Contact: Joe Farris
Mississippi State University is gauging the support of its alumni and friends for establishing a memorial gardens and arboretum on campus.
The proposed site of a final resting place for graduates and supporters overlooks the main campus from the north and is across U.S. Highway 82 from what will become the main university entrance. The area will be landscaped with trees, flowers and shrubs, including native plants.
Already under way, a test-marketing phase will continue until mid-October, when a decision is due on whether to proceed.
The site is bordered by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Plant Science Research Center and by the Mississippi Research and Technology Park.
The arboretum will provide teaching and research opportunities for students and faculty outside the classroom and may eventually expand to encompass other parts of the campus.
"The number of space reservations during the evaluation period will help determine the future of the project," said Billy Ward, vice president for institutional advancement. "Sales during the test-marketing period are contingent on a decision to proceed with the project."
Charles Weatherly, the university's retired alumni association director, is leading the test-marketing effort. He said introductory prices have been established for standard burial sites, with pricing for special opportunities such as memorials, family gardens and other features to be developed later.
"Although alumni and friends of Mississippi State are the focus of the marketing effort, the memorial gardens will be open to anyone," Weatherly added.
A major portion of burial site costs will be tax deductible. The introductory price of an individual site is $3,000, payable over five years and with $2,500 of that amount to be tax deductible. Additional sites are $2,000, with $1,500 being deductible.
A brochure giving details about the project soon will be available from the university. To get additional information or reserve a site, contact Weatherly at (601) 325-3410.
Information also is available on the World Wide Web site at http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/friends/memorial/.