William Kemp considered his time at Millsaps the most important four years of his life.
"Millsaps was transformative," said Kemp, Millsaps class of 1964. "First, it was where I met my wife. Beyond that, Millsaps introduced me to a world of books and ideas that has stayed with me for the rest of my life."
In gratitude for his Millsaps experience, William established the William and Mary Kemp Scholarship Fund through a bequest in his will. This permanent scholarship fund carries the name of William's late wife, Mary Ivy Kemp, who passed away in June 2018.
"When I was growing up, books and ideas were not frequent in my world. Millsaps took me seriously, despite me being extremely naïve." William recalled that his family was loving and supportive of the "odd" decisions he made-to major in English, then to go to graduate school, and ultimately to a career in university teaching.
"I met faculty who served as role models to me, particularly Bob Padgett. Having those role models helped me then, and it helped me later in finding my way in the academic world."
William's decision to make a bequest to Millsaps came over time.
"My wife and I talked about it off and on over the years. We decided we wanted to dispose of our assets in some way that would have an effect on the world. It finally dawned on me that Millsaps was where we met; it was important in our lives; so it was the logical decision. I considered other charities. None were as important to us as Millsaps."
The Kemp Scholarship will support a rising junior or senior majoring in Classical Studies or Literature in English.
"I had to work my last two years at Millsaps to make it through. That was vexing. It took time, slowed me down. I had to cut my class load to 12 credit hours per semester and attend summer school to make it up. This gift is designed to make it easier for students to get through those last two years at Millsaps, so they won't have to do what I did."
Bill passed away on November 24, 2019, and his and Mary's legacy will live on through this gift.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can help provide young people with a life-changing Millsaps experience, please call Brad Ewing at 601-974-1026 or email [email protected].
