The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has announced the naming of its new shared facility for services provided by DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children’s Center for Communication and Development on the Gulf Park campus as Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall, in recognition of a generous $1.5 million gift from the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation.
This transformative gift supports the construction of a facility designed to expand the services and impact of two of Southern Miss’ most respected clinical programs, both housed within the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
Established in 1962, the DuBard School serves children ages three to 13 with severe speech and language disorders. Founded in 1974, The Children’s Center provides transdisciplinary services to support children from birth to age five, helping them reach key developmental and communication milestones. Both programs also provide hands-on training opportunities for pre-professionals. Since their founding, these esteemed programs have provided specialized support to more than 5,000 children with developmental and communication challenges.
Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall will open the doors to early intervention and therapeutic services to children and families along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
With dedicated therapy rooms, classrooms and collaborative learning spaces designed to serve children with complex communication needs, it will also provide a training environment for Southern Miss students pursuing careers in speech-language pathology, audiology, early intervention and related fields.
The naming of this facility honors the legacy of Kelly Gene Cook Sr., a philanthropist and Mississippi native who valued education, innovation and community advancement.