McCarty was born on March 7, 1908, in Shubuta, Mississippi. She was raised in nearby Hattiesburg by her aunt and grandmother. McCarty, who never married and had no children, lived frugally in a house without air conditioning. She never had a car or learned to drive, so she walked everywhere, including the grocery store that was one mile from her home. When she was 8 years old, McCarty opened a savings account at a bank in Hattiesburg and began depositing the coins she earned from her laundry work. She would eventually open accounts in several local banks. By the time McCarty retired at age 86, her hands crippled by arthritis, she had saved $280,000. She set aside a pension for herself to live on, a donation to her church, and small inheritances for three of her relatives. The remainder—$150,000—she donated to the University of Southern Mississippi, a school that had remained all-white until the 1960s. McCarty stipulated that her gift be used for scholarships for Black students from southern Mississippi who otherwise would not be able to enroll in college due to financial hardship. Business leaders in Hattiesburg matched her bequest and hundreds of additional donations poured in from around the country, bringing the total endowment to nearly half a million dollars. The first beneficiary of McCarty’s largesse was Stephanie Bullock, an 18-year-old honors student from Hattiesburg, who received a $1,000 scholarship. Bullock subsequently visited McCarty regularly and drove her around town on errands. In 1998 the University awarded McCarty an honorary degree. She received an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, and President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizens Medal. McCarty died of liver cancer on September 26, 1999, at the age of 91. In 2019 McCarty’s home was moved to Hattiesburg’s Sixth Street Museum District and turned into a museum.

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Oseola McCarty was just five feet tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds. She quit school in the 6th grade when her grandmother that raised her became ill and needed care. “I would have gone back.” she said, “But the people in my class had done gone on, and I was too big. I wanted to be with my class.” Instead she worked. She washed clothes and she saved. "Every month I'd save the same and put it away. I was consistent." She saved more than she could ever need. So in 1995, in her late 80s, she donated $300,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, the college in her hometown, to finance a scholarship for low-income students.

In her words, "'I wanted to share my wealth with the children.” said Miss McCarty, whose only real regret is that she never went back to school. “I never minded work, but I was always so busy, busy. Maybe I can make it so the children don't have to work as hard as I did.'"

An amazing story

Black History Facts You Probably Dont Care About! Oseola Mccarty

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Oseola McCarty (March 7, 1908 - September 26, 1999) was a Mississippi philanthropist who donated most of her life savings, $150,000, to the University of Southern Mississippi to provide scholarships for African American students in need. A seamstress and washerwoman who was paid mostly in dollar bills and loose change her entire life, she was praised for her generosity and received many awards, including an honorary degree from the university.

She was born in Shubuta, Mississippi. She was raised in Hattiesburg by her aunt and grandmother, both of whom cleaned houses, cooked, and took in washing to make money. She quit school in the sixth grade to care for her ailing aunt, and she took over the domestic work that she would do for the rest of her life. She never married and had no children, lived frugally in a house without air conditioning. She never had a car or learned to drive, so she walked everywhere, including the grocery store that was one mile from her home. Her thriftiness would become legendary: she cut the toes out of shoes that did not fit right, and she bound her well-worn Bible with Scotch tape.

When she was eight years old, she opened a savings account at a bank in Hattiesburg and began depositing the coins she earned from her laundry work. She would open accounts in several local banks. By the time McCarty retired at age 86, her hands crippled by arthritis, she had saved $280,000. She set aside a pension for herself to live on, a donation to her church, and small inheritances for three of her relatives. Business leaders in Hattiesburg matched her bequest and hundreds of additional donations poured in from around the country, bringing the total endowment to nearly half a million dollars.

President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian award. Her home was moved to Hattiesburg’s Sixth Street Museum District and turned into a museum. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #womenshistorymonth

Una humilde mecenas

Oseola siempre capta la atención de los públicos más diversos. Por eso he contado su vida en varias ocasiones, aun siendo consciente de que los oyentes acabarán recordando esta historia y olvidado todo lo demás. Pero vayamos allá, hagamos un viaje imaginario a Estados Unidos. Concretamente a Hattiesburg, una localidad de Mississippi donde Oseola McCarty, una mujer humilde y a la vez filántropa,…

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Oseola McCarty

Oseola McCarty (March 7, 1908 – September 26, 1999), was a local washerwoman in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who became The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) most famous benefactor.

