OXFORD, Miss. — Ed Howard always had a zest for life. He
especially loved horsing around with his nieces and
nephews, spending time with his wife, Rita, and following
Ole Miss sports. He never slowed down, even when he got
sick, and was always trying new things such as watercolor
painting and playing guitar. Rita remembers that one of
Ed’s favorite tunes to strum was “You Are My Sunshine.”
It’s fitting then, that for many students pursuing business
degrees at the University of Mississippi, the Carl Edward
“Ed” Howard Memorial Scholarship for Insurance Excellence
may offer a ray of hope.
To ensure a lasting tribute, Rita Howard and her family and
friends have endowed the scholarship with a $110,000 gift
to Ed’s alma mater through the School of Business
Administration.
“Ed really loved Ole Miss,” Rita said. “We felt this would
be such an appropriate way to honor him. I think this would
have pleased him.”
Ed, a native of Beaumont, earned his bachelor’s degree in
finance in 1980. He moved to Dallas, where, through a
mutual friend, he met Rita, also an alumna of UM’s business
school. They hit it off instantly and were married in 1988.
Ed worked most of his professional career at State Farm
Insurance. He held various underwriting positions during
his 23-year career.
In 2005, Ed was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of
cancer. He lost his battle with the disease that same
year.
He is remembered by many who knew him as fun-loving and
full of life. More than 100 of his friends and co-workers
at State Farm have contributed to the scholarship fund.
Rita, who serves as State Farm’s vice president-agency in
Houston, Texas, said she has been overwhelmed by the
generosity.
The State Farm Companies Foundation matches charitable
contributions up to $3,000 a year that State Farm
associates, agents or retirees make to colleges and
universities in the U.S. and Canada.
Recipients of the Ed Howard Memorial Scholarship are to be
full-time students majoring in risk management and
insurance. Contingent upon maintaining at least a 3.0
grade-point average, the scholarship may also be used for
study abroad through the School of Business Administration
during the summer of the recipient’s senior year. The
recipient also is paired with a mentor, a unique aspect of
the scholarship.
“We are deeply grateful for the generosity that Rita and
her family have shown in making this gift as a remembrance
of Ed Howard,” said Larry Cox, chair of the risk management
and insurance program. “This is a very special scholarship,
ensuring that especially dedicated students who aspire to
careers in risk management and insurance will get an
education that will jump-start their careers.”
The gift is part of the university’s MomentUM campaign, a
four-year initiative to raise $200 million. MomentUM, which
ends in December 2008, already has raised more than $160
million for scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty
support, a basketball practice facility, residential
colleges and a new law school on the Oxford campus. Also in
the plan is a cancer center at the UM Medical Center in
Jackson.
To learn more about the Risk Management and Insurance
program, visit