WINDGATE GRANT TO SUPPORT NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS BY MYLES MELANCON
The opportunity for students to receive a life-changing education at Millsaps College will be possible for years to come, thanks to a more than $2.1 million gift for scholarships and art equipment from the Windgate Foundation, located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The majority of the award will be used to establish the Windgate Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund, with $2 million going to create an endowment for need-based scholarships, making it one of the largest endowed scholarships in the history of the college. The remaining funds will support immediate scholarships and the purchase of new art equipment in the Windgate Visual Arts Center at Millsaps. This gift follows the Windgate Foundation’s 2015 challenge grant that paved the way for the construction of the Windgate Visual Arts Center, the creative heart of the Millsaps campus. Completed in 2019, the space is a catalyst for the arts at Millsaps and in the surrounding community. The new equipment afforded by this grant, including a rare
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MILLSAPS MAGAZINE WINTER 2021
Vandercook press to be used for printmaking and graphic design, will only help build upon this momentum. “Within the span of a few years, the Windgate Foundation has given nearly $5 million and, as a result, unequivocally altered the future of Millsaps,” said Dr. Robert Pearigen, president of Millsaps. “Their support has transformed the arts at the college, and their most recent grant promises to be equally as impactful to the college and the students who will benefit from it.” For many students in Mississippi, scholarships are essential and clear the path for career dreams to become career realities. Pearigen is confident the Windgate Foundation’s support puts the college in a better position to offer students the exceptional experiences that distinguish a Millsaps education. “This new grant will help erase potential financial barriers and position Millsaps to be a positive force for our students and community for years to come,” he said.
