MUW Foundation celebrates 60 years of support, growth and giving

Founded with two gifts of $1,000 in 1965, the MUW Foundation has united alumni, friends and community in support of Mississippi University for Women’s mission to provide quality, accessible education.

“For six decades, the MUW Foundation has made a lasting impact on our students, faculty and campus,” said Nora Miller, president of The W. “We are grateful for the vision of those who created the Foundation and for the continued generosity of donors who believe in our mission.”

Established as a nonprofit corporation by Charles Hogarth, president of the university; Hazel Howell, MSCW Alumnae Association president; and Emma Ody Pohl, retired chair of the Department of Physical Education, the first meeting of the board of directors was held Aug. 31, 1965. Officers were elected, board members chosen and the work began.

Jenny Katool, chair of the MUW Foundation Board of Directors, said, “As we celebrate 60 years of the Foundation, we reflect on our enduring commitment to excellence in education at The W. The Foundation has played a pivotal role in advancing the mission of our university, by supporting countless students and faculty through scholarships and programs. Because of our generous donors, we’ve not only built a legacy of academic achievement but also empowered future generations to dream big and achieve their fullest potential.”

Throughout the following decades, the MUW Foundation lead numerous successful campaigns and initiatives including:

• The “Mark of Excellence” campaign in 1979, which raised $600,000 for scholarships and faculty enrichment.
• The “Century of Excellence Fund,” launched in 1981 by the Alumni Association, which reached its $250,000 goal in time for the university’s centennial in 1984.
• The establishment of multiple faculty chairs, including the Harriet Stark Gibbons Chair in Journalism, the Eudora Welty Chair in Humanities and the Emma Ody Pohl Chair in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
• The “Circle of Honor” campaign in 1999, exceeding $1 million in scholarship endowments.

Under the leadership of former university presidents, MUW Foundation’s assets grew significantly—from $4 million in 1989 under Clyda Rent to more than $50 million by 2018 under Jim Borsig.

The MUW Foundation launched the university’s largest fundraising campaign in 2017 with the “Be the Light” campaign. Targeting four key areas—scholarships, facilities and programs, faculty endowments and athletics—the campaign’s $15 million goal was quickly outpaced, prompting an increase to $25 million. That goal was surpassed by 2023.

Notable gifts from the “Be the Light” campaign included:

• The Bill and Jo-Ann Vandergriff Simulation Learning Lab, a simulation hospital for nursing students
• The Martha Jo Mims Digitization and Conservation Laboratory housed in the University Archives
• The Nancy Knight Gilpin Music Lab and new Steinway baby grand piano in Poindexter Hall
• The Nancy Yates Fellows Program which provides students with opportunities for community engagement, research and internships

In 2023, the university named its largest academic unit the Bill and Jo-Ann Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences, in recognition of the couple’s two decades of unwavering and transformative generosity and the largest legacy gift in university history.

At the end of Fiscal Year 2024, the MUW Foundation endowment was valued at more than $69 million.

With thousands of gifts from alumni and friends over the past 60 years, the MUW Foundation is proud to play an important role in the university’s success, past, present and future.

To learn more about the MUW Foundation or to make a gift, please visit https://longblueline.muw.edu/