Endowment Opens Doors for Alcorn County Students

New scholarship to support accountancy majors from Alcorn County

In a remarkable move opening new education avenues for Alcorn County students, a significant scholarship endowment has been instituted at the University of Mississippi. The endowment, named The Griffith Family Scholarship Endowment, is the result of a generous donation by Griffith Family and Washington lobbying firm, BGR Group.

Honoring an Outstanding Alumnus

The scholarship endowment honors Lanny Griffith, an accountancy and law alumnus from the University of Mississippi and who has achieved tremendous success as a political consultant and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Griffith, hailing from Corinth, was instrumental in the founding of BGR Group, originally known as Barbour Griffith & Rogers.

Incentivizing Academic Excellence

Valued at $75,000, the endowment targets incoming full-time freshmen from the four high schools of Alcorn County: Corinth, Alcorn Central, Kossuth or Biggersville. Students must be enrolled in the prestigious Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, with special preference given to accountancy majors. The scholarship provides significant financial assistance, encouraging students to achieve academically and serve their communities.

Griffith’s Passion for Education

Griffith, having received beneficial college experiences at the University of Mississippi himself, expressed delight in providing the same opportunities to students from his home county. He praised the Honors College’s effectiveness in attracting bright students from across the country and believes the scholarship opens new possibilities for students from Alcorn County.

A Ripple Effect of Positive Impacts

High regard for Griffith’s contributions to the BGR Group and his continuous support for educational initiatives made the scholarship possible. Erskine Wells, president of BGR Group, emphasized the firm’s respect for Griffith’s dedication and acknowledged the university’s importance to their success.

Ethel Scurlock, the dean of the Honors College, anticipates that the scholarship will attract the best students from Mississippi, fostering higher education within the state. This “ripple effect”, can subsequently lead to positive impacts across the state, she added.

Contributing to the Endowment

For those interested in supporting this significant initiative, further contributions to the Griffith Family Scholarship Endowment can be made either by sending a check to the University of Mississippi Foundation with the endowment’s name written in the memo line or online.