25th Gala event for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at Ole Miss (Photo from the Honors College Facebook page - taken by Joe Worthem of J. Worthem Photography)
The Barksdales have gifted the Honors College at the University of Mississippi over $37 million.
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
A gala event hosted at The Inn at Ole Miss drew over 300 honors students, alumni, donors, staff, faculty, and other stakeholders to mark the milestone.
The Honors College at Ole Miss was established in 1997. Jim and Sally Barksdale worked with former Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat to make the Honors College a reality. When Sally Barksdale died in 2003, the college was named in her honor. The Barksdales’ gifts to the Honors College total more than $37 million.
According to the university, students in the Honors College come from 38 states and represent 84 majors. The Honors College offers its students in-depth courses in a smaller classroom environment. The Honors College also provides opportunities for experiential learning in the U.S. and abroad.
For the 2022-2023 academic year, 1,636 students were accepted into the Honors College. The university notes that the number includes 463 freshmen, 270 (or 58%) of which are Mississippi residents.
Ethel Young Scurlock, the Dean of the Honors College, praised the students who sought a more rigorous learning environment, saying in a statement they are “vital in helping us advance our reputation as one of the best honors colleges in the country.”
Frank Corder
