Oseola McCarty Museum Opens Today

Oseola McCarty, a washerwoman who lived frugally her entire life, amassed a fortune of over a quarter of a million dollars through decades of saving. Born in 1908, she started saving money in her doll buggy as a child and quit school in the sixth grade to care for her ailing aunt. McCarty never owned a car, walking nearly a mile to the grocery store, and lived without air conditioning. In 1995, at the age of 87, McCarty donated $150,000, the bulk of her life savings, to the University of Southern Mississippi to fund scholarships for deserving Black students. She wanted to provide others with the educational opportunity she never had. Her gift garnered national attention, inspiring hundreds of others to donate and more than tripling her initial endowment. McCarty's generosity was recognized with numerous honors, including the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton, an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, and the distinction of being the first recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her story even inspired Ted Turner to donate a billion dollars to charity. The scholarship fund started by McCarty reached $1 million in 2025, on what would have been her 117th birthday. The endowment now provides $2,000 scholarships to 20 students annually, continuing the legacy of a woman who believed deeply in the power of education. The museum is housed in McCarty's restored home, which was moved in 2019 to its current location in the Sixth Street Museum District. This district preserves and celebrates Hattiesburg's historic African American cultural hub of entrepreneurship and community life. The museum itself features displays about her life, her transformative gift, and an outdoor exhibit that recreates the laundry area where she worked.