Dr. Gloria Dodwell Kellum’s indomitable spirit is synonymous with the renaissance occurring at The University of Mississippi.
In countless planning sessions with different student, faculty, staff, and alumni groups in conjunction with the University’s recent Sesquicentennial and the Commitment to Excellence Campaign, and now in other forums, Kellum asks people not just to dream—but to dream big. Imaginations soar as she helps lead groups to determine what Ole Miss needs to achieve greatness in the 21st century and beyond. And when dreams are shared, Kellum fuels them by helping find essential resources.
Family and friends have established a Women’s Council scholarship to honor Kellum for her leadership and commitment.
“Gloria Kellum is a leader who inspires students with her zest for life and her dedication to student life,” said Buzzy Hederman Hussey of Memphis, a Women’s Council founding member and a scholarship donor. “She has helped make Ole Miss a great university with her inner strength and her will to succeed.”
The vice chancellor for University Relations, Kellum joined the Ole Miss family in 1966 as a faculty member in the Department of Communicative Disorders. Her work in that field received national recognition, and she authored more than 70 publications and garnered more than $1 million in scientific research grants and service contracts. She also served that department as acting chair and as director of clinical services. As vice chancellor, she coordinates with the Alumni Association and The University of Mississippi Foundation. She oversees the departments of Public Relations and Marketing, Publications and Imaging Services, Printing Services, University Advancement and Development Services, the Special Events and Protocol, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, and the Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
Kellum received the University’s campuswide Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teaching Award, Mortar Board’s Outstanding Woman Faculty Award, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Clinical Achievement Award, and International Association of Myology’s Research Award.
Her leadership in the Commitment to Excellence Campaign helped attract $525.9 million in gifts for academics, and during the past five years, the University’s endowment has doubled. Both accomplishments are enabling Ole Miss to deliver new academic programs and years of growth.
For more than 30 years, Kellum has lived in Oxford, where she and her husband, Jerry, raised their two daughters, Kate and Kelly. Along with raising children, the Kellums raise Tennessee walking horses. She is a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and has dedicated her time as a Vestry member, church school teacher, Sesquicentennial Celebration co-chair, and as a member of the state-level Christian Education Committee. In addition to her church commitments, Kellum has chaired the University United Way campaign and serves on that organization’s board of directors.
Gloria Kellum shares her love for, and pride in, her community and Ole Miss every day in some tangible way. Whether counseling a student about a career choice, helping her church plan its 150th celebration, welcoming Special Olympics to campus, or shaping educational plans for our schoolchildren, she is a remarking ambassador for Oxford and Ole Miss.
Kellum’s contagious optimism is reflected in her trademark greeting: “Life is grand!”