Jane Magnum Hederman Named MC Alumna of the Year

An active member of the Mississippi College Executive Board, an unabashed ambassador for the University, and a mother in a family that has long supported the Christian University, is set to receive the highest alumni honor from her alma mater.

Jane Magnum Hederman, a 1967 graduate of MC and secretary of the Mississippi College Board of Trustees, will accept the 2022 MC Alumna of the Year Award during the Homecoming Brunch, scheduled from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in Anderson Hall on the second floor of the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

She will join her husband, Robert Hederman III ’64, as an Alumnus of the Year recipient. The prominent Mississippi catfish and timber farmer noted for his contributions to the state’s newspaper business was presented with the award in 2017.

Jane Hederman’s devotion to her husband – the couple met at an MC pep rally when she was a freshman, and he was a senior – and their fervent support of MC – the Hederman Science Building is a testament to a family passionate about the University – is well known at Mississippi College.

Jim Turcotte, vice president and executive director of Alumni Affairs at MC, called Jane Hederman, “the perfect example of an outstanding alumna.”

“When she was a student, she was very active on campus,” Turcotte said. “In the era since, she has served as a trustee and has helped us through many years of growth and challenges.

“I think she is one of the most deserving recipients of this award we have ever had.”

Bill Townsend, vice president and general counsel at MC, said her relationship with the University is deeply rooted.

“Jane Mangum Hederman’s ties to MC run through her own family, her husband’s family, her in-laws, and countless friends across the years,” Townsend said. “Jane is one of those alums who deeply loves MC and is always working to connect people to MC.

“Her heart for MC beats strong.”

MC’s Alumna of the Year Award is special to Hederman, and while she is humbled to receive the honor, she insists the University should remain the focus of any accolade.

“This is not about me,” said Hederman, who also received the Distinguished Alumna Award from MC’s Department of English in 2001. “This is about Mississippi College, why I love it, and what it has meant to me through the years.”

Her father, W.C. Mangum, a successful pharmacist in Magee who had attended MC in the late 1920s, instilled a passion for the University in his two daughters. The last public event he attended was MC’s Homecoming in November 1966 – one month later, while Jane was home for Christmas break, he died unexpectedly.

“When I returned to school in January, the college family comforted me over that devastating loss,” she said. “That’s just one reason why the school is so important in my life.”

She took part in a number of activities at MC. She was a cheerleader, served on the student body president’s cabinet, and maintained an active role in the Baptist Student Union, singing in the BSU choir (“you learn a lot of scripture when you sing all those great songs,” she said) and representing the BSU on small group visits to Baptist churches across Mississippi.

She served as president of the Kissimee Social Club and president of the Intertribal Council, and was selected Homecoming Queen during her senior year. A 1967 MC Hall of Fame member, she was also named Miss MC.

In charge of special events, she organized a Miss Mississippi College pageant that would be recognized by the statewide Miss Mississippi organization. In its second year, Joan Myers of Forest not only won the Miss MC title, but was crowned Miss Mississippi, which allowed her to compete in the Miss America pageant.

“I rode with 20 other MC students in a bus to the Miss America pageant. It took two days to get there and two more days to get back, but it was a wonderful experience because Joan placed first runner-up to Miss America.”

An added benefit was the friendship Hederman developed with Clarice Mooney, the assistant registrar at MC who kept Myers’ scrapbook. That friendship has lasted for 52 years and is still important to Hederman.

Before she graduated from Mississippi College, Hederman had been accepted into the English graduate program at Baylor University. But Dee Grantham, dean of women, offered her an opportunity to remain at MC, earn a master’s degree in education and counseling, and serve as her assistant.

“The Lord led me to change my decision, and I accepted her offer,” Hederman said. “It changed my life. I learned greatly about college administration during my time in that position.”

After she had obtained her graduate degree, MC President Richard Aubrey McLemore informed her that the University of North Georgia had written to him seeking candidates for a dean of women position, but he expressed his regret that the school in Dahlonega had set a minimum age of 30 for applicants.

