Dear Ole Miss Family,

Your outpouring of care and concern for the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been wonderful. Seeing the bus, the vans, the T-shirts, the basketballs, the 18-wheeler and SUVs all over the Coast pronouncing that “Ole Miss Cares” was too fabulous. Finding the words to express how much your presence and support meant to us is challenging to say the least.

How do you put into words the appreciation of the schoolchildren who will have supplies to do their work as they begin the process of healing and returning to some sense of normalcy?

How do you put into words the relief of those who came to receive counseling to deal with their losses and advice about their legal issues?

How do you put into words the encouragement and motivation your labor of love provided at the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center as you helped us literally get “cleaned up.”

You inspired us to get our programs going again on our beautiful grounds made beautiful once more by your loving care. I can attest to the project’s name—Ole Miss Cares. I can’t imagine a more caring family nor a more generous one. What a blessing to be not only a part of that family but also a recipient of that loving spirit.

I am so proud of what my school has done for so many folks on the coast.

Thank you from hearts overflowing with gratitude and appreciation.

Carole Lynn Meadows
(BSC 60, MBEd 64)

Dear Ole Miss Family,

My wife and I arrived at Ole Miss in 1952, when enrollment was about 2,000 and the faculty was so small that soon we knew everyone. Truth to tell, we expected to remain here only a few years, but our interest in Ole Miss grew so rapidly that soon all thoughts of moving on vanished from our minds. In other words, this was not love at first sight but a growing affection that has continued to grow as the years have passed.

Not the least of the attractions of the university has been the beautiful campus … with its tall trees, well-kept shrubbery and well-planned flower beds. The setting, however much it enhances the university, would probably not by itself be the compelling attraction. The library has been, and will continue to be, the heart of the institution. Not long ago we celebrated the acquisition of the 1 millionth book in the collection. For decades, the group of library donors called Friends of the Library has funded additions to the John Davis Williams Library; these donors now purchase more than 1,000 volumes each year. I am grateful to the university for providing me with assistance and the facilities I needed for the writing of six volumes representing my scholarly research.

It is no wonder that I love The University of Mississippi. It has been good to me and to those around me and to many more whom I do not even know. I have always thought that its future was bright, and I am still convinced that its best days lie ahead.

John Pilkington Jr. Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English

Dear Ole Miss Family,

Telling people I went to Ole Miss often causes eyebrows to rise in surprise. Why would a black Mississippian go to Ole Miss? they wonder. The questions come from everywhere — black and white people, Northerners and Southerners, 20-somethings and 50-somethings.

I can imagine the limited images in these inquirers’ minds when they pry: National Guardsmen escorting James Meredith into The University of Mississippi in 1962 or a football stadium covered with Confederate flags. I don’t deny the university’s history or the fact that it’s still a little strange to walk through the Grove when tables are draped with those same flags.

But when people ask me about Ole Miss and expect sad stories about being a lonely black student on campus, they don’t get the answers they expect. I remember a university that has steadily increased its enrollment of black students in the past 10 years and where two of my black friends were among the increasing number of students who have won prestigious Truman or Goldwater scholarships. I remember a university where I made lasting friendships with people of all races. I remember a beautiful campus where I spent many sunny afternoons splayed in the grassy Grove or at Rowan Oak with a book or magazine.

I had the opportunity to edit the only daily college newspaper in Mississippi and intern at one of the leading newspapers in the nation. And after I graduated, I worked for three years for The Associated Press.

I am certain that I would not have had these opportunities had I not attended Ole Miss, where I encountered role models and mentors who are helping me create a path for life.

Pam Hamilton (BA 02) Graduate student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dear Ole Miss Family,

For an institution so deeply rooted in its past, change has often been slow at Ole Miss. It has been dreaded, and fought, and feared. Until not too many years ago, the Confederacy was still a nostalgic reminder of a glorified history.

But Ole Miss is now leaving its past. Other symbols have arrived—a Phi Beta Kappa charter; a Super Regional; visiting writers, poets and heads of state; and construction cranes.

A decade ago, the sleepy little college town awakened from its long though enjoyable slumber and decided to grow up. Faced with dwindling support at the state level, Ole Miss circled its wagons and appealed to those who loved it. Robert C. Khayat dreamed of building a great public university, one looking to the future while quietly honoring the past. Fundraising, always a lesser priority, began with a fury. The results are astounding. Those who love the place have indeed been generous. The evidence is everywhere — new and renovated buildings, new streets and entrances, and a revived campus that is meticulously groomed and beautifully landscaped.

In 10 years, Ole Miss has been transformed into a vibrant, growing, modern university with a reputation for academic excellence, affordability and coolness. The word is out—it’s a great school in a great town, a wonderful place to study and play for the next four years. Maybe five.

The little college that was afraid to grow has seen its enrollment expand, but sheer numbers are not the real story. Incoming freshmen are from better schools, from different states and have higher test scores. Their resumes are thicker.

And the remarkable progress of Ole Miss shows no signs of slowing down. There are the inevitable growing pains, but solid leadership is in place. There is still excitement on the drawing boards. The architects are busy.

John Grisham
(JD 81)