Bill Dabney

(OXFORD, Miss.) – Whenever Maurice Colly of Bay St. Louis sees vacant land or an empty building, he always envisions a greater use. He’s spent his life developing real estate across the South and now has committed a planned gift with a current value of $1.1 million to encourage University of Mississippi students to consider…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – Perseverance is a quality Edith Kelly-Green has used in building her life, and one that she wants to reward in others. She has committed a deferred gift of $375,000 to endow three new University of Mississippi scholarships to help young people – particularly those who may have overcome adversity – seek college…

(OXFORD, Miss.) – Lt. Col. James Prentiss Hooper traveled the globe on secret intelligence missions for the U.S. Army, and his wife, Louise Frazier Hooper, accompanied him to many foreign countries. Their appreciation for diverse cultures and history, as well as their devotion to the University of Mississippi, has resulted in a major gift from…

(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.) – 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…