“He had thrown the letter away, and it was in the garbage closet down the hall,” she said. “Overnight, the Lord dealt with me, and I couldn’t get that opportunity out of my mind. I decided to apply anyway, and the next morning, I was in the closet, looking for that letter.”

McLemore submitted a recommendation on her behalf, and despite being eight years younger than the age requirement, Hederman was offered the position at the coed military institution.

“I took with me the things I had learned at MC and the faith that was needed during the height of the Vietnam War,” she said. “All of the ROTC cadets at North Georgia graduated as second lieutenants and went off to the war. Some of them did not return.

“During that time, I always remembered the blessings that had come from the structure of faith at MC. It led me to help form a women’s student government, which had not been there before, and help create many new religious opportunities for women on campus.”

After two years at North Georgia – and four years of dating Robert – the couple married on July 17, 1970. They lived in Hattiesburg for six years while Robert served as publisher of the “Hattiesburg American,” then moved to Jackson when he became general manager of “The Clarion-Ledger.”

“Marrying Robert has been the greatest event in my life,” she said. “He opened so many doors for me and supported me throughout everything I’ve done.

“You look back at the choices you make, and you think, ‘Did all that really happen to me?’ MC helped train my life on the importance of making sound spiritual choices. That helped me be obedient to the Lord’s calling.”

The Hedermans have three sons: Robert, Steven, and David, each of whom have accounting degrees. Robert and Steven earned their M.B.A.s, while David earned his M.Th.

Strongly interested in their education, Jane volunteered to serve on the parents’ organization at Jackson Academy. She became president of the group, was named to the Board of Trustees at JA, and ultimately served as president of the board. All the while, she volunteered to lead youth programs at First Baptist Church in Jackson.

She deepened her understanding of commerce by volunteering to work alongside her daughter-in-law Terri in her sons Robert and Steve’s wholesale pet food business. Because of her practical experience, scholarly expertise, and love for the University, she was asked to serve on the Board of Trustees at Mississippi College.

During her tenure on the board, she was on the committee responsible for recruiting Blake Thompson to serve as MC’s twentieth president.

“We are so blessed that he accepted our invitation to lead our University,” Hederman said. “He has brought so much youth and vitality to the office. He’s a true visionary with great energy and ideas.

“Serving on the board at MC has put me in contact with some dynamic spiritual leaders. MC’s faculty, staff, and administration are all committed to the cause of Christ, and that is felt throughout the community.”

In addition to her service to MC, Hederman has been active in a number of spiritual, educational, and civic efforts. She has been on mission trips to Romania, Brazil, and St. Petersburg, Russia, with FBC Jackson; she has served on the board of Magnolia Speech School; and she has been an active member of the Junior League of Jackson, among other activities.

The Hedermans’ passion for MC is reflected in four successive generations of the family who attended Mississippi College. Their oldest son, Robert, is married to an MC graduate – Amy McCormick Hederman, the daughter of Robert’s college roommate, John McCormick, past president of the MC Alumni Association.

Their youngest son, David, attended MC before obtaining his master’s in theology from Fuller Seminary in California. As a pastor, he helped plant Grace City Church in Jackson, where he served for 10 years before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. His wife, April, also graduated from MC, earned her M.D., and is now a pediatric hospitalist in Charlotte.

Three of their eight grandchildren currently attend MC. Twin sisters Avery and Erin Hederman are seniors, members of the first cohort of MC’s Honors College, and members of the women’s soccer team; their brother, Michael, is a freshman. In addition, the Hedermans have younger grandchildren, Steven, Drew, Cole, Connor, and Logan.

When she receives the Alumna of the Year Award in Anderson Hall, Hederman said she won’t be able to keep from thinking of all the outstanding individuals who have graduated from MC.

“I’ve always loved these events, because I get to hear about the accomplishments of our alumni,” she said. “I’ve stayed in contact with my MC friends, and they will forever be a part of my life.

“This award should be received by all alumni who love this college. It also belongs to them, not just to me.”

Tickets to the Homecoming Brunch cost $25 apiece, and RSVP is required. For more information, visit mc.edu/homecoming/.