Catch-A-Dream Bass Fishing Tournament – May 7th, 2023

The Catch-A-Dream Bass Classic is  charitable competitive bass tournament held annually on the 1st Sunday in May on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson, MS in Sonny’s honor.

To learn more: https://bassclassic.catchadream.org/

G.V. Sonny Montgomery Foundation establishes scholarship for MSU-Meridian’s physician assistant program

From Mississippi State University – Meridian:

Brad Crawford, president, and executive director of the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation and Adriana Fuentealba of Gulf Breeze, Florida, the first recipient of the Montgomery Physician Assistant Scholarship at Mississippi State University-Meridian.

MERIDIAN, Miss.—A 23-year-old Mississippi State Physician Assistant Studies student from Florida is the first recipient of the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Physician Assistant Scholarship at MSU-Meridian.

Adriana Fuentealba of Gulf Breeze, Florida, previously a surgical technician in medical research at the Institute of Surgical Research in San Antonio, Texas, began the MSU-Meridian program this year.

“The G.V. ‘Sonny’ Montgomery Foundation is proud to support the Physician Assistant Studies program at Mississippi State by providing $12,500 to Adriana over the two and a half years of the program,” said Brad Crawford, president, and executive director.

Although Fuentealba is the first scholarship recipient, Crawford noted the foundation plans to “expand the scholarship to three students over the next three years. We see this investment as a win-win for MSU, the Meridian campus and veterans—all done in the spirit of Sonny Montgomery,” he added.

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A Centennial Celebration of Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Virtual Exhibit

“A Centennial Celebration of Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery” is a virtual exhibit commemorating the 100th birthday of Congressman Sonny Montgomery, a WWII and Korean War veteran, an alumnus of MSU, and a beloved former congressman from Mississippi’s 3rd congressional district.

The exhibit is a collaborative effort between the Congressional and Political Research Center, the Digital Preservation and Access Unit, and the MaxxSouth Digital Media Center, all of MSU Libraries.

Click here to explore introductory information, individual themed “exhibit cases,” and more via the links on the MSU University Libraries site!

 

Montgomery Foundation Makes Big Donation To MSU

(L-R) Ronnie Walton, Kyle Steward, and Pam Stevenson, along with Brad Crawford, foundation president and executive director, presenting a ceremonial check to Brian Locke, director of the MSU center during the university’s Nov. 17 home football game. (Source: Beth Wynn/MSU)

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU) – Montgomery Foundation furthers outstanding support for MSU military students

The G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation recently committed $100,000 in support of multiple areas within the Mississippi State University Center for America’s Veterans, which is also named for the late congressman.

One portion secures adaptable support through an excellence fund for the many initiatives and programs that take place within the center, while a second portion benefits the building fund for Nusz Hall, the center’s home.

The final portion of the gift will enhance the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Scholarship, established by the foundation in 2015 to assist current and former members of the U.S. military and their immediate family members who are Mississippi residents enrolled at MSU.

A Meridian native, Montgomery was a 1943 general business graduate of then-Mississippi State College, where he was a member of the ROTC. He devoted three decades of his life to military service, which included active duty in the European theatre of World War II and the Korean War, before retiring from the Mississippi Army National Guard with the rank of major general.

In 2005, Montgomery was awarded the highest civilian honor presented by the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Montgomery began his political career in 1956 with election to the Mississippi State Senate. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1966, where he held office through the terms of seven presidents. During his time in Congress, he drafted numerous pieces of legislation supporting veterans, including the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which has sent millions of veterans through higher education nationwide.

Prior to Montgomery’s death in 2006 at the age of 85, the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation was established to honor his work and perpetuate his important legacy. Today, the foundation continues to carry his mission forward by encouraging leadership and providing support for educational activities relating to citizenship, military service and veterans’ affairs.

Since 2001, the Montgomery Foundation has contributed over $760,000 to the university. In addition to its most recent commitment, the foundation annually supports various areas across Mississippi State’s Starkville and Meridian campuses including scholarships, the Montgomery Leadership Award, Stennis-Montgomery Association, Army and Air Force ROTC programs, and the Montgomery Advisement and Career Center, among others.

Further recognizing Montgomery’s impactful legacy, the Bulldog football team donned special “Statesman” uniforms for the annual Veterans Recognition Game on Nov. 17 at Scott Field. Inspired by the paint scheme of the Mississippi Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III plane named “The Spirit of Sonny Montgomery,” the uniforms also featured images of various medals earned by Montgomery throughout his military career.

The Montgomery Center at MSU is recognized as a national leader in providing comprehensive support through a university-based veteran resource center. Serving over 2,800 military-connected students at MSU, the assistance and outreach provided by the center have helped MSU earn recognition as a top university for veterans, including designations with the 2018 Military Friendly Schools Gold Medal and as a “Military Spouse Friendly” institution for veteran-oriented campus culture.

