Former Netscape Communications Corp. president and chief executive officer James Barksdale announced a $5 million commitment to JSU and the Mississippi Learning Institute (MLI). The donation was given in memory of his late wife, Sally McDonnell Barksdale, who was a member of the JSU Development Foundation board.
During a press conference announcing the university’s largest private donation, Barksdale and JSU President Ronald Mason Jr. dedicated the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Educational Resource Center. The center will house the Mississippi Learning Institute, which oversees the JSU Region of America Reads Mississippi, the Rod Paige Reading Room, and several innovative educational initiatives that will serve the Jackson State community.
Sally Barksdale, who died of cancer in 2003, took the time to learn about JSU at a time when it was not the most popular thing for her to do, said Mason. That kind gesture, he said, “painted the scene for the most significant event in the future of education in Mississippi.”
Sally Barksdale took great pleasure in her work with JSU, said James Barksdale during the announcement. “She would often come home and tell me all the great things happening,” he said. “Sally would be very proud of this day and this program.”
An initiative between Jackson State University, the US Department of Education and the Jackson Public Schools (JPS), The MLI’s tremendous success was one of the reasons the businessman and philanthropist decided to contribute. During its first year, two Level 3 JPS elementary schools increased test scores to levels 4 and 5 -- the second highest and highest rankings, respectively. “They’ve already made progress after a year,” said Barksdale adding that he especially likes the features of the program that involve training principals and the provision of rewards for teachers. |
