OXFORD, Miss. – The late William Magee’s infectious smile could bring light and laughter to a room.

The talented young man was an alumnus of the University of Mississippi’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Croft Institute for International Studies. He also ran track for Ole Miss and was named to the SEC academic honor roll. The beloved son and brother was a good friend to many – the kind of guy who’d be a pleasure to know.

Before his unfortunate 2013 overdose while trying to beat drug addiction, he had hoped to one day help others win their own battles against substance abuse.

Now he will – his legacy bringing light to Ole Miss students through a heightened focus on drug and alcohol education and prevention. The William Magee Center for Wellness Education is planned to open in 2018, when construction is completed on the university’s new South Campus Recreation Facility.

Gifts for the initiative have surpassed $500,000, with a deferred gift of $850,000 also committed.

“At the University of Mississippi, when we identify a problem, we seek to address it assertively and energetically,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter said. “Drug and alcohol abuse is a prevalent issue on college campuses across the country.

“Our intention with the Magee Center is to direct expertise from several disciplines across our campuses to develop creative solutions that will significantly reduce alcohol and drug misuse.”

Donors include William’s parents Kent and David Magee, Diane and Dick Scruggs, and Cris and Jay Hughes, all of Oxford; Becca and Phil Mehlin of Little Rock, Arkansas; American Addiction Centers of Brentwood, Tennessee, owner of the Oxford Treatment Center’s residential center and outpatient clinics; and the Sigma Nu and Kappa Alpha fraternities.

Fundraising for the Magee Center will continue as the university seeks to enhance student success by taking a closer look at substance abuse issues, while implementing best practices to educate and intervene with students affected. In addition, the Magee Center will host a biennial symposium to bring in prominent thought leaders.

David Magee “came home” to Oxford and Mississippi to help make a difference.

“One of our primary reasons for returning to Oxford (from Birmingham) was to be nearer to Ole Miss and find ways to contribute,” Magee said. “I was blessed to grow up in Oxford and know that students should always come first.

“I met with Chancellor Jeff Vitter and told him that I planned to write about William and to spearhead an initiative to help other students benefit from educational programming; he gave me great encouragement.”

Magee’s “William’s Story,” which was addressed to last fall’s freshmen, has been read by an estimated million-plus people.

“Kent and I expected the story to find an audience since so many families face this challenge, but we did not expect the story to be read from coast to coast. Of all the positive responses, none were as strong as those from the Ole Miss family, which always wants to help our students, tomorrow’s generation, first and foremost.”

Vitter was joined by Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs, and Leslie Banahan, assistant vice chancellor, in supporting the Magees.

“William was an outstanding student-athlete and will always be a part of this university,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to his parents and other passionate donors for driving this initiative to help bring expanded educational and support mechanisms to our campus. Ole Miss wants to be proactive in supporting our students whatever their challenges may be; having added resources makes a tremendous impact on our work.”

Dick Scruggs said he and his wife, Diane, were led to support the center because they have become alarmed at the “rapid spread and apparent acceptance of highly dangerous drugs among some student populations.

“The increasing availability of cheap and lethal drugs is a relatively new phenomenon in the drug scene, and the mortal risks associated with them is not sufficiently appreciated. Our extended family has had one such deadly tragedy, and every family with young adults is at risk.

“Diane and I want to be part of a robust campuswide effort to identify and intervene with at-risk students, hopefully to prevent more young deaths.

“I hope that our society, not just parents, come to understand that substance abuse is a disease and not a character flaw. The stigma that so often comes with seeking help deters and delays treatment far too often.”

As an intern in a mental health and substance abuse center years ago, Jay Hughes witnessed tragic situations and understands that addiction is a disease in which one body has different receptors than others.

“I also recognize the stigma that comes with the denial of so many who simply think it is just a bad choice or a bad person,” said Hughes, who along with his wife, Cris, was among the first to support the project. “We have to educate people and move forward with treating it for what it is.”

