Women's Council Celebrates Quarter Century of Transforming Lives

The Women's Council celebrates its 25th anniversary on Friday (Feb. 21) at The Lyric in Oxford. Entertainment will be provided by The Eaglemaniacs, a popular Eagles cover band. Proceeds will support the OMWC, and event tickets are available here.

The event's theme, "Paint the Town Red," reflects the council's success in expanding the number of scholars it supports, said Karen Moore, a longtime OMWC member from of Nashville, Tennessee, and one of the gala organizers.

"The 25th anniversary is a celebration of what we've achieved and a reminder of the impact we're making as we look to an exciting future," said Roane Grantham, of Oxford, OMWC chair.

Patty Lewis, an OMWC founding member from Oxford, credits three people among the principal organizers of the council: Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat; Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor emerita for university relations; and Ellen Rolfes, now retired from Ole Miss.

The timing was perfect, recalled Edith Kelly-Green, of Memphis, who served as the council's inaugural chair.

"As the 20th century ended, women had become financially successful and were responsible for making and/or influencing the majority of all charitable gifts," Kelly-Green said. "Ellen believed women could and should lead a philanthropic effort here and that we would make a tremendous impact on the university and its students. She was right."

The founders divided its mission into three areas:

• To increase participation in philanthropy to fund continuing excellence at the university
• To sponsor innovative programs that attract and develop students through leadership, scholarship and mentorship
• To encourage scholars to become philanthropists for their communities and Ole Miss while building careers as caring, ethical leaders.

"We shocked a lot of people who couldn't envision a group of women rising up to build such an impressive and important program at the University of Mississippi, a program that is positioned to make a positive, transformational impact on an unimaginable number of lives for generations to come," Lewis said.

The council's endowment has grown steadily to more than $22 million. It funds each scholarship, which provides scholars with $40,000 over four years.

Since the program began, nearly 200 students have been awarded scholarships from one of 59 Women's Council endowments. Seven programmatic endowments support leadership-building and philanthropic-related events.

The council provides several beneficial services. Two scholar advisers and a program manager work with the programming committee to oversee continuous events, lectures and conferences, such as an annual leadership conference that focuses on developing college students' leadership skills and enhancing their existing strengths.

Every scholar is also assigned life and career mentors, many from the Oxford-Ole Miss community. Several of the 36 active members and 23 alliance members of the Women's Council, who have a wide range of backgrounds, also serve as mentors.

"The emphasis on mentorship is my favorite aspect of the OMWC," said Benton Donahue, of Madison, a junior scholar. "My life and career mentors have given me vital advice and helped steer me in the right direction to achieve the very best during my time at Ole Miss."

In 2010, the council created the Legacy Award, annually honoring those who exemplify the organization's values and tenets: philanthropy, scholarship, leadership and mentorship.

"The Legacy Award serves as an occasion to thank those who have made a positive difference at Ole Miss, in our state or around the nation," Moore said. "Since it was created, we have presented the Legacy Award to 12 remarkable individuals or couples. Each serves as a role model for our scholars."

In 2018, the Emerging Young Philanthropist Award was founded to recognize examples of philanthropic efforts accomplished by those early in their lives or careers. To date, five young community servants have been recognized.

Additionally, the Women's Council established the Global Leadership Circle to provide educational opportunities abroad.

The Robert C. Khayat Lecture Series, the organization's latest initiative, has already reached nearly 1,000 participants through presentations by authors, philanthropists, business leaders and performers.

"Looking ahead, we aim to continue our positive trajectory by serving even more students, enhancing our programs and fostering an environment where our scholars can thrive," Grantham said. "Our commitment to mentorship, unique experiences and meaningful engagement has positioned the Women's Council as a model for other universities."

To strengthen their efforts, council members are working to establish a permanent headquarters, a welcoming space for scholars, mentors, council members and staff to all gather under one roof.

For information on establishing a Women's Council scholarship or supporting the Global Leadership Circle, the Khayat Lecture Series, the Rose Society and other aspects, contact Suzanne Helveston, program director, at 662-915-2956 or shelveston@olemiss.edu.

Top: The original founding members of the Ole Miss Women's Council gather at the University Foundation on Feb. 14, 2000. They are joined by then-Chancellor Robert Khayat (back center) and Don Fruge, the foundation's CEO. The council has blossomed into one of the nation's most innovative scholarship programs that provides academic and leadership-building resources to recipients. Submitted photo