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Member Spotlight

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Receives $1 Million Endowment From Bernard Osher Foundation

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Southern Mississippi is the recipient of a $1 million endowment from The Bernard Osher Foundation.
 
The Bernard Osher Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded by Bernard Osher in 1977 and headquartered in San Francisco. The foundation supports a growing national network of lifelong learning institutes that provide non-credit educational programs for older adults at 121 colleges and universities across the country.  An endowment of $1 million is awarded to the institutes that achieve both success and sustainability.
 
"We are eternally grateful to Mr. Bernard Osher, who had the vision to see that learning does not stop upon college graduation, but continues well into retirement," said Sue Pace, the first Osher Lifelong Learning Institute director.
 
Pace said OLLI had three years to increase annual membership to more than 500 finishing in the spring with 543 members. A limited number of scholarships to first-time members were awarded to include a free class, introducing them to the vast curriculum offer by OLLI.
 
“We are impressed with the nature and variety of educational opportunities that the Institute offers,” said Mary Bitterman, Osher Foundation President. “From thought-provoking courses such as ‘Contemporary Perspectives of Religion’ and ‘The Golden Age of Athens’ to local educational trips, luncheon lectures, and theatre and public speaking courses, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at The University of Southern Mississippi consistently provides a wide range of intellectually-engaging learning activities for seasoned adults in the Hattiesburg area. We are delighted to provide this support to help the program continue to flourish for many years to come.”
 
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Miss began in 1991 as the Institute for Learning in Retirement. It is the only lifelong learning institute in Mississippi supported by the Bernard Osher Foundation. In 2005, the institute received a $100,000 gift from The Bernard Osher Foundation and changed the name to The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. An additional $100,000 was received in 2006 and 2007.

"We value lifelong learning at Southern Miss and greatly appreciate the generosity of the Bernard Osher Foundation,” said Southern Miss President Martha Saunders. “This gift will help the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute provide meaningful educational, cultural and recreational experiences for its members.”

The endowment will ensure the continued growth of OLLI as a member led and taught institute with financial security, said Dr. Don Hegwood, president of OLLI board of directors.

“For the first time since its beginning in 1991 as the Institute for Learning in Retirement, OLLI will have a dedicated source of permanent income,” Hegwood said. “The financial security provided by this income will allow us to further enrich the lives of our members and strengthen its value and contribution to the quality of life in the greater Hattiesburg community.”

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Pictured left to right: Southern Miss President Martha Saunders; Dr. Don Hegwood, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) president; Sue Pace, OLLI director and founder; Dr. David Wolf, vice president for advancement at Southern Miss. (Southern Miss public relations photo by Steve Rouse)