A University of Mississippi scholarship honoring the late John Reed Holley benefits students in the schools of Accountancy and Business Administration, housed in Conner and Holman halls. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services
Family’s endowment benefits Ole Miss business, accountancy students
by Bill Dabney
A recent gift to the University of Mississippi will help students seeking degrees within the schools of Business Administration and Accountancy.
Reggie Holley, of Oxford; Claire Tutor, of Saltillo; and Joan Yarber, of Belden—the children of the late UM alumnus John Reed Holley—made the gift as an additional donation to a scholarship endowment established to honor their father in 1982.
“My sisters and I hope that the John Reed Holley Scholarship will help deserving young men and women realize their dreams of attending college, giving them the educational foundation they need to succeed in business and accountancy-related professions,” said Reggie Holley, a 1973 graduate of the School of Business Administration and former CEO of Oxford University Bank.
Ken Cyree, dean of the business school, expressed gratitude for the family’s gift.
“We greatly appreciate these siblings’ foresight in desiring to provide support to our students, many of whom would find it difficult to attend college without financial assistance,” Cyree said. “Private gifts like this give students the opportunity to have a more enriching college experience and focus on completing their degrees with significantly less financial stress.”
John Reed Holley graduated from Ole Miss in 1946 with a degree in business administration. The Oxford native saw active duty on the Italian battle front during World War II. He and his wife, Regina Moore Holley, made their home in Oxford, where he worked as the business manager for the Ole Miss Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The John Reed Holley Scholarship Endowment is open to support from businesses and individuals. Gifts can be made by sending a check, with the fund’s name noted on the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or by giving online at https://give.olemiss.edu.
For information about supporting the School of Business Administration, contact Benji Stewart, annual gifts officer, at brstewar@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1122. For information about supporting the School of Accountancy, contact Jason McCormick, executive director for development, at jason@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1757.
