Alumnus Donates House in Oxford, Establishes
Scholarship Endowment

01/25/2007

OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi alumnus has established a scholarship endowment through a unique bequest to his alma mater.

Dr. Shed Hill Roberson Jr., who earned his undergraduate degree at UM in 1960, is donating his house in Oxford to the university, enabling the creation of the Roberson Family Scholarship Endowment. The bequest is the first gift of its kind ever received by the UM Foundation.

The eventual sale of the house, currently valued at about $255,000, is expected to provide two-and-a-half undergraduate scholarships every four years, with selection based on student financial need and merit.

“Dr. Roberson’s gift is truly unique in its way to convey significant personal assets to Ole Miss today for the benefit of many generations to come,” said Wendell Weakley, president of the UM Foundation. “The dedication, generosity and resourcefulness of alumni like Dr. Roberson are examples of factors that allow Ole Miss to provide the margin of excellence for academic success.”

Roberson is a fourth-generation UM graduate, and his family roots run deep at the university. His grandfather, Lake Roberson, had only two shirts and a pair of pants when he rode his mule to the Oxford campus from Pontotoc. Upon arriving he sold the mule, which paid for his tuition. Roberson’s father, Shed Hill Roberson Sr., and uncle, Lake Roberson Jr., were UM graduates where they played football, while his mother, Merle Cates Roberson, was a cheerleader and graduate.

“Ole Miss has been very good to the Roberson family,” he said. “This endowment is a token of all that our family is beholden to the university for what it has given us. We’re very appreciative.”

From 1956 to 1960, Roberson played guard on the UM football team under Coach Johnny Vaught and was a member of the M-Club. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, he earned his medical degree at Tulane University in New Orleans, then completed six years of post-graduate training in surgery at Charity Hospital and the Ochsner Foundation Hospital, both in New Orleans. He later served for three years with the U.S. Army medical corps in Puerto Rico and Germany.

Born and raised in Clarksdale, Roberson resides near Daytona Beach, Fla. He retired in 2003, after a 30-year career as a surgeon in Florida, and enjoys spending several months each year at his home in Oxford.

Contributions to the Roberson Family Scholarship Endowment can be sent to the University of Mississippi Foundation/Roberson Family Scholarship, P.O. Box 249, University, MS 38677.

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