Inaugural Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Lecture Series Today 1:00 pm

The Mississippi Scholastic Press Association (MSPA) State Convention is today, Friday, April 1. The event will conclude with the Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Keynote Address at 1:00 pm in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

The inaugural Pamela E. Hamilton keynote speaker is Rose Jackson Flenorl. Rose is Manager of Social Responsibility in the internationally-recognized FedEx Global Citizenship Group. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, Rose was the first black female named to the student Hall of Fame and was chosen by Glamour Magazine as one of the top 10 college women in the United States. Rose continues to make an impact as a leader at her alma mater; she was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998 and in 2008 served as president of the national Alumni Association. She is a charter member of the Ole Miss Women's Council and serves as board chair of the University of Mississippi Foundation.

Dear Friends and Family of Pam Hamilton,

I’m writing to you today with a sense of urgency. The campaign to support the fund established in memory of our dear friend, Pam, ends tonight and we are $4,432 short of our $35,000 goal.  With only 13 hours left to donate, I strongly encourage you to make a contribution now by visiting ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact. With your help, I know we can reach, and even exceed, our goal!

Over the past month, the outpouring of love and support has been heartwarming. It truly is a testament to how wonderful Pam was and the number of lives she impacted. We all want to see her impact continue to inspire future generations of journalists. If we can help them embrace even a portion of the tenacity, honesty and work ethic that Pam displayed, we can make a huge difference in the arena of social justice and journalism. To ensure that Pam’s impact continues, we need to work together to make this Ignite Ole Miss campaign a great success.

I want to personally thank each of you who has donated, shared on social media and reached out to family and friends. Losing Pam has been one of the hardest challenges I have had to endure, but seeing how much she was loved and admired has made my grief easier to bear.

Please take a moment to view the video of Pam’s sister, Melissa, reading from Pam’s journal on faith. As always, her words were bold and fearless. Take a moment to share those words on social media using #PamsImpact.

Again, I urge you to click this link to make your donation today: ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact. If you have already donated, please consider giving a little more. Encourage your friends and family to do so the same. Let’s finish strong for Pam and make it to 100% tonight!

With love,

Keyana Washington, MD, MPH, FAAP

Pam’s Friend and Sorority Sister

Dear Friends and Family,

We are entering the final week of the online campaign to support the Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Fund. The sudden loss of Pam is still shocking and painful; however, the establishment of this scholarship has given us a way to continuously honor her memory.

Pam accepted Christ at a very young age while a member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church. She was active with the Junior Women’s Mission, church choir, youth ministry, NAACP, and various other community organizations. It was through these organizations that she developed the kind, loving, bold and gentle spirit that everyone remembers. It was also here that she published her first novel! Well, it was more of a comic strip inspired by children in the community, titled “Friends Forever.” The comic strip may never win awards, but the joy it brought to children was reward enough for Pam.

As a student at Raleigh High School, Pam excelled both in and out of the classroom. She was captain of the cheerleader squad, homecoming queen and valedictorian. Pam always supported her friends in their pursuits and was equally excited to see them achieve their goals.

After moving to Atlanta in January 2008, Pam joined Elizabeth Baptist Church and began taking small-group classes and volunteering with the data entry team. She greeted everyone she met with love and acceptance. Beyond church, she enjoyed using her talents to help others by editing documents and resumes for family and friends.

Pam’s lupus diagnosis was a shock to our entire family. As a result of the disease, she often experienced joint pain and fatigue, causing her energy level to decrease. Yet she continued to take on life’s challenges with excitement. We're sure Pam originally asked, “Why me?” as most of us would after such a diagnosis, but we are also positive that she was at peace with God’s plan. [View the video of Melissa reading from Pam’s journal.]

Our family truly appreciates all of you who have supported this memorial fund. We have so enjoyed hearing and reading about the wonderful memories you have of Pam. We knew how important she was to our family; however, it has been a blessing to learn just how many lives she touched. It is encouraging to know that, through the establishment of this fund, Pam’s legacy will continue to inspire others.

Please join us in supporting Pam’s memorial fund at ignite.olemiss.edu/pamsimpact and become a Pam ambassador by sharing the link with your family and friends.

Sincerely,

Albert, Cora, and Melissa Hamilton

Father, mother and sister of Pamela Hamilton

Dear Friends and Family,

I remember seeing Pamela Hamilton for the first time as she arrived at the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.  She walked gracefully, had big glowing eyes, and expressed a deep peace.  I never saw her frazzled.  In difficult situations, she would smile, say “Whatever,” and walk on.

