Campus Views

Snow Week

A winter storm blanketed Starkville in snow in mid-February, causing a weeklong closure of MSU's campus. Classes continued remotely and units across the university worked to ensure resource availability. As the snow and ice accumulated, many students paused to play in the snow and take in the winter wonderland across campus.

PHOTOGRAPHY MSU OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Second-generation Bulldog, Daniel M. Thomas, DVM.

The Impact of One:

How one family is helping to shape True Maroon legacies for others

A third-generation Bulldog and the youngest of four siblings who joined the MSU family, William Thomas will tell anyone that his family is Maroon and White through and through. His grandfather, Dan Thomas, unknowingly became the Thomas family’s “Maroon and White patriarch” when he graduated from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi. Earning a degree in textile engineering in 1909 and a degree in agriculture in 1918, he was the first of several MSU-educated engineers who would emerge from the Thomas family lineage.

William’s father, Daniel M. Thomas, DMV, followed suit and studied pre-veterinary science at MSU in the early 1950s. Because the College of Veterinary Medicine wasn’t established at MSU until 1977, he subsequently finished his veterinary degree at Auburn University. However, Daniel’s loyalty to Mississippi State remained unwavering—a quality he instilled in his children and grandchildren. In 2009, 100 years after his father first graduated from MSU, Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State's College of Arts and Sciences and became an official Bulldog alumnus.

Today, the family’s pride in the university has become somewhat of a tradition. With roots running deep and wide across four generations, the Thomas family collectively holds 23 MSU degrees. Through their individual investments, the Thomases are helping to expand opportunities for others to experience the positive impact of an MSU education. And in doing so, they’re also reinforcing their own bonds with the beloved land-grant.

“I loved my time at State, but I’m a bigger Bulldog fan now than I was as a student,” said William.

The Forest native graduated from MSU in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. In addition to his studies, William was involved in various extracurricular

Thomas siblings (L to R): Danny Thomas, Martha Thomas Smith, Linda Thomas Tucker, and William Thomas.

activities including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the University Choir. He also served on MSU’s Union Program Council and belonged to several honors societies. However, his favorite memories were those made as a member of the Famous Maroon Band.

“I loved traveling to cheer on the Dawgs and playing for large crowds in the giant stadiums,” said William, who played in his high school marching band as well. “It was always my dream to march in the Superdome in New Orleans.”

William didn’t have to wait long to realize his dream. The very first game of his freshman year—and his first time to march at the collegiate level—was the Mississippi State Bulldogs football season opener against Tulane in the Louisiana Superdome. Although the Bulldogs won the game 30-3, the biggest win belonged to William.

“My involvement with the Famous Maroon Band had the greatest impact on my student experience,” he said. “It’s where I made my best friends and some of the greatest memories.”

After graduating, William moved to Atlanta where he began his career with Shell Oil Company. He spent 31 years with the company before retiring last December. Throughout his career, he utilized Shell Oil’s matching gift program to enhance his giving at Mississippi State, which benefitted areas including the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, the Famous Maroon Band, MSU Libraries, the Band Hall Building Fund, Bulldog athletics, and the Atlanta, Georgia Alumni Chapter Annual Scholarship, among others.

“My degree opened doors to good opportunities and allowed me to be able give back to others,” said William. “Knowing how much fun I had was the driving force for me to help someone else have an opportunity to experience the same things and earn a great education.”

William also made plans to establish a scholarship endowment through a bequest. However, in realizing the benefit of seeing a gift through in his lifetime, he decided to act on his plans. As a result, the William L. Thomas Endowed Scholarship was established in 2013. The scholarship supports chemical engineering majors who are members of the Famous Maroon Band and gives preference to those who play the French horn, like William.

“I always wanted to set up a scholarship, so I assumed the best option was to set it up in my will. But because I decided to start funding it ahead of time, I’ve been able to meet the recipient. I never would have had the chance to do that if I had left it as a planned gift,” said William.

Ryan Shaw, a junior from Southaven, is the current recipient of William’s scholarship. He also is the first in his family to attend Mississippi State—an aspect that is particularly rewarding to William. “He is an extremely talented student and it’s neat to hear about his experiences—especially since they are very similar to my own as a student,” said William of Ryan.

William’s brother and sister-in-law, Danny and Leigh Thomas, are making their mark at MSU through giving as well. Danny earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in

Senior year class photo of Dan Thomas, the first in the Thomas family to graduate from MSU (then Mississippi A&M).

1984, and Leigh earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture in 1986. The couple recently endowed their first scholarship in the College of Business' Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy. They also previously invested in the university’s new music building facility with a naming opportunity, which established the Dr. Clinton H. Graves Jr. Student Piano Practice Room. Bearing the name of Leigh’s father, the room serves as a memorial to the late MSU professor emeritus and his lifelong love for music and piano.

Staying true to the family tradition and following in their uncles’ footsteps, sisters Josie Smith Guerry and Missie Smith are fourth-generation Bulldogs who earned degrees in engineering and have also created scholarships of their own.

