Mississippi State University has received a $100 million gift, its largest in history.
Mississippi State University announced today that it has received a record $100 million gift from alumnus George Bishop and his wife Kathy. The gift is the largest in the university’s history and is also the largest for a college or university in Mississippi, according to the university.
The mega gift will be used to fund scholarships, adding to the $10 million the Bishops have already contributed for the George Bishop Family Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 2018. Students studying all disciplines at the university are eligible for the scholarship, with preference given to students who are from Mississippi.
“Today is a truly historic day for Mississippi State University and the entire state of Mississippi as we celebrate this transformational gift that will change the lives of generations of students, their families, and their communities. This unprecedented investment in our students by George and Kathy Bishop reflects their visionary understanding of the power of higher education and their appreciation for the life-changing work we are doing at Mississippi State,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum in the university’s announcement of the gift.
George Bishop earned his degree in petroleum geology from Mississippi State University in 1958. He had a successful early career in the oil and gas industry in Louisiana and Texas before founding GeoSouthern Energy in 1981, which grew to become one of the largest, privately held producers of oil and gas in the country. Forbes pegs his net worth at $3 billion.
A former member of the MSU Foundation’s board of directors, Bishop was awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from MSU in 2019 in honor of his lifetime achievements.
“Mississippi State opened many doors for me and gave me the foundation I needed to be successful. So, when the opportunity arrived for me to be able to give back to the place that’s been so influential for me and many others, it just felt right,” said Bishop in the announcement. “It’s a blessing to help people, and I especially want to help students that have the desire to work but don’t have the funds to accomplish their goals on their own.”
“I’m most proud of the fact that all my success doesn’t really make a difference to me,” added Bishop. “I came from nothing, but you have to believe and know you’re blessed to accomplish great things. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and more so for what’s been done for me along the way.”
