JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Mississippians pride themselves on their contribution to society at large, and many have done just that with distinction.
From writers to philanthropists, Mississippians’s generosity, creativity and insight into society has received much praise over the years. Below are some notable examples.
Oseola McCarty
Birthplace: Shubuta
Her family moved to Hattiesburg, where her grandmother, Julia McCarty, purchased a seven-acre truck farm and took in laundry to support the household. Oseola McCarty’s dream was to become a nurse, but she left school in the sixth grade to care for her ill aunt. She never made it back into the classroom. For the next 75 years, she earned her living as a laundress. She never married or had children.
McCarty retired at 86 because of arthritis. At 87, she donated most of her life savings to help students at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) achieve the educational goals she never could.
McCarty received at least 150 awards, including an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Harvard University and the first honorary doctorate ever awarded by USM. After learning that she would have liked the opportunity to study nursing, Southern Miss’s School of Nursing made her an honorary alumna.