Scholarship Fund Empowers “Strivers” in Mississippi

James (Jim) McMullan considered himself a “late bloomer” – a fact his daughter, Margaret, said she learned talking to so many of his childhood friends from Lake and Newton, Mississippi, when he passed away.

“He actually was a really smart kid in high school, but I don’t think he had great grades. He wasn’t a valedictorian or anything like that. He played football and went to the University of Mississippi at Oxford, and he did okay, but I don’t think he was a stellar student,” she said.

Yet, he was a striver – a word that the family still uses today to describe students chosen for a scholarship in the name of their parents, the James and Madeline McMullan Family Scholarship.

“My father was always interested in finding students who kind of fell through the cracks,” said Margaret. “It’s not necessarily the valedictorians or straight-A students, but the students who have big financial needs and are also achievers and strivers.”

After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1956 with a degree in finance, Jim made his way to Washington, D.C., where he met his soon-to-be-wife, Madeleine, in 1957. Madeleine was a striver against adversity, too. Growing up in Austria, she saw Adolf Hitler come to power in nearby Germany, fleeing to France with her family and then alone to England after their home was overtaken in Vienna at the age of eleven.

Later on, Madeleine reunited with her family in Cambridge, England and emigrated to the United States. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in history from Johns Hopkins University in 1952. Early in her career she was a journalist for the Washington Evening Star before becoming an intelligence officer for the CIA.

When the two married, they moved back to Newton, where they had their daughters, Carlette and Margaret.

Education has always been a focus for the family. In Mississippi, Madeleine taught European history at East Mississippi Junior College in Newton. The family later moved to Jackson, where she also taught at Millsaps College.

In 1969, Jim began a career in the securities business with William Blair & Co. in Chicago, relocating the family to Lake Forest. Yet, Mississippi never left their mind. In 1987, the James and Madeleine McMullan Family Foundation was established. Soon after, a scholarship with the same name was established.

To help continue the legacy of the scholarship, the family has moved the operations of the scholarship, establishing the James and Madeline McMullan Family Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi.

The scholarship program provides $20,000 ($2,500 a semester) to students from Newton and Pass Christian, Mississippi, for their four-year college journey. This unique approach of support across a college career, which is not typical of many scholarship programs, aims to provide stability and accountability for the recipients.

“Investing in students for four years kept them on track, and it also made them feel responsible for their own education,” explains McMullan. “They know that there’s this ladder that they need to keep climbing, and it gives them a sense of empowerment.”

The program’s impact is evident in the stories of the students it has supported. One student, who initially doubted his ability to afford college, went on to thrive at the University of Mississippi, eventually becoming the director of the university’s FASTrack Program. This mentorship initiative helps first-year students succeed and was also created through the support of the McMullans.

“He just fell in love with college and is now doing amazing things in admissions. He went from not thinking he could afford college to helping others find a way,” says McMullan, beaming with pride.

The partnership with CFM has been instrumental in the program’s continued success. By working with the Community Foundation, the McMullan family has streamlined the process, allowing the family to focus on ensuring the scholarship reaches the students who need it most.

“Having the backup with CFM in Mississippi just felt very, very right,” says McMullan. “As soon as we met on a Zoom, it was like, ‘Oh yes. This is what we’re gonna do.’ It just felt right.”

As the program continues to grow, the McMullan family is also looking to the future, with plans to involve their son, James, in the selection committee. This intergenerational approach not only honors the legacy of James and Madeline but also ensures the sustainability of the scholarship program.

Beyond the scholarship, the McMullan family’s philanthropic efforts extend to other areas, including the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, the McMullan Young Writers Workshop at Millsaps College, and the intersection of the arts and humanities in prisons. More recently, the family has supported the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Prison Education program, reflecting their commitment to making a difference in the lives of those who have faced adversity.

“It’s all about thinking about my parents’ interests, but also growing their vision into something more, too,” says McMullan.

As the James and Madeline McMullan Family Scholarship Fund continues to empower students in Mississippi, the McMullans’ legacy lives on, inspiring a new generation to strive for excellence and making a lasting impact on their communities.