For the McClure family, the University of Mississippi is not simply an alma mater. It is a thread woven through generations — a place that shaped careers, forged lifelong friendships and anchored a legacy of service.
That legacy now finds renewed expression through a $100,000 gift to the new Triplett Alumni Center, made in honor of James McClure Sr. and his son, James McClure Jr. — the first father and son to serve as presidents of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, 40 years apart.
“Ole Miss is family,” says Susan Mays of Memphis, Tennessee, one of four McClure siblings. “There’s a saying that you never really graduate from Ole Miss, and for us, that’s absolutely true.”
Two Leaders, One Institution
James McClure Sr. served as president of the Alumni Association from 1945 to 1946, after studying at the university during the 1910s. Four decades later, his son followed in his footsteps, serving as Alumni Association president from 1985 to 1986. While the eras they served were vastly different, the values that guided them were much the same: loyalty to the university, respect for its people and a belief in the power of connection.
“They were humbled to be part of such a distinguished tradition of leadership,” Mays said. “The Alumni Association meant a great deal to both of them.”
For the McClures, the decision to honor both men through a gift supporting the new Alumni Center felt not only appropriate, but timely.
“Several people reached out to us — friends on staff, people who knew how important the Alumni Association was to our dad and grandfather,” Mays explains. “It reminded us that this was a meaningful way to give back and honor the loyalty and leadership they showed throughout their lives.”
Mary Kate Skelton, alumni fundraising director for the Ole Miss Alumni Association, said, “The McClure family’s legacy of leadership and steadfast commitment to the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the university is truly inspiring. We are incredibly grateful for their generous investment in the new Triplett Alumni Center.
“Alumni support like theirs is vital to the success of this campaign, and their gift brings us one step closer to breaking ground on a transformative facility that will serve as a home for students and alumni for generations.”
A Place to Gather — and Belong
While the Alumni Association has long been central to campus life, the physical space itself has not been updated in many years. Supporting a modern, state‑of‑the‑art Alumni Center reflects the family’s desire to see alumni connections continue to thrive.
“We wanted current and future alumni to have a central place to gather — a place that reflects how important those relationships are,” said Mays, adding that she and her siblings all received life memberships in the Alumni Association as graduation gifts. “That connection has always mattered deeply to our family.”
Memories That Begin Early
For Mays’ sister, Angelé Thompson of Mandeville, Louisiana, the connection to Ole Miss dates back to early childhood.
“One of my very first memories is going to an Ole Miss football game when I was about five years old,” she said. “We parked by the observatory, met so many people before the game, went to the Alumni House; it was all part of growing up.”
Those early experiences began with her grandparents, affectionately known as Poppa and Nee Nee. Ole Miss was foundational to their lives and became equally important to the lives of their children and grandchildren.
“If you had to describe them by their core values, Ole Miss would be right up there with God, country and family,” Thompson said.
“They Never Met a Stranger”
Both the senior and junior McClures were known for their warmth and approachability.
James McClure Jr., in particular, was widely admired for his leadership, kindness and genuine interest in others — qualities that made him a natural fit for Alumni Association leadership.
“I have been with the Alumni Association for nearly 23 years, and Jim McClure remains one of my favorite alumni. He was a familiar presence in our building during football season,” said Scott Thompson, director of engagement for the Ole Miss Alumni Association.
“When I later began working with the law school, our relationship deepened even further. Jim was a past chair of the Lamar Order and a regular attendee of the Mississippi Bar’s annual meeting,” he continued. “Anyone who could see his giving record in our database would immediately recognize how broadly and generously he supported the entire Ole Miss campus. I cherish the many memories I have of him.”
Lessons in Connection
James McClure Jr.’s path to Ole Miss Law School was shaped by advice from his father — advice that would guide the rest of his life.
After graduating from West Point in 1946 and completing his military service in Germany, he considered attending law school in the Northeast. His father encouraged him to return home.
“He told him, if you’re going to live and practice law in Mississippi, you need to go to the University of Mississippi,” Mays recalled. “Those are the judges you’ll appear before. Those are the attorneys you’ll practice with. Those are your connections.”
Mays’ father often said it was the best advice he ever received.
“That decision shaped his professional and personal life,” she continued. “Those Ole Miss connections served him for the rest of his life.”
A Social Hub, Then and Now
The Hon. James McClure III of Sardis, Mississippi, called Jimmy by his siblings, remembers Ole Miss as not just an academic institution, but a social one — and the center of leadership in the state.
