IMPACT GREATER THAN MILES

Born in a small Mississippi railroad town in the 1950s, George Edwards Jr. was taught to never settle.

Unable to attend college themselves, his parents strongly desired for their children to gain a good education and worked hard to set them up for success. He made his parents proud by graduating valedictorian of his high school and continuing on to pursue a college degree.

Meanwhile in Muirkirk, Md., his future wife, DeBra, was also being raised in a household that valued education and the opportunities it afforded. She attended Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, and is now a retired legal administrator, having worked for Vinson & Elkins, LLP for 25 years and Haynes and Boone, LLP for 15 years.

Like many who visit Southern Miss’ campuses, George was drawn to the welcoming atmosphere of the University on a field trip his senior year of high school. He joined the U.S. Army at 17 years old and enrolled at Southern Miss in 1977 after completing nearly five years of service. While at USM, he continued to serve in the Reserves for another year and earned his degree in accounting in 1981, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college.

“My parents were hardworking people who wanted all seven of their children to achieve a successful life through education,” George said. “I am proud of the fact I am the first to graduate and did so summa cum laude, and I have been able to achieve many successes in life due to my education from Southern Miss. As the oldest, I led the way for two of my siblings to also graduate from USM.”

For 39 years, George enjoyed a career as a certified public accountant at ExxonMobil Corporation. During his time there, he received the Corporate Leadership Award from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) for his initiatives and high standards in the reporting of federal and Indian oil and gas royalties and for his contributions to the MMS’ timely and accurate distribution of mineral receipts in excess of $253 million in 2003. That same year, he served as the chairman of Leadership Houston (Class XXI) and was elected the first Black trustee to the Cypress-Fairbanks School Board of Trustees in 1995, where he served as vice president.

After retiring in January 2020, George felt led to focus more on educational matters. He serves as a trustee for the Neuhaus Education Center, a nonprofit organization that works to provide literacy for all students no matter their age or situation. He is also a board member for Energy Capital Credit Union. In addition to making a local impact in his Cypress, Texas, community, George is also making an impact nearly 500 miles away at Southern Miss. In 2021, he established the Gordon Edwards Computer Science

Scholarship Endowment in honor of his late brother, who graduated from USM in 1981.

“Gordon was a thinker. He loved working with computers, and he loved his chosen profession of information technology (IT). He informed me during his later years of life that he wanted his legacy to be one of helping IT students achieve the success he experienced by earning a degree in computer science from Southern Miss. So, I made that happen.”

As with any healthy sibling rivalry, George jokingly says he then had to create an endowment in his own name. He established the George Edwards Jr. Accounting Scholarship Endowment in 2022. He explains, “USM prepared me academically to operate successfully in my chosen profession. I felt capable of competing with anyone, whether working alongside a team or individually. I look back with fond memories of my time at Southern Miss. I enjoyed the atmosphere, my professors, my peers, and most of all the preparation I received to become a successful accountant. I want to see more students enjoy their college experiences and succeed in the accounting world.”

Education is very important to George and DeBra, and they strongly believe every person should have the opportunity to learn and succeed. The couple has three sons who have all become strong advocates in the educational realm and a granddaughter, Lily, whom they absolutely adore. The Edwards are active in their neighborhood Homeowners Association and enjoy traveling. George serves as a deacon at Second Baptist Church in Katy, Texas. They are members of the USM Foundation Honor Club at the Joseph Cook Fellowship Level.

Though many miles away, George stays connected with USM through the Southern Miss Alumni Association, attending as many football games as he can and giving back to the University. He and DeBra are already trying to talk 12-year-old Lily into becoming a Golden Eagle.