Carol (left) and Ken Lackey. Submitted photo
Couple’s gift establishes fund to support Ole Miss doctoral students
With a $100,000 gift, University of Mississippi alumnus Ken Lackey, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his wife, Carol, hope to enhance the university’s R1 mission by supporting doctoral stipends for students in the Department of Mathematics.
The couple’s gift establishes the Lackey Doctoral Stipend in Math Fund, which should help the department grow its doctoral program by providing stipends for graduate students working toward their Ph.D.
“The bachelor’s degree in mathematics I received in 1965 enabled me to successfully complete an MBA at the University of Texas at Austin,” Ken Lackey said. “Moreover, it was the basis for selection into a special Army program while serving as an artillery officer during a difficult period (1967-69) in the Vietnam War. Both of those events were life-changing experiences.”
In 2018, the Lackeys designated the university as the beneficiary of a planned gift estimated at more than $2 million. Additionally, the couple established the Ken and Carol Lackey Excellence Fund in 2012. Both gifts were provided to support the natural sciences and mathematics.
The Lackeys hope their most recent gift will help the College of Liberal Arts attract more students to its doctoral program in mathematics while strengthening the university’s academic reputation in fields crucial to the 21st century, specifically professions supported by science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“I appreciate the opportunity to financially support individuals like Dean (Lee) Cohen who are focused on making significant improvements in higher education,” Ken Lackey said. “To move the needle, they need financial support above and beyond that allocated by the state or available from tuition fees.”
Cohen expressed gratitude for the Lackeys’ gift.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have esteemed alumni like Ken Lackey who understand the importance of private support in strengthening our academic programs and in improving our national standing,” he said. “We greatly appreciate the Lackeys’ passion in designating this generous gift to our great university.”
The Lackeys hope their gift will encourage more individuals to pursue doctorates in mathematics at Ole Miss.
“A gift of this magnitude will help transform our math department by making it more competitive,” said Talmage Reid, chair of the Department of Mathematics. “Specifically, we will be able to better attract and serve students seeking doctoral degrees in math.”
A Jackson native, Lackey enrolled at Ole Miss in 1962 and moved into Barr Hall.
“Barr-B was a subculture within the university, and we had lots of fun,” said Lackey, whose residence hall buddies include Netscape founder Jim Barksdale, of Jackson, and Palm Beach, Florida, attorney John Gary. Even though I joined a fraternity, some of my best personal relationships were made at Barr-B.
Lackey received a U.S. Army commission through the Ole Miss ROTC and, after graduate school, served two years on active duty. For his service, the first lieutenant was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.
He is chairman of the board and the former CEO and president of the Tulsa-based NORDAM Group, which provides a range of aerospace components, manufacturing and repair services for private, commercial and military aircraft.
Previously, Lackey served as president of the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa and senior vice president of the OU system from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of Gov. Frank Keating‘s administration, serving as his chief of staff from 1997 to 1999.
Before his service in state government, Lackey was president of Flint Industries, a private, international company with interests in oil and gas services, manufacturing and commercial construction. Earlier, he held management positions with Skelly Oil and Kin-Ark Corp.
Carol Lackey, a native of Columbus, Nebraska, graduated from the University of Nebraska and has enjoyed a successful computer career, working for Apple and Sun Microsystems.
The Lackey Doctoral Stipend in Math Fund is open to gifts from individuals and organizations. To contribute, send checks, with the endowment name noted in the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or visit www.umfoundation.com/makeagift.
By Bill Dabney
