University of Mississippi alumnus Dick O’Ferrall of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, will be honored at an Oct. 8 ceremony dedicating the Dick and Alice O’Ferrall-Alpine Camp Outdoor Recreation Suite at the South Campus Recreation Center.
The 10 a.m. event is the culmination of an Ole Miss Ignite Campaign that raised over $128,000 in crucial funding for the work of the William Magee Center for Wellness Education. The initiative also will provide outdoor recreation opportunities for area underserved high school students.
O’Ferrall, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, established Alpine Camp for Boys in Mentone, Alabama, with a partner in 1959, before taking full ownership of the Christian-based camp two years later. The naming of the Outdoor Recreation Suite honors his inspirational history of mentoring thousands of boys and young men about faith and the outdoors.
Additionally, having O’Ferrall’s name on the Outdoor Recreation Suite reflects the connection between Alpine and Ole Miss, typically the most represented college among camp staffers.
The evening before the dedication, O’Ferrall, a 1957 UM business graduate, will be among six individuals inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame. Created in 1974, the Hall of Fame honors select alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their country, state or the university through good deeds, services or contributions.
“When Dick O’Ferrall graduated from Ole Miss, he was called to serve with Christian camp leadership,” said David Magee, director of institute advancement in the Office of University Development. “Six decades later, the impact of his leadership, along with his wife, Alice, at Alpine Camp for Boys is profound, touching so many lives.
“It’s wonderful to see that legacy and service come full circle with the naming of the Ole Miss Outdoors Suite in their honor.”
The late William Magee was one of the campers beloved by O’Ferrall (affectionately known as “Mr. O”). The Ole Miss alumnus and son of Kent and David Magee was a talented, bright young man who died by overdose in 2013 after a lengthy struggle with addiction.
In fall 2019, the university opened the William Magee Center for Wellness Education with the goal of changing, improving and saving lives through alcohol and other drugs (AOD) education and support.
Vice Chancellor for University Development Charlotte Parks said the success of the campaign honoring the O’Ferralls and supporting the Magee Center demonstrates the impact one family’s work can have.
“The participation of so many generous donors exemplifies how important Dick and Alice O’Ferrall have been to so many families over the years,” Parks said. “The O’Ferrall and Magee families want to help others, and we’re so grateful that the University of Mississippi could be a part of that legacy.”
The O’Ferralls have two children: Toy Harmon and Carter Breazeale, an Ole Miss alumna who serves as Alpine Camp director with her husband and Ole Miss alumnus Glenn Breazeale.
The William Magee Center for Wellness Education is open to receive gifts from individuals and organizations by mailing a check with the center’s name in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online at https://ignite.olemiss.edu/project/16124/donate.
For more information, contact Brett Barefoot, senior director of development, Parent and Family Leadership, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.
By Mary Stanton Knight/UM Development