The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wilcox Played Pivotal Role in Development, Growth of Ole Miss Athletics Foundation
6/4/2015 | UMAAF
OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation was established as the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation on July 1, 1969 and was organized under the leadership of the late Reuben D. "Rube" Wilcox, who served as its first director.
Wilcox earned three letters in football as a halfback and was a member of the "Flying Five" backfield in 1928 when he was the third-leading scorer in the Southern Conference. He also lettered three years in baseball as a third baseman-pitcher-catcher, and in 1986, he was inducted as a charter member of the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame.
Prior to taking over the position as director, Wilcox served as president of the Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Association (1958-59) and president of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association (1965-66). He was also the first president of the Ole Miss student M-Club.
Gathered around Athletic Director Tad Smith's kitchen table in Oxford, Smith and two of his former football teammates, Wilcox and Bob Jones, engaged in serious talks about future sports funding. It was the new strategy across the Southeastern Conference, and the plans for the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation were laid out.
"Ole Miss was important to who he was, and he was fortunate to have some neat recognitions and opportunities during his time," said Dick Wilcox, son of the late "Rube" Wilcox. "Being involved in the alumni association and ultimately being the president of the alumni association was one of the highlights of his life, and shortly after that was when he, along with Tad Smith and Bob Jones, started the Loyalty Foundation."
Smith wanted Wilcox to take the job because, as a student, he was the first president of the newly created Ole Miss M-Club and, as a professional, he was just completing a year as president of the University's alumni association.
Wilcox set the Loyalty Foundation's policies during the formative years before resigning in June of 1971 to return to the timber business in Laurel, Miss. He was succeeded by legendary coach Tom Swayze, who served four years until his retirement in 1975.
"Dad explained to me that they needed to put a fundraising effort together for athletics because a lot of other schools, bigger schools in the conference, were doing it," Wilcox said. "They needed to raise money to do the things that all the other schools were doing. Ticket sales were the only source of income that they had, so that was the beginning of what's become a huge business. It's good for the university, and it's good for the student-athletes. We have a fine program, but it all had very humble beginnings."
Billy Mustin, who had served the previous two years as an assistant to Swayze, was named Director on July 1, 1975 and led the organization until 1985 when he retired. Eddie Crawford, who had been Mustin's associate director five years, became Director of the Loyalty Foundation, a position he then held for eight years before being named Senior Associate Athletics Director.
Sans Russell became Director of the Loyalty Foundation in 1993, and then George Smith was appointed Executive Director in November of 1995, serving until 2008. Jeff Ulmer followed Smith when he became President of the UMAA Foundation in October of 2008, a position he held until June 26, 2009.
Danny White was named Chief Development Officer, a position he held until 2011 when he became Executive Director. White served as Executive Director until being named Athletics Director at the University at Buffalo in 2012, and he was succeeded by Keith Carter, who currently serves as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development and Executive Director of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.
"We certainly appreciate the pioneers in the establishment of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, such as Rube Wilcox, who served his alma mater in a variety of different ways, and we want to recognize him for his efforts," Carter said. "Rube's leadership coupled with others along the way continues to play an important role in our success today."
In 2006, the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation underwent a name change to the UMAA Foundation and then became the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation on March 1, 2013. The Loyalty Foundation, now known as the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, has seen nine different directors, starting with Wilcox, and now with Carter.
From its humble beginnings under the leadership of Wilcox in 1969, the Loyalty Foundation's efforts that first year saw 672 individuals respond with gifts in excess of $100,000, averaging $163 per contribution. Today, the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation has seen tremendous growth, highlighted by a record high in membership with over 9,500 members, which resulted in total giving of $27.5 million in 2013-14.
"I am most proud of the continued growth of our donors, of the scholarship aid and program support for our student athletes, of the world-class facilities, and of the finest coaches, administrative and support staff of any University," said Don L. Fruge', Ole Miss Athletics Foundation Chairman of the Board.
"One cannot imagine Ole Miss without the private support provided by the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation. I offer my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to Rube Wilcox for his tremendous courage and vision in 1969 and to Keith Carter and his current staff for continuing to build upon that legacy."
