Marshall Henderson Named Recipient of Pete Lewis Memorial Scholarship

Marshall Henderson, who starred for the Ole Miss men’s basketball team from 2013-14 and now serves as the Rebels’ graduate manager, has been awarded the Pete Lewis Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, named after Ole Miss’ longtime learning specialist Pete Lewis, will help Henderson as he works towards his master’s degree in hospitality management.
 
“We are so excited that Marshall Henderson will be the recipient of the Pete Lewis Memorial Endowment. Had Pete been able to select the first recipient himself, there is no doubt he would have chosen Marshall,” said Pete’s wife, Mary Lynn.

Lewis served as a coach, teacher and principal for 36 years in education before joining Ole Miss in the fall of 2007. He began as a mentor for student-athletes and soon after transitioned into a full-time role within the student-athlete development office. Lewis served in this position for just under a decade before retiring in May 2017 to fight his battle with throat cancer. Six months later, Lewis passed away at the age of 73.

The Pete Lewis Memorial Scholarship Endowment was started by former head coach Andy Kennedy, who made a $25,000 contribution to create a scholarship in Pete’s name. Following Pete’s passing, the Lewis family asked in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the scholarship endowment.

“I know Marshall is extremely excited to be the recipient of the Pete Lewis Scholarship,” said head coach Kermit Davis. “I didn’t know Pete personally, but I have heard so many wonderful stories about the job he did as an academic advisor and how he helped so many student-athletes at Ole Miss.”

Having such a tremendous impact on Ole Miss student-athletes, Lewis’ legacy and memory live on with the endowment, starting with Henderson as the first recipient.

“Getting the Pete Lewis Scholarship caught me completely by surprise, and I was super excited when I found out,” said Henderson. “I knew Pete. He was an incredible guy to be around, always smiling and laughing, always making people around him feel better. I remember when AK (Andy Kennedy) started the scholarship fund, but I never expected it would end up helping me. Paying for school has certainly heightened my level of gratitude for a scholarship, and I hope this endowment can continue to grow and help former players returning to further their education.”

Since the creation of the endowment three years ago, it has grown into a scholarship that will help recipients continue their education.

“Thank you to Ole Miss Athletics for honoring my dad’s memory in such a wonderful way, and a special thanks to Andy Kennedy who planted the seed which made this endowment possible,” said Pete’s son, Webb.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports