With an estate gift of almost $300,000, the late Ernest Bainbridge “Lip” Lipscomb III, a distinguished patent attorney and professor in Charleston, South Carolina, provides scholarships for University of Mississippi School of Law students.
The Dr. Ernest Bainbridge Lipscomb III Memorial Scholarship Endowment will provide financial aid for full-time law students. First preference will be given to those participating in the Academic Success Summer Program, which helps prepare law students for positive outcomes in their classes and on the Bar Exam. Second preference is directed to anyone attending the Law School.
“My father understood the challenges many students face in accessing higher education,” said his daughter, Caroline Lipscomb Ernst of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. “His preference for supporting those with financial need demonstrates his commitment to creating opportunities for talented students who might otherwise struggle to afford college. This aligns with his belief in education’s transformative power and desire to give back to the community.”
Lipscomb — a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, whose parents and siblings also attended Ole Miss — graduated with a UM degree in chemical engineering and then a Juris Doctor, also from the Oxford campus. He played on the tennis team and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He later received a Master of Laws in Patents from George Washington University.
“My father took great pride in his professional accomplishments and found fulfillment in his work,” said Ernst. “He valued the opportunities his career provided to make a positive impact on others and contribute to his field. His education at Ole Miss laid the foundation for his successful career and instilled in him a lifelong love of learning.
“My father often spoke fondly of his time at Ole Miss, describing it as a transformative period in his life. He made lifelong friends and gained valuable knowledge that shaped his career.”
During his 50-year legal career as a patent attorney, Lipscomb worked for several esteemed companies and law firms such as Westvaco, Revlon, Alston & Bird and Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms. He and his late wife, Lynda Miller Lipscomb, lived in Charleston; Rye, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Charlotte, North Carolina before returning to Charleston.
Lipscomb became so experienced and knowledgeable about patent law that he became an expert witness. He was passionate about his career and wrote Lipscomb’s Walker on Patents, an 11-volume treatise on patents, trademarks and copyrights.
In addition, he served as an adjunct professor of patent law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. In retirement, he was an active member of First (Scots) Presbyterian Church and the Historic Charleston Foundation and served on committees at the Carolina Yacht Club.
Frederick G. Slabach, dean of the UM School of Law, expressed his gratitude for the estate gift.
“Lip Lipscomb enjoyed a brilliant law career, and we are very proud to call him one of our own,” he said. “We are deeply humbled by his thoughtful gift, which expresses the gratitude he felt for his law degree from Ole Miss. His tremendous investment in scholarships will be life-changing for so many of our students, who will hopefully pursue their careers with as much passion as Mr. Lipscomb did.
“Mr. Lipscomb’s achievements as a lifelong learner, a legal practitioner and community leader were exceptional and serve as a wonderful example to our students.”
Lipscomb was first drawn to Ole Miss for its “academic reputation, beautiful campus and strong sense of community,” his daughter said. “He felt a significant connection to the school’s values and traditions.”
When asked what she would want scholarship recipients to know about her dad, Ernst said, “Lip emphasized the importance of education, hard work and giving back to the community. He believed in the power of education to transform lives and open doors of opportunity. He would want future scholarship recipients to emulate the personal qualities that he demonstrated, like integrity, grit and perseverance.”
In addition to his daughter, Lipscomb has a daughter-in-law and son, Rebecca and Charles Bainbridge Lipscomb of North Potomac, Maryland; a son-in-law, Peter Ernst; and three granddaughters, Alexandra Lipscomb, Katherine Ernst and Sarah Ernst.
To make a gift to the Dr. Ernest Bainbridge Lipscomb III Memorial Scholarship Endowment, mail a check with the endowment’s name written in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation at 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online here.
For more information on supporting the UM School of Law, contact Greg Carter, director of development, at gjcarter@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2307.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development