Josie graduated from MSU in 2008 with a degree in industrial engineering and spent some time working in manufacturing before earning her master’s in higher education administration from Mississippi College. Realizing she wanted to return to academia, she returned to campus and began working as the undergraduate coordinator and advisor for MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Since 2016, she has served as the Bagley College’s manager of graduate and distance education.

As a student, Josie was a distinguished scholar who was able to be engaged on campus because of the financial support provided to her through scholarships. She was an active member of the industrial and systems engineering department’s student representatives, MSU Roadrunners, and Chi Omega sorority, among others. Josie’s private scholarship awards greatly enhanced her academic experience at MSU, and she was grateful to have met one of her scholarship benefactors when he came to campus.

“The fact that one of my scholarships was given by a young alumnus, who I was able to meet, definitely made an impression on me,” said Josie. “Realizing that he and Uncle William both started giving while they were young really drove home the point that I didn’t have to wait to start giving back.”

Her husband, Scott, is a fellow Bulldog who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 2009 and 2014, respectively. The couple has established two scholarships at their alma mater—an annual scholarship in 2016 and an endowed scholarship in 2019— both of which bear their names.

“My parents always encouraged my sister and me to give back and I’ve always been a Bulldog fan, so I knew I wanted to help make a difference at Mississippi State. We were able to start out giving a little and gradually ramp up to an endowed scholarship” said Josie, who also credits her Uncle William for helping pave the way. “I knew Uncle William had specifically given back to MSU through scholarships, so he was a great resource to connect us with the correct people to help us understand our options and navigate the giving process.”

Missie Smith earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from MSU in 2010 and 2012, respectively, although that wasn’t her original plan. In hopes of pursuing a different path from her sister, Missie initially enrolled at MSU to study chemical engineering. But after participating in the Bagley College’s summer research program, she discovered her interests were more aligned with industrial engineering.

“I had received a scholarship in chemical engineering so I was concerned that if I changed majors, I would lose my award. Thankfully, that was not the case and the industrial engineering department helped me switch without penalty,” said Missie, who was grateful for the adaptive support that enabled her to transition to the field she most wanted to study.

“It’s hard to make financial decisions at that age,” said Missie. “Being able to shift my focus to industrial engineering and still be able to keep my scholarship made me realize the importance of the support.”

Missie also was a distinguished student at MSU who earned many accolades. She served as a mentor for the MSU Engineering Living and Learning Community and was an active study abroad participant completing programs in Spain, South Korea and Australia. Yet, the most meaningful part of her MSU experience came through her role as a research assistant, which enabled her to study human factors and ergonomics under the guidance of Kari BabskiReeves, who currently is the Larry G. Brown Professor, head

Josie Smith Guerry and husband Scott Guerry during Scott's 2014 master's graduation at MSU. Sisters Josie Smith Guerry (left) and Missie Smith (right) with their grandfather, Daniel M. Thomas, DVM during Missie's 2012 master's graduation at MSU.

and associate dean of the Bagley College’s industrial and systems engineering department.

“My experience in undergraduate research was extremely formational and opened my eyes to new opportunities that I never would have considered,” said Missie. “Prior to working with Kari, I didn’t know I could apply research that mixes psychology and human factors with engineering and ergonomics into an actual career. It showed me I could do what I love.”

Utilizing the skills and perspectives gained through her research experience at MSU, Missie went on to earn a PhD in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech in 2018. Although her grandparents, Daniel M. Thomas, DMV and his wife Marilakin, had created savings accounts for their grandchildren to put toward their educations, Missie decided to use hers in a way that was special to both her and her family by creating an annual scholarship at MSU.

“I was fortunate to have earned enough scholarship support to cover my college expenses, so I knew it would really mean a lot to my granddaddy if I used their gift to pay it forward and give someone else the opportunity to go to Mississippi State,” said Missie.

After her initial Loyalty Scholarship gift in 2018, she made a second commitment for the Dr. Missie Smith Endowed Scholarship the following year. Missie admits that if it weren’t for the groundwork laid by her family members showing her how she could create her own perpetual scholarship through an endowment, she might not have done it.

“I always assumed the people who gave scholarships had to be very wealthy or at the end of their career after they had time to save. It felt unattainable to do as a recent graduate just beginning,” said Missie. “Once I learned that finite contributions spread out in a reasonable way over five years would create an endowment that would generate ongoing support, it was an easy choice.”

She continued, “It’s not just the million-dollar gifts— it’s also the small gifts that can make a big difference as well. The collective power of several smaller scholarship awards helped me get through school and be able to participate in a study abroad.”

Having learned first-hand, Missie recognizes the competitive edge students gain through being involved in and out of the classroom. She hopes the investments made by her family will enable more students to participate in extracurricular activities and research opportunities.

For more than a century, the Thomases have deepened their connection with MSU. And their shared spirit of giving continues to grow with time, as the family is now planning to collectively fund a scholarship in the College of Veterinary Medicine in memory of their father and grandfather, Daniel M. Thomas, DMV. The prolific impact of their generosity is positively transforming the lives of others and helping to grow new branches in the Bulldog family tree.

STORY ADDIE MAYFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED