(OXFORD, Miss.) – John Festervand has joined the University of Mississippi’s Office of Development as the first major gifts officer for the Meek School of Journalism and News Media. He is responsible for securing financial support for the school, which was created in 2009, as well as the College of Liberal Arts. “We are delighted…

 (OXFORD, Miss.) – The late Ken Kirk was a formidable force on the legendary 1959 University of Mississippi national championship football team as a player and co-captain, and he never forgot his experiences or teammates. Through an estate gift of more than $726,000 to the football program, he has secured student-athlete opportunities for other young…

Two recent announcements promise to put the University of Mississippi Medical Center at the forefront of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research. The Medical Center and four collaborating academic medical centers received $26 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to identify risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of cognitive decline. UMMC…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – As a student, Carl C. Comer of Fulton spent many hours taking classes in the Old Chemistry Building auditorium at the University of Mississippi. When he returned to his alma mater Saturday, it was to have the classroom dedicated in his honor. U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) was the keynote speaker for…

OXFORD, Miss. – New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his wife, Abby, are ensuring some of Mississippi's neediest students are able to pursue college degrees at the University of Mississippi. They have announced a $1 million gift to Ole Miss Opportunity, a need-based scholarship program. "We recently talked with Chancellor Jones about several ways…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – Thanks to a $200,000 gift from a National Humanities Medal winner, the names of two visionaries in the study, teaching and preservation of American history grace a new University of Mississippi lecture series. With an extraordinary record of supporting the humanities, New York philanthropist and investor Richard Gilder recently created the Gilder-Jordan…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – As a war pilot, bank president and treasurer of the board of directors of the Phil Hardin Foundation, Archie McDonnell has demonstrated a lifelong interest in the education of Mississippians. That commitment will live on for many years to come, thanks to a multiyear gift to endow a fellowship in his name…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – From her Kappa Delta sorority sisters at the University of Mississippi and the young people she worked with at Camp Sunshine in Pike County to her own family members, the late Susan Haskins was known for her caring spirit. To carry forward that spirit, her parents, Don and Barri Haskins of Fernwood,…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – Bill F. Cossar said that since his retirement from Entergy seven years ago he “makes every event” at his alma mater. Although those events are mostly sporting in nature, Cossar recently made the 40-mile trip from his Charleston ranch to formalize a $125,000 donation to the University of Mississippi. The gift establishes…