Shortly before Ron Peterson died, his sister-in-law Susan Cowgill asked him what he wanted her to do with his assets. His answer? “Just do good with the money!”
Peterson of Murrieta, California, a third-generation career military serviceman, is being remembered with an Air Force ROTC scholarship in his name at the University of Mississippi, thanks to a $110,000 gift directed by Susan and Jerry Cowgill of Oxford, Mississippi. This marks the first Air Force ROTC scholarship at Ole Miss to receive private funding.
“During Ron’s lifetime, he and wife June had given a substantial sum to Samaritan’s Purse, so I knew that he would want to help individuals in need,” said Susan Cowgill. “I decided to support the Air Force ROTC and later learned that Ole Miss was selected in the top five in the Southeast and the top 15 nationally for ‘Best for Vets’ ranking.
“Ron would be proud to know that his money is being used to help strengthen our Air Force.”
The first recipient of the Peterson Scholarship is Cadet Khai Truong of Clinton, Mississippi, and the second recipient will be announced at the ROTC awards ceremony at the end of the semester.
Air Force ROTC was established at Ole Miss in 1952, shortly after the Air Force became a
separate branch of service in 1947. The UM program is known as the Department of Aerospace
Studies under Lt. Col. Matthew Mills, chair and professor. Distinguished alumni of the program include Gen. Paul V. Hester, who retired as the commander of the Pacific Air Force Command, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who retired as a lieutenant colonel.
“Detachment 430 would like to express our sincere gratitude to Susan and Jerry Cowgill for their generous contribution to the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Mississippi,” said Mills. “It’s hard to put into words the opportunity they have given these young men and women who have chosen to serve their country. From talking to Susan, it seemed like Ron was a great man and officer, and I hope the cadets who receive the scholarship can live up to the values he stood for.”
The Ron Peterson Memorial Scholarship alleviates cadets’ financial stress while enabling them to focus on their studies and take advantage of unique opportunities.
“These opportunities will allow them to grow as a person and help prepare them for their role as an Air Force officer,” Mills said. “Having the ability to reward a deserving cadet with the scholarship will be vital in keeping cadets in our program.”
Peterson grew up in California with three brothers, two of whom were younger and twins. His father, both grandfathers, older brother and one twin were all career military. When Peterson was stationed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, he met his future wife, June, who was Cowgill’s sister. They married after she graduated from the Mississippi University for Women.
The couple was stationed in a new location every four years. Peterson was stationed in Guam during the Vietnam War, where he was a navigator on board B52 bombers. They also lived in Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Omaha, Nebraska; and Minot, North Dakota.
Ron and June Peterson both died in 2022.
Cowgill, an Ole Miss alumna, is a retired audiologist and owner of two audiology centers. She settled in Oxford after living in Texas.
“College anywhere has gotten so expensive that I fear a lot of students would not be able to attend Ole Miss in the Air Force ROTC program,” she said. “Hopefully, this scholarship will help future students for many years to come.”
To make a gift to the Ron Peterson Memorial Scholarship, send a check, with the fund’s name written in the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or online here.
To learn more about establishing scholarships, contact Caroline Hourin, director of development for the College of Liberal Arts, at cehourin@olemiss.edu or 662-915-6385.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development