Duff Center Dedication Ceremony.(photo by Grace Cockrell / © Mississippi State University)
- The new center will house MSU’s Department of Kinesiology as well as the university’s Mississippi Institute on Disabilities.
Potential 2027 gubernatorial candidate Tommy Duff and his brother Jim recently continued their philanthropy across Mississippi universities by donating $15 million as a cornerstone gift for a new state-of-the-art three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility at Mississippi State University to house the Department of Kinesiology.
As one of the largest academic buildings on the Starkville campus, the new center will also house key programs of the university’s Mississippi Institute on Disabilities, including the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and ACCESS Program and Specialized College Services. It is built on the former site of the McCarthy Gymnasium.
The Duffs along with university and state officials gathered Wednesday for the dedication of the Jim and Thomas Duff Center at Mississippi State University.
“The Jim and Thomas Duff Center—and the work that goes on here—will change many lives and help make our great state even better,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.
“The Duff Center will help ensure the success of our mission of teaching, research and service for decades to come,” he added, also emphasizing appreciation for the state Legislature and its leaders.
According to the university, the Department of Kinesiology’s space features a 150-seat lecture hall, 3,000-square-foot movement studio and 15 laboratories focused on research ranging from sports administration to exercise science.
Housed within the university’s Mississippi Institute on Disabilities, or MIoD, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic gives children and families access to comprehensive behavioral health services. Its new space and enhanced capabilities are launching MSU into the top five behavioral health clinics nationwide with training, research and clinical services. As the sibling flagship clinic of the School Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis Services centers, the ADDC will now be able to serve 300-400 clients each week with its expanded space, helping fill the growing need for clinical services in North Mississippi. The ADDC includes the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Clinic, serving a distinctive need for the area.
MIoD also houses MSU’s ACCESS Program and Specialized College Services, which support students with intellectual, developmental and neurodiverse needs. The space is equipped with an apartment, kitchen, laundry facility and classroom to advance independence, functional life skills, academics and employment opportunities for college-age persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Duff brothers are the co-owners of Duff Capital Investors, or DCI, a privately owned company headquartered in Columbia comprised of more than 20 businesses from trucking, tires and automotive to construction, energy and insurance.
“Mississippi State is really doing good things for the state, and we want to be a part of that,” said Jim Duff. “It’s important to us to give back because it makes a difference for a lot of people.”
“Education should bring out the best in everyone,” said Tommy Duff. “We hope this gift will enable a center where students can grow their skills and self-confidence. There are a lot of bright kids in our state and at MSU, and we want them to have the ability to realize their potential to compete and succeed regardless of their means.”
Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann was on hand for the dedication ceremony.
