For almost 100 years, members of Carolyn and John “Buddy” McIntyre’s family have been shaped by the opportunities and lasting rewards of a University of Mississippi education.
Now, the couple is creating those same opportunities for others through the Carolyn N. and John S. McIntyre, Jr. Family Scholarship Endowment. Their generosity will empower future generations of Mississippi students to pursue Ole Miss degrees and unlock the transformational possibilities that higher education provides.
“Our family has a long history of benefiting from a degree earned at the University of Mississippi,” said Buddy McIntyre of Ridgeland, Mississippi. “We are pleased to be able to set up this new scholarship endowment to give students from all corners of our state the financial support needed to succeed.”
“Starting with the 2027-28 academic school year, this endowment will offer scholarships to deserving Ole Miss students,” Carolyn McIntyre added. “It is our family’s desire to see this endowment give scholarships to bright, motivated freshmen from Mississippi. All Mississippians should have access to the quality higher education that Buddy and I, and so many other members of our family, were fortunate to receive.”
The McIntyre Family Scholarship will cover a student’s in-state tuition costs for attending Ole Miss. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be full-time students with a minimum 3.5 high school grade-point average. They must also have a demonstrated record of academic excellence and leadership in their community and/or high school.
“Ideally, this scholarship will help future students who are committed to their educational pursuits and have a goal to not only succeed at Ole Miss and achieve their personal goals but also have a strong desire to contribute to their community,” Buddy McIntyre noted.
McIntyre Family scholars are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average to remain eligible for the scholarship, which will be provided for eight semesters to students pursuing any course of study.
“Many scholarships are established to support students enrolled in a designated school,” Carolyn McIntyre said. “But we are making this scholarship available to any eligible Mississippian interested in obtaining a degree from any school or program.
“We included that flexibility because we want the scholarship recipient to be able to change his or her major. Many students end up changing majors during their college journey, so this provides them with the leeway to do that and not lose their scholarship.”
UM Provost Noel Wilkin said the university appreciates the McIntyres’ commitment to supporting Ole Miss by providing a new scholarship endowment.
“We are extremely grateful to Carolyn and John for their incredibly generous support of the University of Mississippi,” Wilkin said. “By establishing this scholarship, they ensure that generations of deserving students will be able to realize their dreams of earning degrees from Ole Miss, which will affect their lives and opportunities throughout their careers.”
The McIntyres’ relationship with Ole Miss began in the 1920s when Carolyn McIntyre’s father, W.R. Newman Jr., earned his law degree from the university. Since then, McIntyre family members have graduated with a variety of degrees and then had successful careers.
Born and raised on a farm in Keswick, Virginia, Buddy McIntyre was first introduced to the university in the late 1950s when he began exploring possible college homes.
“I was fortunate to get to know people from all walks of life, feeling compassion with the difficulties of some and learning from the treasures of others,” he recalled. “At that time, I realized the necessity of hard work and the importance of an education to be able to live a comfortable and pleasant life.”
McIntyre, his father and some family friends, flew to Oxford in a single-engine Piper Comanche plane. Upon landing, they met the late, legendary Mississippi journalist Bert Case, an Ole Miss journalism student at the time, who offered them a tour of campus.
“It was outstanding,” he said. “We were impressed by the classic architecture of the campus and the lush green space of the Grove, which reminded me of Virginia. Everyone we met — students, professors and administrators — was so friendly, lively and genuinely happy to visit with us.
“Our dads had a great time as well. On the flight home, Dad and I discussed Ole Miss, and I decided it was the school for me.”
Ole Miss was the school for Carolyn McIntyre too. She enrolled at UM after spending a year at Stephens College in Missouri. As fate would have it, the couple not only gained an exceptional education, but they also found each other and shared a full, beautiful life together for more than 60 years.
While Buddy McIntyre earned a degree from the School of Business Administration, Carolyn McIntyre’s degree is from the School of Education. The couple’s sons, John III and Andrews (Drew), graduated with degrees from the UM Business School and grandchildren followed, earning degrees in a wide variety of courses.
“We would like the students who are selected for this scholarship to be able to focus their time on completing their education while also enjoying leadership opportunities on campus without having to worry about their finances,” Buddy McIntyre said.
“This is a gift for those who have worked so diligently to receive this honor given for merit, intellect, moral character and leadership,” he continued. “The scholarship will grow every year, adding a new worthy student to the number who will have benefitted from this endowment, which, through the years, will be amazing.”
For more information about the Carolyn N. and John S. McIntyre, Jr. Family Scholarship Endowment, contact Allie H. Swayze, development associate, at aswayze@olemiss.edu or 615-948-9339.
By Jonathan Scott/UM Foundation