History of the Bacot Foundation of
South Mississippi
In his last will and testament, dated September 4, 1975, E.H. Bacot of Pascagoula, MS expressed his gratitude for having been blessed with an accumulation of this worlds goods and desired to benefit the good people of Mississippi with any excess after ample provisions for the needs of his wife, Bertha Bacot. He foresaw the enhancement of educational opportunities for Mississippians as
the optimal method to accomplish
this desire.
Accordingly, after Mr. Bacot's death, Mrs. Bacot caused to be formed the BACOT FOUNDATION, INC. The charter, dated December 4, 1978, states in part: This corporation is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, literary and educational purposes, including, but not limited to, the encouragement of art and furthering higher education in the State of Mississippi This charter and its By-Laws authorize the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, which is a 501(C)3 exempt corporation, to receive tax-deductible donations, and to grant distributions to worthy and needy applicants, which in its judgment, best fit with the stated purposes of the Foundation.
Jolly P. McCarty was the beloved husband of Evelyn McCarty for 40 years. He certainly was one of lifes greatest champions. Known throughout the Gulf Coast for the generous donation of his time and energy for many charities and organizations to better individuals lives and ensure countywide educational progress, McCarty served on numerous boards of directors. At the time of his unfortunate death, he was enthusiastically serving as Secretary-Treasurer for the Bacot Foundation.
The family and numerous friends of Jolly McCarty noted the similarity and compatibility of the many areas of community outreach in which Jolly was contributing his personal leadership and effort with those causes supported by the Bacot Foundation. Accordingly, as a way to perpetuate these mutual efforts, they were merged into the renamed Bacot McCarty Foundation, Inc.
Recently, the Foundation name was changed back to the Bacot Foundation of South Mississippi as the foundation's reach now extends all across the region. It is governed by the same board of directors and has the same general purpose of addressing the unmet needs in our region.