Susan Barksdale Howorth remembered by scholarship

The memory of Susan Barksdale Howorth, daughter of Sally McDonnell Barksdale and wife of Circuit Court Judge Andrew Howorth, will be preserved in a scholarship named in her honor that will benefit education in the fine arts at The University of Mississippi. Howorth, a graduate of the Ole Miss School of Law, died at the age of 44 in February. She was an avid supporter of the arts and an active member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council. In an interview with Ole Miss News, Andrew Howorth said establishing a scholarship at the university was the perfect way to honor the memory of his late wife. “Susan had a thirst for knowledge,” Howorth said. “Susan came from a family with a very strong commitment to education. I think she would be pleased with this scholarship and she would want to make art education more accessible.” Howorth, family and friends have established the fund within the Ole Miss Women’s Council, with $100,000 as the starting gift. Individuals and organizations are invited to contribute. Mary Ann Fruge, chairwoman of the Ole Miss Women’s Council, said she believes the scholarship will be an apt memorial to Howorth. “This scholarship will carry forth in (a) concrete sense Susan’s belief in the power of art in a person’s life and in her belief that you can contribute positively to other people’s lives,” Fruge said. “We are grateful for her husband and family choosing to honor Susan in this way — the Women’s Council is humbled to have the scholarship.” A dedication ceremony will take place this 3:30 p.m. at the Ole Miss Women’s Council’s rose garden, when the Susan Barksdale Howorth Scholarship will be announced alongside a scholarship funded by Harry and Vicki Sneed. The event is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.