About Oseola McCarty

Oseola McCarty was born on March 7, 1908, in Wayne County, Mississippi, near the small town of Shubuta. She was the only child of Lucy McCarty. Little is known about her father. Around 1916, she moved to Hattiesburg with her family. Ms. McCarty lived with Lucy Zinnerman (mother), grandmother (Julia Smith) and her aunt (Evaline McCarty). She never married or had children.


She attended the Little Red School House, which later became the Eureka School, before having to drop out in the sixth grade to help care for her sick aunt. It was always her dream to go back and finish; however, work took precedence. Ms. McCarty joined in on the family business of washing and ironing clothes at a young age. This work took place in her family home, a small wood frame house. She learned at an early age the importance of saving her money. As a child, she saved money by keeping it in her doll buggy. Later in life, she established an account with Trustmark Bank where she invested much of her earnings in CDs.

By 1967, Oseola McCarty’s grandmother, mother, and aunt had passed away, leaving her to live alone for the remainder of her life. Ms. McCarty was driven by her faith, which helped her navigate in both good times and bad. McCarty continued to live frugally, only spending money on necessities.

In 1994, Ms. McCarty retired due to arthritis. Shortly thereafter, friends at Trustmark Bank encouraged her to establish plans for her life savings. She established an irrevocable trust and to everyone’s surprise, Oseola McCarty wanted to donate the majority of her savings, approximately $150,000, to The University of Southern Mississippi. It was McCarty’s desire to give young, aspiring students the opportunity she did not have, which was to attend college. Word about her generosity began to spread worldwide, inspiring immediate donations to the Oseola McCarty Scholarship Fund and also gaining attention from notable people/organizations.

Ms. McCarty was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard University in 1996, and in 1998 she became the first recipient of an honorary doctorate from The University of Southern Mississippi. Ms. McCarty became an instant celebrity making appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the David Letterman Show, the Today Show and she received numerous awards including the Presidential Citizens Medal from former President Clinton.

Ms. McCarty died on September 26, 1999. Her legacy lives on as the Oseola McCarty Endowment Scholarship, which continues to provide scholarships to deserving students each year.  Her legacy will remain, and with the opening of the Oseola McCarty House Museum, her life story will continue to be told.