09/14/2007
OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi business
alumnus has donated $100,000 to his alma mater to create
the B. Stirling Tighe Memorial Scholarship Endowment.
Bowman “Bo” Stirling Tighe Jr. and his wife, Sylvia, of
Ridgeland created the scholarship in memory of Bo’s father,
who also was an Ole Miss alumnus.
“My father loved Ole Miss and he is the reason I wanted to
come to school here.” Tighe said. “He’s also the reason I
wanted to give back – and am able to give back – to Ole
Miss. If there is one thing that I learned from my father,
it’s that there is no substitute for hard work. Because of
him instilling a strong work ethic in me, I have excelled
in my career. And it’s my success that has put me in the
position I’m in now as far as being able to make this
gift.”
The elder Tighe graduated from UM with both a bachelor of
business administration degree and juris doctor degree. He
was a lifelong resident of Jackson and practiced law there
for 34 years. A strong supporter of the university’s
athletics program, he was a member of the Ole Miss Alumni
Association, as well as the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation. He
was also a member of the American Bar Association,
Mississippi Bar Association, Hinds County Bar Association
and Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association. Tighe died in
1987 at age 59.
The scholarship in his honor will assist deserving men and
women with demonstrated financial need in their pursuit of
degrees in the School of Business Administration, with
preference given to students in the petroleum land
management program or students hoping to pursue a graduate
law degree.
“We are deeply grateful to the Tighe family for this
tremendous gift,” said Brian Reithel, dean of the business
school. “Scholarships are one of our most pressing needs
and this gift will help attract students who might not
otherwise be able to attend Ole Miss.” Tighe said he wanted
to create a scholarship both to honor his father and
inspire more students to study petroleum land management at
Ole Miss, a profession from which he has made a successful
career.
“During my lifelong career as an oil and gas landman, I
have recognized the need for more men and women to enter
the oil and gas business today, especially with the
increase in energy prices in recent years,” he said. “We
need more graduates of petroleum land management program,
and I am hopeful this scholarship will encourage more Ole
Miss students to consider this field as their chosen
profession.”
Tighe graduated from Ole Miss in 1977 with a degree in
business. He is a certified professional landman and has
been active in the oil and gas business as an independent
landman since 1979. He is a member of the American
Association of Petroleum Landmen and the Mississippi
Association of Petroleum Landmen. In 1989, he formed
Sunbelt Resources Inc., a consulting land and brokerage
company that provides field land work services to major and
independent exploration companies operating primarily in
Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
His wife, Sylvia, a native of Laurel, also attended Ole
Miss. She worked for OffiSource Inc. in Jackson for 24
years selling contract furniture until she retired in 2004.
During her career there, the company was involved in many
of the restoration projects on the UM campus. She is
involved in the day-to-day operations of Sunbelt Resources
Inc. and also works as a Realtor with Elizabeth Knight,
Realtor of Jackson.
The Tighes have two children, who plan to continue their
family’s legacy at Ole Miss. Tara Hallie, 17, a senior at
Jackson Academy, plans to enter the university in fall
2008. Bowman Stirling Tighe III, 15, is a freshman at
Jackson Academy and plans to enter UM in 2011.
For more information on giving to Ole Miss, go to