The Honors College was established in 1997; Pam arrived in 1998. These first two classes of students set the high standard with which the college became identified. These students became campus leaders, including serving as presidents of the Associated Student Body and of the Student Judicial Council. We had a Rhodes Scholar, a Marshall Scholar, three Truman Scholars and five Goldwater Scholars. A majority of the Taylor Medalists and Hall of Fame winners came from the Honors College. Pam herself became Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Mississippian.

Pam had a profound sweetness that exuded goodwill and grace to all those around her. She would light up a room when she entered, yet never purposefully drew attention to herself. Always a team leader, she took pleasure in everyone’s success and consistently encouraged her classmates.

She deeply loved English literature and read extensively. She continued her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was religious and always faithful to her home church in Raleigh as well as her adopted one in Atlanta.

Pam’s life was short but beautifully lived. I encourage you to honor Pam by contributing to this memorial fund: ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact. View the video to hear what her fellow classmate, J.R. Rigby, has to say about her spirit. Then, share with your friends and family on social media using #PamsImpact. This will help other students, just as Pam always helped others.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Anne Payne, Ph.D.

Founding Director of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College

Professor of History

Friend of Pam Hamilton

Dear Friends and Family,

The Ole Miss family was stunned last August to learn of the passing of Pam Hamilton who had earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2002.

Pam was a member of the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College, the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, Mortar Board, the Lambda Sigma Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and the National Association of Black Journalists. She was editor of The Daily Mississippian.

After college, Pam worked as a reporter for the Associated Press in South Carolina. In 2007, she earned a master's degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her stellar career continued as she accepted various positions at the Associated Press, CNN and Thomson Reuters news service.

Clearly these are great achievements, but many students at Ole Miss have achieved at this level. What set Pam apart is a legacy of selflessness. Her focus never was on what was best for her or on her rights. Her obsession was to serve others.

Thus, in every position she held, in every honor she was awarded, she was committed to helping those in the community and to making a difference in the life of others.

Clearly, the great values she learned growing up in her family were expressed on this campus. Her legacy is all those whose lives she influenced and helped. She lived the words of I Corinthians 13: 4-7:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

In Raleigh, Hamilton was a member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church and in Atlanta she actively served as a data entry volunteer with the Assimilation Ministry at Elizabeth Baptist Church.

Please join me in donating to the Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Fund: ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact and view the video of Pam’s sister, Melissa, reading from Pam's journal about journalism. Take a moment to share those words with your friends and family on social media using #PamsImpact.

Sincerely,

Will Norton, Jr.

Professor and Dean

Meek School of Journalism and New Media

Dear Friends and Family,

One week ago, we launched the Ignite Ole Miss campaign to raise support for the Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Fund.  We are already more than half way to our goal of $35,000!  That is a huge accomplishment in such a short time, and we are well on our way to making sure Pam’s Impact lives on at the University of Mississippi.

This campaign shows what the Ole Miss family is about: sustained relationships and lifelong friendships.  I taught Pam when she was a student in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College over a decade ago, welcomed her as a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and watched her develop as a stellar professional. I also taught her lifelong friend and sorority sister, Dr. Keyana Washington, who is a driving force behind the campaign.  Their sisterhood shed light for many and now it will help provide a space for others to find that same friendship on our beautiful campus.

Won’t you help us keep the momentum going? Your gift will benefit a student in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and also support the larger Ole Miss community by funding an annual lecture on social justice and journalism.

This week, I extend a special invitation to all members of Greek sororities and fraternities, and especially my sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., to make a donation in an amount that is special to you and your organization.  Whether that donation represents the number of years your organization has been in existence, the year it was founded, or the date you joined your organization, please take this opportunity to make an impact and leave your mark on this campaign.

In addition to my other planned gift, I will start this week by donating $103 in honor of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s 103 years of sisterhood, scholarship and service.  I cannot imagine a better way to keep Pam’s memory alive.

Pam’s love and compassion was evident in the way she treated others and in her writing. Please take a moment to visit ignite.olemiss.edu/PamsImpact and view the video of Pam’s sister, Melissa, reading from her journal about sisterhood. As always, her words were bold, fearless and eye opening.  Take a moment to share those words with your friends and family on social media using #PamsImpact.

Thank you so much for helping us make this memorial fund a reality. Pam would be proud of the progress we have made so far.  I know I am.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ethel Young Scurlock

Associate Professor of English