Endowment Honors Musgrove Education Legacy

Her husband, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, established the Dr. Melody and Gov. Ronnie Musgrove Chair for Special Education with a planned gift of more than $1.5 million.

Musgrove of Oxford, said he hopes the endowed chair will attract one of the "greatest minds in special education from around the country and the world" to offer students opportunities to expand their vision, awareness and perspective and lay the groundwork for their own contributions to the field.

"My hope is that children living with disabilities in this decade, the next and the next, will benefit from the research and the learning that occurs at Ole Miss – that Melody's lifetime of passion for and contributions to special education will serve as a model for what is possible when we dare to dream and do the work to make those dreams reality," Musgrove said.

Melody Musgrove left a huge footprint of accomplishments, including leading the transformation of special education nationwide as director of the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. She was first a finalist for the position under the George W. Bush presidency but withdrew because of her parents' failing health.

The offer to serve came again under Barack Obama's presidency, and she provided leadership for six and a half years – the second-longest tenure for a director of the office.

"Melody relished the experience to collaborate with some of the most intellectually gifted, well-educated and committed individuals from around the globe," Musgrove said. "In fact, of the 140 or so who reported to her, over 90 of them held Ph.Ds. from universities around the world.

"They were all committed to one thing: ensuring that all children, regardless of their differences, could and would receive the best possible opportunity to learn in an integrated, inclusive environment."

After this service, Melody Musgrove joined the UM School of Education faculty, where she taught special education and co-directed the Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning with professor Cathy Grace.

"This is truly a monumental and inspirational gift," said David Rock, the school's dean. "We are thrilled to honor the rich legacy of Melody Musgrove in special education as well as Gov. Musgrove's enduring deep commitment to education in our state and nation.

"We are now conducting a search for the professor who will fill this chair and are committed to honoring the vision Gov. Musgrove has for this faculty position."

Melody Musgrove, who grew up in Mendenhall, died in September 2021 following a fight against leukemia.

"Special education was more than a career for Melody; it was a calling," Ronnie Musgrove said. "So much so that after her death, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education renamed their most prestigious award based on prolonged service and substantive contributions to the field, 'The Dr. Melody Musgrove Heritage Award.'"

Her professional career began as a classroom special education teacher, and she furthered her own education receiving master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi. She became assistant principal of Mullens Elementary School in Brookhaven and, later, assistant superintendent of Lawrence County Schools.

Melody Musgrove was then named director of special education for the state of Mississippi. After six years in this role, she became an adviser and policy consultant to LRP Publications.

Ronnie Musgrove said his wife recognized early the disservice of segregating children because of their disabilities or learning differences.

"Children learn from one another and with one another," he said. "They grow into adults who move about in one community and who will build and sustain that community together.

"Based on the research available, Melody always said that only a small percentage of students face challenges that might keep them from being able to participate in a regular classroom setting. Having a disability does not make a child less intelligent or less capable of being able to learn."

The Musgroves married in August 2007.

"It would almost go without saying that our shared value for education was one of the cornerstones of our relationship," Ronnie Musgrove said. "We shared a common vision for public education in our country, and our experiences, though different, validated for each of us the undeniable value of equitable, accessible quality public schools."

While in office, Musgrove successfully pushed for adequate, equitable funding for every public school in Mississippi and secured improvements including increased teacher salaries, internet-equipped classrooms and a 2003 agreement from the Legislature to fund education before any other budget matter.

Musgrove, a first-generation college student who earned undergraduate and law degrees from Ole Miss, served as chair of the Southern Regional Education Board and as a member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Following a 16-year career in public service as state senator, lieutenant governor and governor, Musgrove offers strategic guidance to clients through the law firm Musgrove Whitwell.

To make a gift to the Dr. Melody and Gov. Ronnie Musgrove Chair for Special Education Endowment, send a check, with the fund's name noted in the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or online here.

To learn more about supporting faculty in the School of Education, contact Kelly Smith Marion, director of development, at ksmith13@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2007.

Top: The late Melody Bruce Musgrove (left) and her husband, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, shared a passion for public education for all children. Her legacy is being honored through the new Dr. Melody and Gov. Ronnie Musgrove Chair for Special Education at Ole Miss. This inaugural chair for the School of Education will be filled by a prominent expert in special education. Submitted photo