Among resources available to students at the Magee Center will be centralized education and advocacy, peer education programs, counseling and outside referrals, research on prevention and intervention, and recovery support.

American Addiction Centers CEO Michael Cartwright said support for the center is a natural fit for the company, given its own goals in prevention and education. AAC’s Oxford Treatment Center facilities include locations in Oxford, Etta, Tupelo and Olive Branch.

“We have excellent treatment programs in Mississippi where we equip people for long-term recovery,” Cartwright said. “Helping to break through the epidemic of drug and alcohol problems among college students, especially in our home communities, is something our company believes in.”

Addiction affects young people from every background, said Billy Young, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Treatment Center.

“In the work we do, we see the way drugs and alcohol can hijack the future of young people,” said Young, an Ole Miss alumnus. “The university is taking a bold step to intervene, and we’re committed to supporting this effort in every way we can.”

One of Sigma Nu fraternity’s philanthropy chairs, Nicholas Egorshin of Birmingham said the group wanted to pay tribute to William, David and the family’s other son, Hudson, all Sigma Nu members. The fraternity’s gift also recognizes the challenges among college populations.

“The Magee Center has the potential to change so many lives,” he said. “Sigma Nu’s gift shows that our members recognize how significant an issue addiction is and our commitment to doing what we can to help combat the problem.

“We are providing this support in the name of one of our brothers William – an accomplished and well-rounded student – which serves as further testament that addiction does not discriminate and is likely affecting many around us.”

KA philanthropy chair Dillon Pitts said, “Our fraternity members believe it is crucial to enhance the university’s ability to address needs of the student body. Combining our efforts is the best way to offer premier programming and witness positive results; we are all on this journey together and should help one another any way we can.”

The Magees view the new center as an expression of love for William and a passion for helping students.

“Our university has grown, doubling in size over the past decade,” David Magee said. “With growth comes the responsibility of serving a diverse student body with diverse needs. This center can be a point of light that can help so many caught between the fringes of struggle and success.

“Our goal is to see Ole Miss emerge as a national leader that provides world-class wellness education and resources for its students.”

“William’s Story” can be found at http://www.oxfordeagle.com/2016/08/28/my-son-williams-story-shared-to-help-others/.

The William Magee Center for Wellness Education is open to receive gifts from individuals and organizations by mailing a check with the center’s name in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched at https://ignite.olemiss.edu/wellnesseducation.

For more information contact Brett Barefoot, development officer for parents and family leadership, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.

OXFORD, Miss. – With a new $7.25 million commitment to the University of Mississippi, the Luckyday Foundation of Jackson is ensuring that entering freshmen and community college transfers have strong support and exceptional opportunities to help them earn college degrees.

Already numbering close to 2,700 strong, Luckyday Scholars are excelling and graduating.

The foundation’s newly inked four-year agreement brings the total educational support for Ole Miss students to $55 million since the program’s inception in 2000, as it fulfills the vision of the late banker Frank Rogers Day. The Aberdeen native created his foundation to provide educational opportunities for  Mississippians.

“The late Frank Day was a stellar business leader who envisioned lifting up his home state and its citizens by providing resources to help young people pursue college degrees,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter said . “Now the Luckyday Foundation board of managers is expanding this alumnus’ significant legacy, diligently working as our partners to ensure that this scholarship program provides an exceptional level of support to students.

“Lives have been transformed through this successful initiative at Ole Miss, and other universities are looking to model its components. We are grateful for the Luckyday Foundation’s latest expression of approval for the program and our staff.”

Attorney Holmes Adams of Jackson, chair of the Luckyday Foundation board of managers, monitors the academic success of the students and says their achievements have increased consistently over the years. For example, of the 75 freshmen who were chosen for Luckyday Success Scholarships in fall 2015 – many of whom were the first in their families to attend college – 96 percent returned in fall 2016.

“The University of Mississippi has been a very good steward of our support,” Adams said. “The aim is for these students to obtain college degrees; however, the board has been astounded by how beneficial the program has become and the level of commitment by Ole Miss staff members.

