Northwest Foundation honors Bourne family

In appreciation for the support given to the students of Northwest Mississippi Community College, Sybil Canon, associate vice president of Development and Special Projects presented a plaque of appreciation to Dr. Robert I. Bourne Jr., of Camden, Tenn.

Bourne and his late wife, Anne Riley Bourne, have established two endowments at Northwest: The Lena Rivers Harris Riley Scholarship Endowment, in memory of Mrs. Bourne’s mother, and The Ann Eliza Allison Harris Scholarship Endowment, in memory of Mrs. Bourne’s grandmother.

Ann Eliza Allison Harris was the widow of DeSoto County Sheriff William P. Harris, who was killed in the line of duty during the 1920s. When Sheriff Harris was killed, his wife, Ann was left with nine children to raise as a single parent, with one of those children being Lena, who was Mrs. Bourne’s mother.

Through the generosity of the Bournes, more than $100,000 has been donated to provide scholarships for Northwest students.

In presenting the plaque, Canon expressed thanks on behalf of the Foundation and the college. “Dr. Bourne and his dear wife, Anne Riley, visited our campus one time when we were honoring Sheriff Harris with a DeSoto County Fallen Hero Scholarship. Since that time, they have contributed to Sheriff Harris’ endowment and have established two others to honor Sheriff Harris’ wife and daughter. We are deeply grateful, not only for the help this will provide our students, but for the honor given to this fallen hero and his family,” Canon said.

Students wishing to apply for these scholarships should contact the Northwest Foundation Office at 662-560-1112 or visit the website at www.northwest ms.edu/scholarships.