McCarty drew global attention after it was announced in July 1995 that she had established a trust through which, at her death, a portion of her life’s savings would be left to the university to provide scholarships for deserving students in need of financial assistance. The amount was estimated at $150,000, a surprising amount given her menial occupation.

Personal

McCarty was born in Wayne County, Mississippi and moved to Hattiesburg as a child.

In the sixth grade, her aunt (who had no children of her own) was hospitalized and later needed homecare, so McCarty quit school, never to return. She later became a washerwoman, like her grandmother, a trade she continued until arthritis forced her to quit in 1994.

McCarty's grandmother died in 1944, her mother in 1964, and her aunt in 1967. McCarty never married or had children.

McCarty died from liver cancer in 1999.

Frugality

Even before dropping out of school, McCarty was taught to save money by her mother. She opened her first savings account at First Mississippi National Bank, and over the years opened several other accounts at various area banks, including Trustmark National Bank, which she appointed trustee of her trust and executor of her estate.

McCarty never owned a car; she walked everywhere she went, pushing a shopping cart nearly a mile to get groceries. She rode with friends to attend services at the Friendship Baptist Church. She did not subscribe to any newspaper, considering the expense an extravagance. Similarly, although she owned a black and white television, she only received broadcast transmissions. In 1947, her uncle gave her the house in which she lived until her death. She also received some money from her aunt and mother when they died, which she also placed into savings.

The gift

Over time, Trustmark Bank personnel noticed McCarty's accumulated savings, and began to assist her in future estate planning, as well as being unofficial guardians for her. (Bank employees and other friends convinced McCarty to purchase two small window air conditioners for her house and cable television service.)

With the assistance of a local attorney (for whom she had done laundry) and the bank's trust officer, using slips of paper and dimes (to represent 10% shares), McCarty set out the future distribution of her estate. She set aside one dime (10%) for her church, one dime (10%) each for three relatives, and the remaining dimes (60%) for Southern Miss. She stipulated that the funds should be used for students, preferably those of African-American descent, who could not otherwise attend due to financial hardship. When news of McCarty's plan was made public, local leaders immediately funded an endowment in her honor.

She signed an irrevocable trust, allowing the bank to manage her funds, from which she received a regular check.

Honoraria

In 1998, she was awarded an honorary degree from USM, the first such degree awarded by the university. She received scores of awards and other honors recognizing her unselfish spirit, and President Bill Clinton presented her with a Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second highest civilian award, during a special White House Ceremony. She also won the United Nations' Avicenna Medal for educational commitment. In June 1996, Harvard University awarded McCarty an honorary doctorate alongside Maya Lin, Walter Annenberg, and Judith Jameson.

In 1997, McCarty received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.

Ms McCarty was also recognized with an Essence Award and Patti LaBelle sang tribute to her during the ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Wikipedia

Magnificent Women Monday 

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz is best known for capturing intimate celebrity portraits and was the first woman to have a feature exhibition at Washington’s National Portrait Gallery in 1991. She was declared a Living Legend by the Library of Congress and is credited with helping to define the classic Rolling Stone photography style throughout her thirteen years with the magazine, ten of which she served as their chief photographer. 

One of her most famous photos, featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was taken several hours before Lennon’s death in 1980 and was published as the cover for Rolling Stone’s Lennon commemorative issue a month later. In 2005, this cover photograph was named the best magazine cover in forty years by the American Society of Magazine Editors, with her 1991 cover depicting a nude and pregnant Demi Moore coming in second place. She has created a signature style with bold colors and innovative lighting that is still in demand among celebrities today, nearly 51 years after her career began. 

