University studies memorial gardens, arboretum proposal

Mississippi State alumni and others who have strong ties to the university may in the future be able to choose an outlying area of the campus as a final resting place.

The idea has been discussed periodically for several years and studied extensively in recent months by a university committee with financial support from the Mississippi State University Foundation.

The study has focused on designing and planning a combination memorial garden and arboretum. The memorial garden would offer burial sites in an attractive setting that would receive perpetual care from the university.

Envisioned as an integral part of the campus, the arboretum would provide a comprehensive laboratory for educational purposes and an open space to be enjoyed by the campus community.

The campus-based study committee has developed detailed topographic and soil surveys of the campus, held discussions with consultants experienced in the memorial gardens concept, and outlined a financial plan for operation and maintenance.

Focus groups with alumni have demonstrated widespread interest in the memorial gardens idea, said Dr. Billy Ward, vice president for institutional advancement.

The work of the committee meets two needs, Ward said. A number of academic areas have recognized a need to establish a campus arboretum for research and teaching. An earlier committee recommended several sites, but funding was not available. At the end of that process, the idea of establishing a memorial garden emerged, Ward said.

"This project could provide an ongoing trust to support the gardens and an arboretum," Ward said. "The entire operation would be self-supporting."

Over time, the project could generate a permanent endowment sufficient to maintain the memorial gardens and arboretum and the landscaping for the entire campus.