Following her retirement as a washer woman in 1995, Miss Oseola McCarty set up an irrevocable trust worth $150,000 at The University of Southern Mississippi to help worthy but needy students seeking an education. Thanks to local leaders matching her contribution, scholarships funds were made available immediately to fund scholarships. When others learned of her gift, hundreds of people in Mississippi and beyond made donations that more than tripled her original endowment.
In 2017, the Hattiesburg Convention Commission decided to preserve Miss McCarty’s home by purchasing it. And in 2019 the home was moved to the Sixth Street Museum District where it will be restored and transformed into a museum, which will honor McCarty’s life and legacy.
“I am proud that I worked hard and that my money will help young people who worked hard to deserve it. I’m proud that I am leaving something positive in this world. My only regret is that I didn’t have more to give.”Miss Oseola McCarty