We think her photography book entitled Women, published in 1999 by Random House in New York and accompanied by an essay by her lifelong friend Susan Sontag, is a perfect fit for #Magnificent Women Monday. From top to bottom:

1.) Anna Deavere Smith. Playwright, performer, New York City. 2.) Dust Jacket cover for Women. 3.) Gwyneth Paltrow and Blythe Danner. Actors. Vancouver, British Columbia. 4.) Yoko Ono. Multimedia artist. New York City. 5.) Eudora Welty. Writer. Jackson, Mississippi. 6.) Maya Lin. Architect. New York City. 7.) Dorothy A. Richman. Rabbinical student. Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City. 8.) Martina Navratilova. Tennis player. Dallas, Texas. 9.) Tammy Kelly. Bull rider. Alamosa All-Girl Rodeo. Alamosa, Colorado. 10.)Josephine Barlow. Hotel worker. Golden Nugget, Las Vegas, Nevada.

View posts about other women photographers.

View more Magnificent Women Monday posts.

–Emily, Special Collections Writing Intern

Oseola McCarty. Washerwomen, philanthropist. Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Oseola McCarty was just five feet tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds. She quit school in the 6th grade when her grandmother that raised her became ill and needed care. “I would have gone back.” she said, “But the people in my class had done gone on, and I was too big. I wanted to be with my class.” Instead she worked. She washed clothes and she saved. "Every month I'd save the same and put it away. I was consistent." She saved more than she could ever need. So in 1995, in her late 80s, she donated $300,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, the college in her hometown, to finance a scholarship for low-income students. In her words, "'I wanted to share my wealth with the children.” said Miss McCarty, whose only real regret is that she never went back to school. “I never minded work, but I was always so busy, busy. Maybe I can make it so the children don't have to work as hard as I did.'"

“If you want to be proud of yourself, you have got to do things you can be proud of.” — Oseola McCarty (Mississippi Civil Rights Museum display, 4032x3024)

Oseola McCarty was a Mississippi philanthropist who donated most of her life savings, $150,000, to the University of Southern Mississippi to provide scholarships for African American students in need. A seamstress and washerwoman who was paid mostly in dollar bills and loose change her entire life, McCarty was praised for her generosity and received many awards, including an honorary degree from the university. McCarty was born on March 7, 1908, in Shubuta, Mississippi.

“If you want to be proud of yourself, you have got to do things you can be proud of.” — Oseola McCarty (Mississippi Civil Rights Museum display, 4032x3024) MORE COOL QUOTES!

So thankful the freeze is over. Decided to take advantage of the warm weather and walk across campus. Stopped to visit Ms. Oseola McCarty. #SouthernMiss #HattiesburgMS #OseolaMcCarty https://www.instagram.com/p/CLsJ6pOhhMI/?igshid=sjs3n9vkscko

