Mississippi State University’s efforts to build a new home for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library picked up some major steam, courtesy of a generous donation.
University alum Richard C. Adkerson and his family’s foundation donated $10 million to Mississippi State to rehome the library. Adkerson is a longtime supporter of his alma mater, for whom the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy in the university’s College of Business is named. He is a 1969 accounting graduate and a 1970 master of business administration graduate from the university.
“I was raised in Mississippi and witnessed firsthand social injustices,” Adkerson said. “Mississippi State’s being home of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library evidences the progress our nation has made. I congratulate MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum for leading the development of the Grant Library on our campus. It is an honor for me to provide support for this initiative. I could not be more proud of my alma mater.”
The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library currently occupies a dedicated wing on the fourth floor of Mitchell Memorial Library in the heart of the Starkville campus. A planned new home near the intersection of Highway 12 and Russell Street in the developing Crossroads District will offer greater public access.
“Richard Adkerson’s transformative investment in the future of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library will help ensure this remarkable collection continues to educate, inspire, and deepen our understanding of America’s story for generations to come,” Keenum said. “The Mississippi State family is deeply grateful for Richard’s longstanding support and the many meaningful ways he continues to make a difference across our university.”
The presidential library is the largest single collection of Grant papers in the world. Established on the Mississippi State campus in 2012, it houses a vast repository of correspondence, photography, scrapbooks, and memorabilia, much of it in Grant’s own hand, along with more than 4,000 published works focused on Grant, his generalship, and his presidency. Many pieces are primary historical source material preserved from his own time.
The new library building is projected to be a major cultural attraction, drawing around 60,000 to 70,000 visitors per year.