Mississippi Commissioner of Revenue Herb Frierson donated a $50,000 endowment fund to Mississippi State University.

“I was glad to do it, I just think it’s so important that we have more technical and academic graduates to be from Mississippi to be competitive in the world market,” Frierson said.

Frierson said he used money leftover from his campaign fund to make the donation.

“I had all that money in my campaign account and I figure that I should put it to good use,” he said.

After putting two children of his own through college, Frierson said he knows how expensive it is.

Frierson set up the scholarships for graduates of his alma mater, Poplarville High School.

He is also an alumnus of Pearl River Community College, which he attended for one year before transferring to MSU.

“I don’t think I would have achieved what I have achieved in my life if I hadn’t gone there,” Frierson said.

Frierson also created a $7,800 endowment scholarship at PRCC that will go to a graduate of Poplarville High School each year, he said.

“We’re proud that Mr. Frierson has established this scholarship to benefit a student from our local Poplarville school system to direct students toward vocational trade education,” Ernie Lovell, executive director of the development foundation at PRCC, said.

Frierson said more politicians should make similar efforts with their leftover campaign funds, rather than pocketing them.

Mississippi is one of the last states to pass legislation against taking home campaign funds after paying the necessary taxes, he said.

“It’s a tremendous gesture to reinvest the funds back into the community,” Lovell said. “Anytime that we have someone such as Herb that’s willing to support the kids in our community that’s great.”

Frierson graduated from MSU in 1981 from the College of Education and went on to work as a real estate appraiser and high school teacher and coach, according to a press release from the university.

His wife, Cheryl, is also an alumna of MSU, graduating in 1982 from the Bagley College of Engineering, states the release.

The Herb and Cheryl Frierson Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to Poplarville students who meet academic criteria, states the release.