Aún desde la posición menos privilegiada es posible hacer grandes cosas e inspirar Sabes quien es Oseola McCarty? Nació en el condado de Wayne, Mississippi, el 7 de marzo de 1908 y la crió su madre. Se trasladó a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, cuando era muy pequeña. Su madre tenía que trabajar muy arduamente para mantenerla y muchas veces dejaban sola a la pequeña Oseola mientras trabajaba. La asustaba quedarse sola, pero sabía que no tenía elección. Oseola McCarty murió en el año 1.999 a los 91 años de edad en Mississippi, experimentó una vida difícil y llena de perdidas, cuando estaba en sexto grado tuvo que dejar la escuela debido a una enfermedad de su tía quien necesito de cuidados especiales en casa, tiempo después pasó a lavar ropa como su abuela y lo hizo hasta que la artritis la forzó a dejarlo en el año 1.994; prácticamente este fue el único oficio durante toda su vida, nunca se casó y escasamente salía de casa para hacer algunas compras de mercado y asistir a la iglesia, ¡nada más! sin embargo fue honrada por líderes mundiales, se reunió con Primeros Ministros y Presidentes e incluso obtuvo un doctorado honorifico de la Universidad de Harvard. Me imagino que te debes estar preguntando cómo fue posible ¿verdad? Su historia es esta: desde muy joven tomaba las monedas de cinco y diez centavos que ganaba lavando la ropa sucia de otras personas; cada día iba al banco y hacía esos abonos “insignificantes”, (imagínate cuando tienes en tus manos una moneda con una nominación de poco valor) así pasaron los días, semanas y años; antes que se diera cuenta ya estaba en los años finales de su vida, un día a sus 87 años fue al banco sonriente como era su costumbre; el funcionario que le atendía le pregunto si tenía alguna idea de cuánto dinero ella había acumulado, a lo cual respondió en negación, cuando le informaron que había acumulado un cuarto de millón de dólares y le preguntaron cómo deseaba utilizarlo ella no supo responder de inmediato, puesto su sencillez y desapego al dinero no le permitía dimensionar el valor del mismo; el funcionario tuvo una idea y saco diez monedas poniéndolas en el escritorio, le dijo que esas representaban el dinero que tenía, volvió a hacer la pregunta que deseas hacer con él? Ella se pauso, luego apunto a la primera moneda y dijo me gustaría que se diera a la iglesia, luego las siguientes tres monedas dijo quiero que se le entregue a mis sobrinos y primos porque los quiero mucho, luego una sonrisa vino a su cara, señalando las seis restantes dijo tengo algo especial en mente para esas, un mes después la universidad local de su ciudad recibió un cheque de 150.000 USD con una nota adjunta que decía: “Quiero que organices una beca para los afroamericanos pobres que todavía siguen soñando, que sueñan con ser poetas, estudiantes, astronautas, y filósofos, enfermeros, profesores en este mundo que ha olvidado como soñar”. Una vez alguien le pregunto a Oseola cuál era su sueño, a lo cual ella respondió: bueno soy una mujer vieja probablemente no lo vea suceder pero me encantaría ver el primer becario graduarse antes de morirme; en efecto un mes antes de su muerte el primer becario camino por la plataforma de graduación. Luego de su muerte un reportero le dijo al estudiante si se había enterado de su muerte, preguntándole si tenía algún comentario, a lo que el estudiante respondió sí: “El cielo no puede tener un mejor ángel, ella fue mi inspiración, fue una bendición, y un verdadero tesoro en la tierra” https://ift.tt/2SCoeDo

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing #Robin Sharma speak at #sharjahbookfestival. Firstly I d like to thank Sharjah for bring these incredible people to the UAE and giving us such intimate access totally free of charge.    On arrival we were informed no videos and pictures whilst listening to the talk. Initially I thought who do they think they are but I respected their decision.  As i listened to Robin I looked around me and felt thankful because no pics meant people were truely listening, they were engaged instead of trying to get the perfect clip for their insta story! I went back to basics and took a few notes that I thought you might like to read. 📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝 When we die the only two things that are important are: 1.Who did you become? 2. How many people did you help? How many lives did you touch? * To many people these days operate with a selfishness and entitlement and so many people are playing the victim... *To have the results that 5 % have you need to be willing to do what the 5% are doing * Adopt more daily habits *You can lead without a title *You give away power when you feel you don't have any *Oseola Mccarty Who was she and what can we learn from her? Small faily seeming insignificant improvements can make great waves *Everyone can showleadership *Critics are nothing more than dreamers that got scared. *Join the #5am club. *In a world that pushes mediocrity, put some magic back. *What ever you put put into the world the world sends back to you. *Do one thing better than 10 things wrong *For some to love you some will loathe you.... *If you dont understand dont critise *If people laugh at you you are doing a good job. *To be a disrupter you have to be a visionary. *When you get yr inner world together everything else is ok *Most leaders are operating in fear *Be ashamed to die until you have won your victory for human kind.. *Make your faith stronger than your fears *Continue to trust your vision *Build a practice *The things break your heart open your heart 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 . (at Sharjah Internation Book Fair @ Expo Center Sharjah) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4qgDjzBiNy/?igshid=1av9zvjv2igpd