
| 1925 | Jacinto Baltar | Oriental | John White | Lillyse "John Henry" Still |
| 1924 | UNRECORDED | Formal | E. L. Dukate | Corinne J. Desporte Dukate |