La Jolla Ropers Donate $3M to Expand Ole Miss Roper Scholars

Bill and Melanie Roper of La Jolla expanded their long-running support for the University of Mississippi with a $3 million gift announced Jan. 19, 2026, bringing the Bill and Melanie Roper Scholarship Endowment to $5 million. The new funds will expand the Roper Scholars program in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, with priority for students studying business, science, technology, engineering or math.

The boost builds on the Ropers’ original $2 million endowment established in 2022 and will increase the number of scholars supported while maintaining the couple’s hands-on mentoring and involvement with recipients. University leaders called the gift transformative for recruitment and retention of high-achieving students and emphasized the scholarship’s role in encouraging graduates to remain in or return to Mississippi.

For Lafayette County and Oxford, the immediate effect is more high-achieving honors students on campus and a stronger pipeline of talent suited to local employers. Businesses in Oxford and the wider region often recruit from Ole Miss for finance, engineering, tech and life-science positions; expanding scholarship support for STEM and business students raises the odds that those graduates will stay in the local labor market. Retention is a tangible economic lever: students who launch careers locally contribute to payrolls, consumer spending, housing demand and the county tax base.

Beyond day-to-day impacts, the endowment strengthens Oxford’s competitive position in attracting top students. Honors scholarships are a key recruitment tool for universities competing for a limited pool of high-achieving applicants. By increasing financial support and offering mentoring, the Ropers’ gift helps Ole Miss recruit scholars who might otherwise choose out-of-state programs, and it improves the chances those scholars will complete degrees and seek employment in Mississippi.

The Ropers’ continued personal involvement also matters for student outcomes. Mentoring and alumni connections can improve retention and early-career placement, which in turn supports regional workforce development. For local employers and economic developers watching talent flows, a larger Roper Scholars cohort means a deeper, more diverse candidate pool for internships, entry-level roles and future leadership hires.

Residents can expect to see the effects over the next several academic cycles as more Roper Scholars enroll, graduate and enter the workforce. For Lafayette County, the gift is not just a philanthropic headline; it is an investment in the human capital that underpins long-term economic resilience in Oxford and the surrounding communities.