“For a long time, many of Mississippi’s leaders were Ole Miss graduates,” he said. “My grandfather believed in staying connected, and that’s why the Alumni Association mattered so much.”
Those connections extended beyond campus. After football games, alumni, friends and even Ole Miss coaches would stop by the McClure family home in Sardis on their way back to the Delta.
“It was just part of life,” recalled Justin McClure of Ridgeland, Mississippi, the youngest of the siblings. “I have memories of playing pranks on coaches when I was still a kid. Ole Miss wasn’t separate from family life; it was part of it.”
A Broader Impact
The family’s commitment to Ole Miss extends beyond alumni engagement. In honor of his father, James McClure Jr. and his sister, the late Tupper Lampton of Columbia, Mississippi, established the James McClure Memorial Lecture Series at the Lamar Law Center in 1979. The series has brought an array of distinguished speakers — including multiple U.S. Supreme Court justices — to the UM School of Law.
Those visits elevated the law school’s national profile and reflected the McClure belief in education, service and leadership.
“If you can get someone to come to Oxford once,” Jimmy McClure said, “they usually fall in love with it.”
Continuing the Tradition
Through their gift to the Triplett Alumni Center, the McClure family hopes to ensure that spirit of connection continues.
“They served the Alumni Association because they loved Ole Miss,” Jimmy McClure said. “They loved the faculty, the students, the friendships and the network it created.”
“They did it gladly,” Mays added. “And they did it humbly.”
Clay Cavett, director of campaigns and special projects for the Ole Miss Alumni Association, said, “We are thrilled that the family of the late Jim and Angelé McClure are making a very generous donation toward the construction of a new Triplett Alumni Center. Jim’s leadership and dedication to all things Ole Miss over many years, as well as that of his own father, helped make the university the bright light that it is today.”
For the McClures, honoring that light is not about looking back; it’s about carrying those values forward.
“Obviously, they were an important part of our lives,” Mays said. “But they were also an important part of Ole Miss. And we didn’t want that to be forgotten.”
For more information on supporting this project, contact Mary Kate Skelton at marykate@olemissalumni.com or 662-915-2377.
By Bill Dabney/UM Foundation
About James McClure Sr.
James McClure Sr. was Alumni Association president from 1945 to 1946. Born in Fayette, Mississippi, he attended Millsaps College (1912 to 1915), where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. In 1915, he entered Ole Miss, where he was president of the junior law class and a member of Hermaean Literary Society, Outlaw Dance Committee, the Red and Blue Club and the YMCA Council. After graduating with distinction, he entered officers’ training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots, Arkansas, on May 12, 1917. He transferred to heavy artillery and was sent to Fort Monroe, Virginia, for commissioning as a first lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Reserve Corps on November 17, 1917. Subsequently, he was assigned to Battery B, 64th Regiment, Coast Artillery Corps. He married Helene Powell on December 6, 1917. After his discharge from the army in 1919, he was admitted to the bar, practicing law for one year before moving to Sardis in 1921. He was active in the Panola County Bar Association, of which he served as president. In 1932, McClure was elected vice president of the Mississippi State Bar Association. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt for President of the United States. On occasions, he served as special judge and special chancellor. McClure was a member of the Board of Trustees at the university 1936 to 1940, and served as chair of the State Oil and Gas Board from 1948 to 1962. He was a Mason, Methodist (chair of the Board of Stewards) and was initiated in 1938 into Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. He died in November 1976.
About James McClure Jr.
James McClure Jr. was Alumni Association president from 1985 to 1986. A resident of Sardis, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1946 and from the University of Mississippi Law School in 1953. He was married to the former Angelé Kazar of Tchula, Mississippi. While in law school, he was chair of the Honor Council and the Moot Court Board, associate editor of the Law Journal, magistrate of Phi Delta Phi legal honorary and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa. McClure served on the Mississippi Legislature and was chair of the Mississippi Commission of Interstate Corporations. He was named Outstanding Law Alumnus in 1980 and has served as chair of the Lamar Order. In 2007, he was named to the Ole Miss Alumni Association Hall of Fame followed by the School of Law Hall of Fame in 2010. He was a member of the Lions Club, Kappa Alpha and Holy Innocence Episcopal Church. Prior to becoming president of the Alumni Association, he moved through the usual progression of leadership, serving on the university’s athletic and executive committees.