Ole Miss receives $10M donation from alumni for new $125M accountancy building named Jones Hall. Project aims to bolster national recognition of Patterson School of Accountancy and provide state-of-the-art facilities for students and faculty. Donation from Jonathan B. Jones to enhance program excellence and benefit future generations of students and professionals.
Rendering courtesy of the University of Mississippi
Pending approval by the state Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees, the 100,000-sq.-ft. $125 million academic facility will be named Jones Hall.
To bolster its efforts to construct a new, $125 million, 100,000-sq.-ft. accountancy building, the University of Mississippi at Oxford received a $10 million donation in late October from one of its alumni.
The gift will allow Ole Miss to move its nationally-recognized Patterson School of Accountancy (PSOA) from its current home in Conner Hall to the new on-campus structure, due to be built at the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop.
With the donation from Jonathan B. Jones, the CEO of Jones Capital in Houston, Texas, and Hattiesburg, Miss., the new building will be renamed Jones Hall, pending approval by the state Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees, the university announced Oct. 28.
University architects have teamed with a pair of architectural firms — Perkins & Will, headquartered in Chicago, and JH&H Architects, located in Flowood, Miss. — to design the elegant building, "ensuring that it becomes another iconic landmark on campus and signaling the great value Ole Miss places on providing our students with a world-class education in an exceptional environment," according to a news release from the school.
Although Ole Miss officials have not indicated when construction is likely to begin on the new Jones Hall, the university has said that it is projected to last two years.
In addition, when it is finished, the new four-story building will free up much-needed space in Conner Hall for the School of Business Administration to expand and better serve its record 5,900-member student body.
Plans call for the Jones Hall to provide the PSOA academic facility with new classrooms, offices for faculty members and administration, a 250-seat auditorium, 19,700 sq. ft. of learning environments, and an 11,866-sq.-ft. space that can be used for events and other special activities.
The university envisions the new building to be an important recruiting tool for top faculty and students. Additionally, the additional space will allow Ole Miss to house the entire accountancy department under the same roof to provide an even stronger sense of community.
Gift Meant to Bolster Program's National Recognition
For several consecutive years, the University of Mississippi has been a mainstay among the nation's 10 best accountancy programs and is currently ranked No. 8 nationally, according to the school.
Jones and his wife, Paula, consider the gift to Ole Miss an investment in their passion for education, Mississippi, better workplaces and job creation.
"The naming is meaningful to me because the Patterson School is the No. 1 college program in Mississippi as far as national rankings," explained Jones, a member of the 2004 graduating class at Ole Miss. "We have a chance to strengthen the Patterson School, for it to be a shining light, the tip of the spear for the university's national recognition.
"That pairs with our university's growth, with our record freshman class, with our high interest from out-of-state students, recognizing with their applications that Ole Miss is becoming the best to other states, not just to Mississippi, and with our success in athletics," he added.
Paula Jones echoed her husband's enthusiasm for the new facility.
"As a family, we have always believed in the transformative power of education, not just for personal success but for the betterment of entire communities," she explained. "Jonathan's experience at Ole Miss was instrumental in shaping the path he's taken, and we hope this gift will provide future generations, including our own children, with the same opportunities to achieve their goals and dreams."
Mark Wilder, the dean of accountancy at Ole Miss, called the Jones' donation the most significant and consequential" in the school's history.
"Their support will encourage higher levels of excellence for future generations of accountancy students, professionals, and business leaders," he noted. "We greatly appreciate their investment in our university and school — and we are honored to have the Jones name on our new academic home."
In 2018, Jones founded his firm to provide private capital to a diverse group of middle-market businesses. He is the former CEO of Jones Cos., founded in 1949 as a family business that began with a lumber mill in Sandy Hook, Miss., adjacent to the Dexter community where Jones grew up.
Today, Jones Capital encompasses an international portfolio of 11 directly controlled companies across the industrial, infrastructure and software sectors. It employs more than 1,600 people worldwide.
According to Jones, the company's mission is simple: help communities, provide jobs and enhance lives.
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