OXFORD, Miss. – Entrepreneur Russell French has pledged
$25,000 to seed The 512 Ole Miss First Scholarship at the
University of Mississippi.
French, a New Albany native, is an alumnus of UM’s hotel
restaurant management program. He owns 208 restaurant in
Oxford, which he opened in 2002. He also recently purchased
the Oliver-Britt House, one of the city’s first
bed-and-breakfast operations, with plans to renovate and
reopen it. Once open, the new bed-and-breakfast inn and
restaurant will be called The 512.
French said he was motivated to create this scholarship
because he wanted to give back to Ole Miss students, who
are such a vital part of the Oxford community.
“Investing in students is beneficial to this town,” French
said. “Ole Miss students make up a large part of Oxford’s
population and support our local businesses. As a business
owner, I’m grateful for their patronage. I wanted to give
something back to them as a thank you.”
French also said he would encourage other local business
owners to follow his lead. “I’m excited to be one of the
first business owners on board with Ole Miss First, and I
would love to see other Oxford businesses jump right in and
create more scholarships and opportunities,” French said.
Chancellor Robert Khayat said he is grateful for French’s
gift and for his leadership in the community.
“Russell French is and always has been a strong supporter
of the university,” Khayat said. “We are profoundly
grateful for this generous gift. And as a university, we
are fortunate to have such a wonderful and mutually
beneficial relationship with our town and its residents.”
Khayat began the Ole Miss First initiative as a bold new
way to address the university’s most critical need,
scholarships. Ole Miss First scholarships are unique in
that donors are encouraged to mentor the recipient
throughout his or her tenure at the university.
For more information on the Ole Miss First scholarship
program, go to