Ole Miss Alums Gift University with Over $400k for Graduate Student Support, New Building

Oxford, Mississippi, June 11, 2024 – The University of Mississippi has received a major philanthropic boost from an alumnus couple, Judy and Bill Searight. The Dallas-based alumni have made a generous donation of over $412,000, set to impact both graduate students and the university’s infrastructure.

Pioneering a Growth Path for Graduate Students

Their gift includes $250,000 dedicated to support the College of Liberal Arts in attracting high-performing graduate students through stipends. Known as the Judy and Bill Searight Graduate Student Stipend Endowment, this fund will serve doctoral students specializing in economics and mathematics.

Bill Searight is a proud holder of three degrees from Ole Miss, including an undergraduate degree in accounting, an MBA, and a Juris Doctor. Being a former partner at the renowned accounting firm Deloitte for 28 years, he believes every gift, regardless of size, can contribute to the university’s mission, enhancing its standing, prestige, and the lives of its students.

Supporting the Future of Patterson School of Accountancy

In addition to the stipend donation, the couple gifted $162,500 as a matching contribution for the Patterson School of Accountancy Building Fund. This funding will go towards the construction of a new academic home for the Patterson School – an 110,000 square-foot building at the strategic intersection of University Avenue and Grove Loop.

The matching gift was furnished by the Deloitte Foundation, in recognition of Bill Searight’s highly successful career with the firm and its longstanding support of the Ole Miss program. It is anticipated that the new facility will further enhance the university’s ability to recruit top-tier students, faculty, and staff to the Patterson School, moving the university closer to its goal of becoming the nation’s foremost accountancy school.

A Lifelong Love for Ole Miss

Both Judy and Bill are natives of Jackson, Mississippi. According to Judy, their love story and journey through college started almost simultaneously at Ole Miss, after initially attending different colleges. After earning her undergraduate degree in French from the Department of Modern Languages, Judy has maintained her bond with the university, expressing her fondness for it through previous generous donations.

Bill’s career in public accounting started in Memphis before moving him and his family to New Orleans and finally Dallas. Owing to his remarkable career, he was asked to join the board of GreenLight Credentials in 2018 before eventually becoming the CEO of FitnessGram, the company’s software subsidiary in 2021.

Their dedication to giving back to their alma mater speaks volumes of the lifelong love and appreciation they hold for Ole Miss. The Searights’ generous gift promises a brighter future for the students and faculty of the University of Mississippi, pushing the institution further towards its academic and institutional goals.