USM Receives $2.3 million from Lamar W. Powell to Establish Scholarships

Wed,
03/31/2021 – 11:03am | By: Megan Burkes

During a trip home to Mississippi for a family reunion, a relative told Chief Warrant
Officer (U.S. Army Retired) Lamar W. Powell the story of Oseola McCarty and her unprecedented
gift to support students at The University of Southern Mississippi. Powell called
the USM Foundation soon after returning home, and a few weeks later, a check arrived
for $30,000. That was the beginning of an amazing friendship between Mr. Powell and
USM.

His hope was that, with higher education, young and eager students would continue
to make Mississippi and the United States a great place to live.  

Mr. Powell passed away at the age of 97 on Dec. 30, 2015. In a remarkable gift of
philanthropy, Southern Miss and South Carolina State University were made the remainder
beneficiaries of his trust. Cumulatively, USM has received $3.1 million, with the
largest portion of $2.9 million coming from Mr. Powell’s estate and trust. This distribution
creates scholarship opportunities for students with financial need, as his desire
was for students “to get an education, strive for the top, save all you can save,
and give back when you can.”

The Lamar W. Powell Scholarship Endowment provides incoming freshmen a four-year scholarship
to include the JUMP program, which is an early-start curriculum. The first cohort
of freshmen will begin this fall. As the program matures, Powell’s philanthropy will
grow to provide scholarships for 80 students per year. The program will also include
unique opportunities for peer engagement, academic support and skill development.

“Mr. Powell will long be remembered for his service to our country and his vision
for higher education in Mississippi,” said Stace Mercier, executive director of the
USM Foundation.

“His generosity is astounding, and to learn how Ms. McCarty inspired him is such a
beautiful story. These were two individuals who never attended Southern Miss, yet
were so passionate about contributing to its mission.”

Powell was born on Jan. 4, 1918, in the Jerusalem Community outside of Liberty, Miss.
One of seven children, he was raised on the 80-acre farm passed down through two generations
of his family. The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was the catalyst for his
enlistment in the Civilian Conservation Corp and later the United States Army.

Powell served in multiple war arenas, including the Pacific Theatre in WWII and Okinawa
during the Korean War. Throughout his military career, he took correspondence business
courses at the University of Chicago, which sparked his interest to dabble in the
stock market. This led to constant and consistent investments in the market over time,
slowly accumulating into financial success.

He retired from the Army after a 23-year career and continued to serve with distinction
as an employee with the United States Department of State. He was an avid believer
in giving back as well as an advocate for higher education.

Founded in 1959, the USM Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to serving
the University community by overseeing fundraising efforts to raise private support
for scholarships and other academic needs at Southern Miss.

For more information on supporting The University of Southern Mississippi, call the
USM Foundation at 601.266.5210 or visit usmfoundation.com.