Campaign chair is Mississippi State's Alumnus of the Year

The national general chairman for The Campaign for Mississippi State is Mississippi State University's National Alumnus of the Year for 1996.

James K. Ashford of Naples, Fla., who has served as the volunteer leader of Mississippi State's first major gifts effort since it began in 1992, received the honor at the Alumni Association's Annual Awards Banquet on campus in January.

A native of Starkville, Ashford received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Mississippi State in 1958 and completed the Harvard Business School Senior Management Program in 1976. In 1991, he retired as president and chief executive officer of J.I. Case, a subsidiary of Tenneco Inc.

Since his retirement, Ashford has assisted with various volunteer projects and has been involved with his investment and management company, The Ashford Group. In 1993, he assumed the role of chief executive officer of AP Parts International Inc.

In 1995, Ashford was honored as the College of Business and Industry's Alumnus of the Year. In 1986, he was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award by the university's School of Accountancy.

He and his wife, Jacque, have pledged $500,000 to establish the James K. Ashford Endowed Scholarship Fund for entering freshmen in the College of Business and Industry. The scholarships are awarded to high school students in Mississippi based on need and on academic achievement and leadership.

In 1993, the Ashfords provided funds for construction of the university's Walk of Honor, a permanent display of bricks on the historic Drill Field recognizing donors who contribute $500 or more to The Campaign for Mississippi State.