“Our scholarship recipients not only excel in academics, but they also are stars in their own right across the campus. The programming and support is equipping these students to make real contributions in a number of campus organizations, a huge benefit of this program the board did not anticipate. We believe Frank Day would be extremely pleased.”

Key to the program’s success is the help with the transition from high school or community college to a major university with almost 25,000 students. Luckyday Scholars benefit from three full-time staff members, who meet with recipients on a monthly basis, and from guidance provided by peer mentors.

Foundation board members come to campus twice a year for visits with students and make a point of meeting with them in small groups to get feedback on program components. For one home football game each fall, the students, program alumni and board members gather for a tailgate to keep building a network of support.

This network and sense of community are among the outstanding aspects of the program, Adams said.

“There is such a strong presence of support among our students and a warm sense of cooperation between the program and Ole Miss administrators and staff across campus,” he said. “The Luckyday program is very intentional – nurturing and supportive – giving young people the confidence to accomplish things they never thought possible.

“Working with this program is one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given. The board and I enjoy seeing these students perform well.”

The donor’s story resonates well when encouraging students to perform, said Patrick Perry, director of the university’s Luckyday program.

“Frank Day established a model of working hard and giving back,” he said, referring to Day’s rise from the mailroom to become CEO of Trustmark Bank in Jackson and founder of a foundation to provide scholarships. “We try to instill in our students the ideals of working hard to achieve their individual goals and the importance of developing relationships with others to be successful and happy in life.

“Just recently, I heard from the parent of a former Luckyday Scholar who is now a successful engineer. He said the required study hall component helped his daughter develop strong study habits that served her well throughout her college career. Hearing those stories encourage the staff in our work, as well as this tremendous support from the foundation.”

Each year, 80 freshmen – all Mississippi residents with an ACT score of 20 or higher and high school GPA of 3.2 or higher – are awarded Luckyday Success Scholarships, which provide $2,000 to $5,000 annually depending on remaining financial need after other scholarships and grants are awarded.

Students can continue to receive the support as long as they maintain minimum requirements, which include attending an annual retreat, fulfilling study hall hours and living for the first two years in the Luckyday Residential College, a living-learning community that includes a dining facility, its own library and exercise facility, and a resident faculty fellow.

The Luckyday program also ensures that 25 Mississippi community college transfers are chosen each year for $10,000 in scholarship funds for their remaining two years of study, or up to $5,000 an academic year.

Transfer recipients must be Mississippi residents and have remaining financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, and after other scholarships and grants have been awarded. Also, eligible recipients must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on at least 48 transferable community college credit hours.

Freshmen enroll in the EDHE 105 course, designed to help students successfully transition from high school, develop a better understanding of the learning process and acquire essential life skills; transfer students enroll in EDHE305, helping them adjust to the university setting, providing resume preparation and business etiquette lessons, and more.

Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs, applauded the foundation’s leadership for its inclusion of community college student transfers in the program.

“The University of Mississippi is incredibly fortunate to be associated with the Luckyday Foundation,” she said. “Most notably, the board recognizes that many Mississippi students choose to attend community college before attending our campus, so the scholarships specifically for transfer students have an immediate and important impact.

“I personally enjoy working with the Luckyday Foundation board members because they are deeply committed to making responsive and responsible decisions about how they extend support. The transfer student scholarship is a great example of their thoughtful, generous and inclusive leadership.”

In 1991, the foundation also created the Christine and Clarence Day Scholarships, honoring Frank Day’s mother and father, in the Ole Miss School of Business Administration. In 2001, the Luckyday Foundation joined with the Mississippi Bankers Association to endow the Frank R. Day/Mississippi Bankers Association Chair of Banking on the Oxford campus, and the holder is Ken Cyree, dean of business administration.

For more information on the scholarships, visit http://luckydayscholarship.olemiss.edu/scholarship/.