“OUR STORY IS HERE”

Doug and Pam Rouse: Took Flight in 1970

Doug and Pam Rouse have lived in several locations throughout their lifetime, but there is only one they consider home.

Born and raised in Hattiesburg, Doug and Pam met in junior high, and it wasn’t long before the two became inseparable.

When choosing a college, there was never a question both would attend USM. Pam was a Southern Miss cheerleader for two years. She loved cheering on the Golden Eagles, especially #38, which Doug proudly wore as a defensive back.

When they weren’t at The Rock, Doug and Pam were involved in many other campus organizations. Pam was a Tri Delta and remains involved with the sorority today. Doug spent most of his time on the gridiron or studying toward his dream of acceptance into medical school.

“The education I received at USM laid the foundation for me to get into medical school,” Doug said. “I was confident I could go anywhere and pursue any specialty I wanted.”

Doug and Pam both served as counselors for Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp, which provides summer camp experiences for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Those summers allowed Pam to discover her love for teaching special education.

The Rouses married and graduated in 1970. They then moved to Jackson for Doug to start medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and Pam to begin her teaching career at the Hospital School for Crippled Children, now known as the Children’s of Mississippi Hospital School program.

A high school knee injury and heavy involvement in athletics throughout his life led Doug to develop an interest in orthopaedics. He completed a family medicine internship at UMMC and an orthopaedic residency program at Georgia Baptist-Scottish Rite

Hospitals in Atlanta. He and Pam then moved to Canada for him to complete a competitive sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship with Dr. Robert Jackson, the father of arthroscopy in North America.

From Mississippi to Georgia to Ontario, Southern Miss was never far from their hearts. The Rouses remained involved with USM through sports, philanthropy and ongoing relationships.

After moving back to the Hub City in 1981, Dr. Rouse and a fellow physician, Dr. Richard Conn, established Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, PA. He also returned to The Rock as the team physician for football and other athletic teams at USM.

Pam explains, “There’s such an energetic spirit in this college town that adds a fullness to our lives. It’s fun watching college students enjoy the activities and their collegiate experiences while discovering what they want to do in life. Hattiesburg will always be home.”

Since their first gift of $35 in 1971, the Rouses have financially supported Southern Miss for 52 consecutive years. They are members of the Eagle Club, Circle of Champions, M-Club, Aubrey K. Lucas Society, Partners for the Arts, Life Members of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, and the Honor Club Gallery of Benefactors – Bronze Level, which is the highest giving level of the USM Foundation Honor Club. Doug was initiated into the Alumni Hall of Fame and received the Alumni Meritorious Service Award, Alumni Outstanding Service Award and Alumni Continuous Service Award. He has served on the Board of Directors for the USM Foundation, Athletic Foundation, Alumni Association, and the DuBard School for Language Disorders. Pam also served on the DuBard School Board, as well as the Partners for the Arts Board and the Southern Miss Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The Rouses’ fingerprints are all over Southern Miss. From Fraternity and Sorority Life and Athletics to The Children’s Center for Communication and Development and the arts, they are making an impact.

“Southern Miss gave so much to us. It gave us a great education, lifelong friends and life experiences we could not have found anywhere else,” Pam said. “It’s one of the best investments we can make. Investing in other people and the future just makes you feel good.”

“The continuing education programs like Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) are also important to us,” Doug added. “We want other people to have the same opportunities we had as students and are still able to experience today.”

The Rouses are active members of Parkway Heights United Methodist Church. Much of their time is now spent with their grandchildren, Vivi Bishop and Rebecca Rouse, and they would not have it any other way.