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The Holmes Community College Development Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the James Murry “Son” and Walter Alford Scholarship to benefit students from Carroll and Montgomery counties.
This scholarship was initiated by Dr. Ronald N. Hunsinger and his wife, Lillian Alford Hunsinger, to honor the lives of her brothers (James and Walter) and their service as trustees to Holmes Community College.
Students, regardless of their Mississippi residence, must be selected on financial need, merit, and good character. This scholarship may be used in conjunction with other scholarships.
According to Lillian Hunsinger, their mother, Alva Bell Stewart Alford, attended Holmes in the late 1920s and completed necessary courses to teach in a one-room schoolhouse.
James, who passed away on Jan. 3, 2021, was next to attend Holmes after graduating from Vaiden High School. He graduated from Holmes in 1959 before going to Delta State University, where he received a math degree and returned to Vaiden High School to teach. While teaching, he also received a master’s degree and an education specialist degree from Mississippi State University. He later became the Superintendent of Education of the Carroll County School System. While superintendent, he joined the Holmes Board of Trustees and was on the board for more than 35 years.
Walter also attended Vaiden High School and came to Holmes out of high school graduating in 1967. After Holmes, he received a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and other post graduate work from Mississippi State University. He worked as Extension Agent for Carroll and Montgomery Counties before being named District Director for Southwest Mississippi and retired as Assistant Director for the Mississippi State Extension Service. He has served as a trustee for Holmes for more than 40 years and currently serves as president of the board and as a member of the Development Foundation Board of Directors.
Their late brother, Jerry, attended Holmes prior to being drafted in the Army in 1970. Upon returning from the Vietnam War, he began a successful business building custom homes.
Lillian was next to attend Holmes after high school and graduated in 1972 and was the last of seven Alford siblings. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Mississippi State University and an education specialist degree from Samford University in Birmingham. She served as a school principal and administrator for the Jefferson County School System in Birmingham for 20 years and retired as Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the 58 schools in Jefferson County.
Her husband, Ronald, also attended Holmes for one year before completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi State University. He then received his Ph.D in Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ole Miss before accepting a post graduate fellowship in Biochemistry at UAB School of Medicine and retired after serving for 31 years as a full professor and administrator at Samford.
“Without someone at Holmes working to ‘make a way’ financially for the Alfords to attend Holmes, attending would have been impossible,” Lillian Hunsinger said. “We grew up in poverty and needed any financial assistance available. We all used the Work Study Program, scholarships, grants and any other available funds. As a result, we are all successful contributing members of our communities and states as a result of our education and pivotal support given to us by Holmes.”
The James Murry (Son) and Walter Alford Scholarship is open to gifts from persons, estates and organizations. To donate to the James Murry (Son) and Walter Alford Scholarship, please send donations to the Holmes Development Foundation, P.O. Box 527, Goodman, MS 39079.
For further giving opportunities, contact Executive Director Dr. Lindy McCain at lmccain@holmescc.edu or call (662) 472-9067 or visit https://holmescc.edu/development-foundation/.
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IN THIS PHOTO: Pictured are (left to right) James Alford and Walter Alford at one of Holmes graduation ceremonies.
