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HATTIESBURG
– Southern
Miss football and the Mississippi Gulf Coast provide a winning combination
for Dickie and Nancy Dunaway of Gulfport.
The couple's
loyalty to The University of Southern Mississippi and their support
of their community inspired them to establish two endowments recently
through the Southern Miss Foundation.
Through planned
giving, the Dunaways designated a $500,000 life insurance policy
to be divided between two endowments: the Dickie Dunaway Athletic
Football Scholarship and the Richard "Dickie" and Nancy
Hodges Dunaway Gulf Coast Scholarship.
When fully
funded, the athletic scholarship will be awarded to a football player
who is a punter on the Southern Miss football team. The Gulf Coast
scholarship will be available to a student from Harrison, Hancock
or Jackson counties planning to attend one of the Southern Miss
Gulf Coast campuses
"These
endowments are our way of giving back to our community and to our
university," said Dickie Dunaway, the founder of Dunaway Glass
Inc. in Gulfport and the first Golden Eagle punter ever to receive
a full scholarship at Southern Miss. "Southern Miss has been,
and is, an important part of our lives. Nancy and I are happy we
can contribute in this way."
Both Nancy
and Dickie are Southern Miss graduates. Nancy earned a certificate
in secretarial science from Southern Miss in 1974 and Dickie received
a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1969. Nancy's son, Ryan Lawrence,
entered Southern Miss this month, becoming the fourth generation
in their family to attend the university.
"This
generous gift allows our great university the opportunity to be
a world-class institution and for this we are extremely grateful,"
said Dr. Shelby F. Thames, Southern Miss president. "Through
these endowments, the Dunaways are providing lasting financial support
for students and thereby they are ensuring the future of Southern
Miss. "
Ben Samel,
associate director of development planned giving for the Southern
Miss Foundation, said life insurance policies are an excellent way
to give because they are flexible and convenient. "A gift of
life insurance is tailored to fit the individual donor and creates
a guaranteed will that can be designated according to the donor's
wishes," he said.
Providing the
athletic scholarship holds special meaning for the couple. "If
Dickie had not received a full scholarship, chances are he would
not have been able to attend the university," Nancy said.
"I wanted
to repay the university in some small way for allowing me the opportunity
to further my education," said Dickie. "The punter scholarship
is in recognition of the position I lettered in for three years."
"We appreciate
the wonderful gift from the Dunaway family," Southern Miss
Athletics Director Richard Giannini said. "Dickie was a big
part of our football program. We are pleased that his future gift
will assist young student athletes in competing in athletics and
will provide them the opportunity to receive their academic degree."
As lifetime
residents of the Gulf Coast, the Dunaways said they are thrilled
by Southern Miss's coastal presence. Nancy, whose hometown is Biloxi,
and Dickie, who hails from Gulfport, have deep roots in the tri-county
community where they established their home and business.
"The scholarship
for students from Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson counties is our
gift back to this community," Nancy said, noting the family
firmly supports Southern Miss's four-year program on the coast.
Although Dr.
Jay Grimes, former dean of the Institute of Marine Sciences and
professor of coastal sciences, is now serving as provost on the
Hattiesburg campus, the couple said his work in the coast community
prompted their interest in creating a scholarship for coast students.
As marine enthusiasts, Nancy and Dickie said they appreciate the
contribution Southern Miss is making in marine sciences, as well
as in their community.
"The Dunaways'
gift will help make the dream of higher education come true for
a student of the Gulf Coast who will now be able to pursue that
education at home," Southern MissGC Provost Tim Hudson said.
"Their generosity and support of higher education along the
Gulf Coast is inspirational, and we are deeply grateful."
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