The UM School of Business receives the largest gift giving history of the day

By Daniel Cook

UM School of Business

On April 4 and 5, Ole Miss held its fourth annual Day of Giving, a day-and-a-half event dedicated to raising funds for the university through gifts of many sizes and types. The event was a huge success with $6,841,848 raised through 1,974 gifts.

The largest gift in Giving Day history came from George Walker and Christie Kirkland of Jackson, Mississippi, to support the Walker School of Business Administration. Their $5 million gift will go toward establishing an endowment for faculty support in the finance department.

“Having stellar faculty is critical to providing our students with the outstanding educational opportunities we offer,” said Ken Sayre, dean of the School of Business Administration. “The extent to which we can attract and retain world-class faculty will greatly determine our future as a university.”

The Business School also received two other significant gifts on Giving Day. Lee Ann and Bill Fry, co-chairs of the school’s Now and Never campaign committee, challenged 75 people to make a gift of any amount to any area of ​​the school. Once the challenge was met, the fruits contributed $5,000.

“We hope our gift will hold a moment for others, spark memories and encourage them to act on their gifts,” said Bill Fry, managing director of American Securities.

The McCuin family has made 10 donations to Women in Business, a student organization at the school that encourages women of all backgrounds to develop confidence, leadership and professionalism. They agreed to a $500 gift upon completion of the challenge.

“Yolette McPhee-McQueen (Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach) is the epitome of women in our business values: influence, empowerment and empowerment,” said Meg Barnes, the club’s chapter advisor. “Her test and result donations will fund the business dinner on April 25, 2023.

Charity Day is an event that brings together faculty, staff, students and alumni to raise funds and awareness in various areas of the university. Days of Giving have grown in popularity over the past 10 years as a way to increase resources in the nonprofit community.