MSU, Mississippi National Guard announce Bulldog Free Tuition Program for service members

From Mississippi State University:

Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi, and Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum celebrate after signing a memorandum of agreement between MSU and the Mississippi National Guard to establish the Bulldog Free Tuition Program. The new program ensures free tuition for eligible Mississippi National Guard service members enrolled full-time at MSU. (photo by Megan Bean / © Mississippi State University)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and the Mississippi National Guard announced a new program Tuesday [Aug. 7] that will ensure free tuition for Mississippi National Guard service members enrolled full-time at MSU.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi, both signed a memorandum of agreement establishing the Bulldog Free Tuition program during a ceremony at MSU’s G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans at Nusz Hall. The Bulldog Free Tuition Program builds on current National Guard education benefits to create a unique opportunity for eligible Mississippi Air and Army National Guard service members.

“Readiness is our force’s top priority and this tuition program will help to attract personnel who will staff our future state and federal missions,” Boyles said. “The students receiving this tuition benefit will contribute tremendously towards our preparedness and be among those ready to answer the call during state emergencies and overseas contingency operations.”

“We have a long, proud history as one of the nation’s most military-friendly college campuses,” Keenum said. “Among our alumni are the late U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis, father of the modern nuclear Navy, and the late U.S. Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, author of the modern G.I. Bill. This innovative tuition program we launch today with the Mississippi National Guard continues MSU’s pro-soldier legacy and directly invests in those brave, bright men and women who serve and protect our great nation.”

Over 12,000 service members are in the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard’s ranks. For the Guard, higher education is a critical component of efforts to improve service members’ ability to solve complex problems at home and abroad. While the National Guard has a beneficial tuition program for eligible service members at all Mississippi colleges and universities, MSU support through the Bulldog Free Tuition program will make MSU the only state university where Mississippi National Guard soldiers can attend college without paying tuition.

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GVSMF Board Member Sid Salter Recognized in 2017 Mississippi Top 50

Mississippi Top 50 is an annual list of the people who are judged to be the most influential leaders in the state. This bipartisan selection of leaders comes from the ranks of elected and appointed officials, economic development professionals, business, media and government affairs. The awards are sponsored by Y’all Politics and Supertalk Mississippi and awardees are nominated through an open process.

The GVSM Foundation congratulates our own Board Member, Sid Salter upon being awarded this distinction.

You can read about his selection for the Mississippi Top 50 list by clicking on the link below:

http://mstop50.com/winners/business-media-and-culture-2017/10

 

 

Montgomery Congressional Collection Announced At MSU

From MSState.EDU:

Contact: Meg Henderson

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The late congressman and MSU alumnus G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery recently was honored with the opening of the Montgomery Congressional Research Collection at Mitchell Memorial Library. Taking part in the ceremony were (l-r) Robert J. “Bob” Bailey, president emeritus of the Meridian-based Montgomery Foundation; Kyle Steward, MSU executive director of external affairs and former senior Montgomery staff member; U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper; and Jerry Gilbert, MSU provost and executive vice president.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Congressional Collection now is open to the public at Mississippi State.

On the Aug. 5 occasion—what would have been the former U.S. representative’s 95th birthday—the university formally dedicated the collection in its Congressional and Political Research Center at Mitchell Memorial Library.

University officials said the collection includes more than 1,200 cubic feet of correspondence, memos, speeches, floor statements, photographs and memorabilia about the longtime public servant and MSU alumnus who died in 2006 at age 85.

The files cover the Meridian native from his time at the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, through his student leadership at then-Mississippi State College to his World War II military service in Europe, where was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor. The collection also highlights his public service career that began with a decade in the Mississippi Legislature, followed by 30 years in Congress that concluded with retirement in 1997.

U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, Montgomery’s 3rd District successor, joined with members of the Meridian-based Montgomery Foundation to help announce the collection’s formal opening.

Jerry Gilbert, MSU provost and executive vice president, said “from his years as a Mississippi State student throughout his lifetime, Sonny Montgomery was considered a leader who worked tirelessly on behalf of those he served.”

Noting how the congressman’s “leadership and people skills served him well throughout his career,” Gilbert also praised Montgomery for being “a devoted and loyal friend of Mississippi State and one who frequented the campus throughout his life and whose legacy can been seen throughout the campus.”

During his time in Washington, D.C., Montgomery gained an international reputation for his tireless work on behalf of American military veterans. In addition to visiting Vietnam repeatedly throughout the war and assisting in the return of prisoners of war, he most notably led in securing an extension of the G. I. Bill—an effort that his colleagues renamed the “Montgomery G. I. Bill” in tribute.

