MSU mourns distinguished alumnus Billy W. Howard Sr.
Contact: Sid Salter
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University mourns the loss of Billy W. Howard Sr., a legendary business and manufacturing icon, MSU Hall of Famer, and respected alumnus. Howard, who died on January 28, 2026, at age 99, built a global electronics manufacturing enterprise after attending MSU on a football scholarship in the 1940s and earning a degree in electrical engineering in only three years.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum praised Howard as a “visionary leader and a loyal Bulldog” who faithfully supported his alma mater.
“What a privilege it has been to come to know Mr. Billy Howard and to learn from the example he set of building an economic powerhouse in the Pine Belt of his home state and reinvesting at every opportunity in his beloved Mississippi State,” said Keenum. “As a leader, as an engineer, and as someone who provided countless jobs and opportunities for the people of our great state and beyond, Billy Howard maintained a reliable humility and was, from his youth to the end of his productive life, the ultimate teammate. MSU will miss his generosity and philanthropy, and I will greatly miss his wise advice and counsel.”
Howard lettered in three sports at Mississippi State from 1944 to 1946. He excelled in football for three seasons and also played basketball and track and field for two seasons.
While playing basketball, he made varsity as a freshman at MSU. During his track career, he competed in shot put, discus, javelin, and high jump.
Though he participated in three sports, football was his greatest strength. He made the first team in football for three years and played offense and defense for nearly every minute of each game. He was nicknamed “Iron Man” Howard after being the first player to complete a full 60 minutes in one afternoon under Coach Allyn McKeen. He scored the winning touchdown with 30 seconds left in MSU’s upset victory over LSU in 1945.
After graduation, he received the National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award, along with the Mississippi State Outstanding Alumni Award and the MSU Engineering Award. He served as National President of the MSU Alumni Association and was a member of the MSU Development Foundation and Engineering Board.
Howard founded Howard Industries, Inc., and was honored with numerous awards throughout his life. He also served on various boards and associations across Mississippi.
In June 2025, MSU’s new 110,000-square-foot indoor Billy Howard Indoor Practice Facility was named in his honor after Howard Industries made the lead gift for its naming. Howard’s donation is expected to enhance the Mississippi State football program by providing top-tier resources and fostering player development.
Keenum noted that the support for the practice facility was part of a broader pattern of athletic and academic backing from Howard and his company. In 1997, Howard and MSU established a formal partnership to provide practical experience and job training at his Laurel manufacturing plant.
“So many MSU electrical engineers got their start at Howard Industries, which I know instilled a deep sense of pride in Billy Howard,” said Keenum.