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“We were just surviving before that
campaign,” Harmon states. “But afterwards, we
had some options. We knew that Millsaps had one great
thing going for it: its reputation of quality. It had a
rich history of quality students and faculty and alumni.
We knew that the way to preserve that history was not by
cutting back programs but by expanding them.” The College achieved fiscal stability without cutting the faculty, moving to an adjunct faculty base, or lowering admissions standards. In fact, just the opposite was done. The new strategic plan affirmed Millsaps’ unique history and set out creating endowed chairs in business, the humanities, and the sciences, and called for a larger admissions office to bring in the finest students in the state, region, and nation. Budgets were restored and expanded for the first time in years, and faculty salaries were increased at a small but constant rate. And in response to clear need, the 1982 library budget for the purchase of books and periodicals was 45% higher than in 1979, thus answering the call for holdings worthy of a graduate school. In 1983, U.S. News & World Report affirmed these and other efforts by naming Millsaps College the Best Liberal Arts College in the South. What did the College do for an encore? Phase II of the campaign. In 1985, the Board set a goal of $30 million, again the largest campaign ever announced in the State to that point in time. In short order, the goal was met and exceeded by $3 million. These funds supported the construction of the Olin Hall of Science, the renovation of Sullivan-Harrell Hall, the beautification of campus grounds, the expansion of the faculty, and academic initiatives. Millsaps had arrived. There is no greater indicator of Millsaps’ achievement in the liberal arts and sciences than its receipt in 1988 of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the first and only chapter in the State of Mississippi. This honor has been a strong point of distinction for Millsaps in its competition against other institutions in the state, yet Harmon is a strong advocate for the University of Mississippi’s admission. “Millsaps lifts Mississippi through its academic quality and its national honors, particularly its Phi Beta Kappa distinction. You look at all of the progressive states, and they have high quality private and public institutions. We paved the way with Phi Beta Kappa in Mississippi, and we certainly hope and expect Ole Miss to join us in this elite honor.” "George Harmon is a valued friend of Ole Miss, and his advocacy on behalf of the University to shelter a Phi Beta Kappa chapter is deeply appreciated by students, faculty, staff, and alumni,” says Chancellor Robert C. Khayat of the University of Mississippi. “He has provided visionary leadership for Millsaps College that is historic.” President Robert G. Bottoms of DePauw University in Green- castle, Indiana, seconds that opinion. Dr. Bottoms served six years with Harmon as the only college presidents on the NCAA Council on Division III Athletics. “George is a tough-minded decision-maker, but he always comes down on the side of excellence. On the NCAA Council, he fought against the misuse of financial aid to recruit athletes. And when we heard appeals from schools for looser restrictions, it was George who stood up for academic integrity.” “He deserves credit for elevating the academic profile of Mill- saps College,” Dr. Bottoms adds. “You can’t have a national reputation without Phi Beta Kappa, and George brought both to Millsaps.” Harmon also played a formative role in the creation of the Honor Code, according to Robert H. King, Vice President and Dean of the College from 1980 to 1997. Harmon encouraged Dean King to pursue the idea with student leaders in ODK. “It was a convergence of students, faculty, and the administration wanting the Honor Code. George did not choose to take a public role as leading the initiative because he recognized that it should be shaped by the students themselves, but his deep commitment to our efforts to bring it about was important to its approval.” Harmon is quick to credit others with making his presidency a success. The day the Board approved establishing the M.B.A. program, H. F. “Mac” McCarty pledged to endow a chair in the business school. He made additional gifts in his lifetime, and his family foundation has continued to be among the most generous of donors. Board Chairman Jim Campbell was central to the success of the first two campaigns, and E.B. Robinson Jr. has served admirably as Board Chairman during the New Century of Light Development Campaign, which was launched in 1993 with the late Jean C. Lindsey as general chair. Charles and Eloise Else generously supported the College over the years, and in 1987 the School of Management was named after them. And a new generation of donors has come forward, including the Leggett and Hall families, to continue this stewardship. Harmon cites Millsaps professors Frank Laney and Ross Moore and administrators Bill Franklin, John Christmas, Jack Woodward, and Bob King as the core team that tirelessly devoted themselves to the advancement of the College in his early years. “They had so much talent and were so positive about the College. You have to keep positive people around you always,” Harmon says. “And Woodward’s still at it. He’s writing alumni who have never given to the Annual Fund, and he’s reminding them about what Millsaps did for them. And what he did for them. People should give back. That’s how we fund scholarships and keep moving up.” “I was able to keep going out there to
individuals and corporations and foundations because I
had an understanding and supportive family,” he
adds. “I had to travel constantly and take calls and
read proposals, and Bessie was the one who made sure the
children made it to school and their programs and games.
She knew that to do this job right, I had to pour myself
into it. She believed in what I was doing, and the kids
did, and I could not have done it without them.” PREVIOUS PAGE | PAGE 4 OF 5 | NEXT PAGE |