Additionally, the collection illustrates the close friendship between Montgomery and former President George H.W. Bush. The two met on their first day in Congress in 1967 and remained friends for the remainder of the congressman’s life.

In his remarks, Harper praised Montgomery for serving the district and nation “with integrity, compassion and hard work.

“His efforts on behalf of our country’s veterans and the people of Mississippi are still realized today, and we are eternally grateful,” Harper said.

“Sonny loved Mississippi State University, and I know that he would be proud of the new G.V. ‘Sonny’ Montgomery Collection,” he continued. “I hope that this collection will be a reminder of Sonny’s esteemed public service for generations to come.”

The Congressional and Political Research Center is open 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, visit http://library.msstate.edu/cprc/index.asp.

For more on the Mississippi State University Libraries, see www.library.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s flagship research university, available online at www.msstate.edu.

MSU breaks ground for new veterans’ center, residence halls

(photo by Russ Houston / © Mississippi State University)

(photo by Russ Houston / © Mississippi State University)

Office of Public Affairs

News Bureau (662) 325-3442
May 08, 2015

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Mississippi State officials and university friends gathered Friday morning [May 8] to formally break ground for two new residence halls and a premier veterans’ facility slated for completion next year.

“These facilities will be major assets for our students by offering additional residential spaces to accommodate a growing demand for on-campus housing,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “The new veterans’ facility, which will house our nationally recognized G.V. ‘Sonny’ Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans, will continue to carry out the university’s commitment to serving those who have served our country.”

Architectural firm The McCarty Company of Tupelo is working closely with contractor W.G. Yates and Sons Construction Company of Philadelphia to complete the buildings by July 1, 2016, according to Tim Muzzi, MSU interim director for planning, design and construction administration.

The new buildings are made possible, in part, through the generosity of Tommy and Terri Nusz, alumni of MSU’s Class of 1982, who donated a $12.3 million gift as part of Infinite Impact, MSU’s ongoing capital campaign.

Terri Nusz earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design and began her own design company after graduation. Tommy Nusz completed a petroleum engineering degree, and he is CEO and chairman of the board of NYSE-listed Oasis Petroleum Inc., the Texas-based independent exploration and production company he co-founded in 2007. He will give the commencement address at Humphrey Coliseum for MSU’s spring graduation ceremonies Friday and Saturday [May 8 and 9].

The Nusz family’s gift designates $2 million as a cornerstone contribution to build the university’s Center for America’s Veterans. The center is a national leader in providing campus-based veteran resources in support of some 2,100 currently enrolled student veterans, service members, dependents and survivors.

“We’ve had a history in our family of military service,” said Tommy Nusz. “As we looked at the needs across campus, we felt like it was a great opportunity to give back not only to Mississippi State, but to all those who have served,” he said.

The facility for the Center for America’s Veterans will include 7,500 square-feet and feature administrative offices, a meeting area and student-support spaces.

The new residence halls will total 245,000 square-feet and each have 376 beds, for a total of 752 beds. Double-occupancy rooms with private bathrooms will be available, as will suites with four single bedrooms, two baths and shared living spaces.

The total construction cost for all three buildings is $53.4 million.

“These facilities will help provide a variety of options and a great learning community for upper-class students,” said Bill Broyles, interim vice president for student affairs. “We like to see students not only excel in their academic pursuits, but also complement their studies with meaningful co-curricular activities, and these residence halls are conveniently located next to our world-class recreational facilities.”

MSU is Mississippi’s flagship research university, available online at www.msstate.edu, meridian.com/msstate, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate.

GVMF Gift to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery

GVMF Gift to CemeteryBo Maske(L), past president of the G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation, presents a check in the amount of $2,000 to Beth Milling, Board Member for Friends of Mississippi Veterans Foundation, and Henry Gruno, Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery Director.

The Montgomery Foundation provided the money for support of activities and operations at the cemetery in Newton.

MSU to celebrate first-of-its-kind veterans’ health program

Office of Public Affairs
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Leah Barbour
November 03, 2014

Mississippi State University is the first institution of higher learning in the nation to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans polytrauma medical services. Photo by: Russ Houston

Mississippi State University is the first institution of higher learning in the nation to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans polytrauma medical services. Photo by: Russ Houston

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Mississippi State University and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will celebrate a new partnership, the first of its kind in the nation, with a public ceremony at MSU’s Hunter Henry Center.

On Wednesday [Nov. 5] at 10 a.m., administrators from MSU, the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Veterans Health Administration will mark the celebration of MSU as being the only university campus in the nation to administer veteran’s health benefits in conjunction with the VA.

The university, with the Jackson VA, is offering polytrauma services–physical, occupational and speech therapies, along with mental health services services to not only students, but local residents as well.

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