A generous gift from Warren and Harriet Stephens through the Warren A. Stephens Trust of Little Rock, Arkansas, honors Bruce Levingston, the Chancellor’s Honors College Artist-in-Residence and holder of the Lester Glenn Fant Chair at the University of Mississippi.
The holder of the Fant Chair is allowed “to bring leading figures in the arts and humanities to the University of Mississippi, to encourage broad appreciation for the importance of creativity and imagination to all fields, and to promote deeply informed critical thinking among our students and citizens.”
The Stephenses are among the nation’s leading supporters of the arts. The couple, who recently led the redesign of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, said they made the $50,000 gift to UM because of the positive impact the arts and humanities have on all segments of society.
“The arts and humanities enrich our lives and thinking. We see that enrichment firsthand in Little Rock, where the arts help unite us, reveal commonalities, celebrate our differences and shape new experiences,” said Warren Stephens, chair, president and CEO of Stephens Inc., a privately held investment bank.
Harriet Stephens added that the couple’s gift honors their friendship with Levingston, his many achievements and his passion for sharing his knowledge with students in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at Ole Miss.
Levingston is an internationally renowned concert pianist and recording artist.
“Bruce performed at the museum’s grand opening gala and put together a program for that evening that was really special. His support and generosity meant a great deal to us,” she said.
When trying to determine how their appreciation and support of Levingston could have the most impact, the Stephenses got some advice from their friend, Archie Manning, the legendary Ole Miss alumnus and football star.
“Archie was so kind by helping to direct our gift in Bruce’s honor to the most appropriate home, the Lester Glenn Fant Chair-Chancellor Honors College Artist-in-Residence Support Endowment,” said Warren Stephens.
UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the university appreciates the Stephenses’ generous support that will touch the lives of so many members of the community.
“We are incredibly grateful to Warren and Harriet Stephens for their thoughtful gift which will boost our endeavors in the arts, creativity and culture on campus,” Boyce said. “A gift to the Chancellor’s Honors College Artist-in-Residence Support Endowment is truly a gift to our entire community because of Bruce Levingston’s long-standing legacy of serving our students through his talent and experiences he brings to our university.
“We are fortunate to have people like the Stephenses and Bruce who advance our efforts in the arts and play a significant role in helping our university achieve the highest levels of excellence.”
The university has been expanding the ways that it facilitates, celebrates and advances creativity across the university. UM Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Noel Wilkin recognizes that creativity is an essential element for the advancement of all fields.
“One of the best ways for us to advance and celebrate creativity is to invest in the arts,” said Wilkin.“Experiences created by amazing artists like Bruce Levingston help to put creativity on full display and help us to recognize how the arts take our emotions, perspectives and thoughts in new and exciting directions.
“We are thankful to Warren and Harriet for their generosity in helping us to advance creativity.”
The new resources from the Stephenses will especially be felt by the students in the Honors College, added Ethel Young Scurlock, dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
“I am excited about the deep impact of this gift from Harriet and Warren,” she said. “Bruce Levingston’s work as an artist and professor has been transformational for our students in the Honors College and this support fund will assist him as he continues to enrich the experiences of our students.
“We look forward to working with Bruce Levingston as he maximizes this generous gift from the Stephenses and brings renowned creatives to our campus who stretch our students and elevate the arts in our community.”
Levingston said he is grateful for the Stephenses’ unexpected financial support that will benefit those in the UM-Oxford community who appreciate the arts and humanities.
“I am honored and touched by this extremely generous gift from Harriet and Warren Stephens,” Levingston said. “Their visionary leadership in philanthropy for arts and education is inspiring, and their thoughtful donation will allow the university to continue to bring outstanding creative figures to the University of Mississippi.”
Over the past decade, Levingston has brought to Ole Miss such acclaimed individuals as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow, filmmaker Ken Burns and Italy’s prima ballerina assoluta Alessandra Ferri.
On Oct. 25, Levingston will host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley and prominent civil rights author Ethel Morgan Smith, both of whom will meet with students before being featured speakers in a free community program in Nutt Auditorium on campus. The authors’ visits are sponsored by the Lester Glenn Fant Chair Support Fund.
This fall, Levingston will release his 10th solo album, “Without Words,” and will perform the national anthem at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the Ole Miss-Arkansas football game on Oct. 7.
Individuals and organizations can support the arts and humanities at Ole Miss by making a gift to the Lester Glenn Fant Chair Endowment by sending a check that designates this endowment in the memo line to: The University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655; or online here.
For more information on supporting the Chancellor’s Honors College Artist-in-Residence Support Fund and/or the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, contact Brady Bramlett, director ofdevelopment, at bradyb@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3081.
By Jonathan Scott/UM Development