More than three decades after meeting as freshmen at the University of Mississippi, Margaret and John Barker of Nashville, Tennessee, are giving back through support for two areas close to their hearts: the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy (OMWC) and the School of Journalism and New Media.
The couple’s recent gift establishes endowments that honor their children while benefiting Ole Miss. One portion of the gift will help renovate the historic Walton-Young House, creating a permanent home for the OMWC and its scholars; another portion supports enhancements to student media programs that provide hands-on learning opportunities for aspiring journalists.
“We wanted to support programs that have such a direct impact on students’ lives,” Margaret Barker said. “At the end of the day, it’s about opportunity. It’s about making sure students have the same mentorship, experiences and connections that helped our family.”
Their children, Matthew and Anna Caroline, attended Ole Miss and graduated from the School of Journalism and New Media. Watching them benefit from the same university experience inspired the Barkers’ gift.
“I remember standing there when we established our scholarship and thinking, ‘Wow, I’m on this side of it now,’” Margaret said. “We have two children who are now where we used to be. It made me feel incredibly grateful for what Ole Miss gave us and what it was giving them.”
The family’s involvement with the Ole Miss Women’s Council began when Margaret Barker was invited to join the organization by friend and fellow alumna Karen Moore of Nashville. Since then, she has become one of the council’s strongest advocates.
Founded in 2000, the OMWC provides scholarships, mentorship and leadership development opportunities for exceptional students. Unlike traditional scholarship programs, the council pairs financial support with intensive mentoring, professional development and networking experiences that help scholars thrive during college and beyond.
“Our students become part of a community that supports them throughout their college journey,” said Suzanne Helveston, director of development for the OMWC, in expressing gratitude for the Barkers’ gift. “The Walton-Young House will give our scholars a permanent home where that community can flourish.”
While the organization has maintained offices and meeting rooms in various locations, the renovated house will be a designated space for scholars, staff and volunteers.
Located just a city block east of the Women’s Council’s iconic Rose Garden, the house will feature meeting areas, private spaces for one-on-one conversations, a boardroom for leadership meetings and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that encourage collaboration and fellowship.
For Helveston, the house represents far more than a new address.
“In many ways, the Walton-Young House will become the heart of the Women’s Council experience,” she said. “The relationships our students build with each other are just as important as the relationships they build with mentors. Having a place where those connections can happen naturally every day will strengthen our program for generations to come.”
The home also will provide a venue for many of the council’s signature activities, including mentoring sessions, leadership programs and Red Plate Suppers, intimate gatherings that connect scholars with accomplished alumni and community leaders.
For Margaret Barker, the project represents more than a building renovation.
“This project creates a true presence and shows that the Women’s Council is an important and integral part of the university,” she said.
The impact of the program is something she has witnessed firsthand.
“The most rewarding part has been watching our scholars succeed,” the donor said. “You see them come in as freshmen, and by the time they leave, they’ve grown into confident adults with a strong sense of purpose. They want to give back and help others. Seeing that transformation is incredible.”
The Barkers’ support of student media stems from equally personal experiences.
Both of their children benefited from the School of Journalism and New Media, albeit in different ways. Matthew Barker was among the early students in the university’s Integrated Marketing Communications program. Later, his sister gained invaluable experience through NewsWatch Ole Miss, UM’s student-run broadcast news station.
John Barker believes the communication skills his son developed through the program became foundational to his professional success as a leader in the family’s Ford dealership.
“One thing journalism teaches you is communication,” he said. “Confidence, leadership, relationship-building — all of that matters. Those skills helped prepare Matthew for where he is today.”
Anna Caroline Barker’s college experience became a launching pad for a broadcasting career that includes news anchor positions in Tupelo, Mississippi; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Charleston, South Carolina.
“She graduated with experience that many students don’t get until after college,” her mother said. “She had a professional reel, leadership experience and mentors who believed in her. Those opportunities came directly from the Student Media Center.”
Andrea Hickerson, dean of the School of Journalism and New Media, said the Barkers’ gift will provide state-of-the-industry equipment for the Student Media Center among other benefits.
“John and Margaret Barker understand the transformative power of experiential learning because they’ve seen it firsthand through their own family,” Hickerson said. “Their generosity will help ensure that our students continue to have access to the technology, resources and real-world opportunities that are essential for success in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
“We are deeply grateful for their investment in Student Media and in the future of journalism, communications and storytelling at Ole Miss.”
The Barkers hope their support will help ensure future students enjoy similar advantages.
“I want students to continue having those opportunities,” Margaret Barker said. “The technology is changing and the industry is changing, but students still need hands-on experience and great mentors. That’s what prepares them for the future.”
Her husband agreed, noting that journalism and communications programs are becoming increasingly important in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
“The way people communicate and consume information is changing every day,” John Barker said. “I want Ole Miss to be a leader in that space. Supporting journalism is about helping students stay ahead of what’s next.”
In addition to these recent gifts, the Barkers established the Margaret Pryor Barker Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship Endowment in 2018. Their long-time support of Ole Miss Athletics includes a gift naming the Margaret and John Barker Family Gate of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and the couple has supported both Athletics and UM leadership by providing automobiles for recruiting and executive visits.
Ultimately, the Barkers view every gift as an investment in people.
Their commitment reflects the lessons they learned as students, the opportunities their children received and the relationships that continue to define their Ole Miss experience.
“Ole Miss is more than a university,” Margaret Barker said. “It’s a community, a family and a lifelong connection. We’ve been blessed by it in so many ways, and this is our way of helping ensure that future students have those same opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.”
The Matthew Barker Integrated Marketing Communications Agency Endowment and the Anna Caroline Barker NewsWatch Endowment are open to receiving gifts from individuals and organizations by sending a check with the fund noted in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655.
To make a gift online to the Matthew Barker Endowment, click here.
To make a gift online to the Anna Caroline Barker Endowment, click here.
For more information on support Ole Miss Women’s Council scholars, contact Suzanne Helveston, OMWC development director, at 662-915-2956 or shelveston@olemiss.edu.
By Bill Dabney/UM Foundation