Horne gift to University of Mississippi accountancy school ‘part of a bigger commitment’
With a $125,000 gift to support the Patterson School of Accountancy‘s new building at the University of Mississippi, the professional services firm Horne LLP is honoring its many employees who graduated from the program.
The firm’s gift also reflects the firm’s continuing practice of hiring Ole Miss accountancy graduates.
“This is part of a bigger commitment,” said Neil Forbes, managing partner at Horne, where he leads business strategy development, execution and operations for the firm. He also serves on Horne’s board of directors.
“We’re investing in not only the Patterson School but also the broader community. While our gift supports the new building fund, it’s just one component in our commitment to Ole Miss and Mississippi as a whole.”
A longtime supporter of the university, Horne continues to invest in the community financially and physically. The company, which employs more than 55 UM accountancy graduates, is establishing an office at the edge of campus and has begun an initiative to recruit not only accountancy students, but those from other academic backgrounds throughout Mississippi.
The gift will be honored with the naming of three rooms on the new building’s third floor: an area designated for use by accountancy student organizations, a conference room and a team study room.
Recognized as one of the best accountancy programs in the nation, the school continues to have strong enrollment and sought-after accountancy programs. These are some of the factors behind the campaign to construct a new academic building on the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop.
“We are fortunate that our alumni, like our many graduates employed by Horne, are steadfastly committed to working together to pursue our formal vision of being the best accounting school in the nation,” said Mark Wilder, UM accountancy dean. “Our new building will help us pursue this vision, and I am grateful for the extraordinary outpouring of financial support from our alumni and friends.”
The planned four-story facility, estimated to cost $100 million, will feature tiered auditoriums and classrooms, study areas, conference rooms, and administrative and faculty office suites.
While accountancy students now attend classes all over campus, the new building will provide the space needed to bring all their classes under one roof.
Horne LLP, a national professional services firm with a CPA cornerstone headquartered in Ridgeland, has a long history of supporting the school.
“These students represent future leaders in our firm and provide us the ability to continue to help our clients accelerate in a dynamic business environment,” said Joey D. Havens, the firm’s former managing partner and 1980 graduate of the UM School of Business Administration.
In 2022, Horne committed $540,000 to establish the Horne LLP Accountancy Professorship Endowment.
The endowment provides resources needed to support the school’s faculty. These additional resources could include salary supplements, additional funds for research and other means of support, said Terry Traylor, Horne’s director of finance and a 1987 graduate of the school.
“As I understand it, among the Patterson School of Accountancy’s greatest needs are faculty support and scholarship support,” Traylor said. “Our contributions to the endowment will enable Dr. Wilder to fill those needs.”
The firm established the Horne LLP Accountancy Excellence Endowment in 2008 with a gift of $100,000. It gave another $150,000 to the school in 2012 to create the Horne LLP Accountancy Lectureship Endowment.
By Bill Dabney
