CCRI receives $10M gift from philanthropist Jean Morris Adams in honor of late son and best friend

Too many Mississippians facing cancer leave the state for advanced treatment. Philanthropist Jean Morris Adams knows this all too well, and she is helping change that with a $10 million gift to It’s About Time: The Campaign for the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute.

Support from her and the Morris family was inspired by a lifetime of loyalty to the state and personal losses that made Mississippi’s health challenges impossible to ignore.

“We were born and raised in Mississippi and have lost loved ones to stroke and cancer,” said Adams, who also made a $10 million gift to the MIND Center at UMMC in 2023. “After my husband’s stroke, the long and uncertain recovery made it clear how important specialized care is. Learning about UMMC’s MIND Center made it an easy decision to give back, so other families might move through that difficult time more quickly and with greater certainty. Similarly, seeing friends and family suffer from cancer — and knowing many Mississippians either cannot or do not want to leave the state for care — inspired our support of the CCRI campaign. If we can help make cancer care world-class here in the Capital City, it will reduce suffering for many families across Mississippi.”

The Morris family was devastated by the loss of Kyle in February 2025. The youngest of five children, Kyle was full of life and jokingly called “The Golden Child” by his siblings. Kyle made every gathering fun and meaningful. Professionally, he transformed his passion for golf into a thriving business in Mississippi when he renovated the Live Oaks Golf Club. He named the event venue - The Reed House - after his mother.

A successful football player at the University of Florida, his grit and perseverance helped him face the challenge of a cancer diagnosis that is too common in our state. Kyle’s decade-long battle with cancer ended in 2025, but his impact will live on in the new cancer center and research institute. Just as Kyle honored his mother during his life, she is honoring his cancer battle by supporting the It’s About Time campaign, which has now reached more than 80% of its $125 million goal.

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, said Adams’ philanthropy is supporting both the new building and the Medical Center’s goal of achieving National Cancer Institute designation.

“When a philanthropist gives as selflessly and as thoughtfully as Jean Reed Morris Adams has, it elevates an entire institution,” Woodward said. “Her generosity to UMMC's MIND Center transformed care for patients with dementia across our state, and now her commitment to CCRI will do the same for cancer patients. This gift to CCRI will strengthen our ability to expand access to advanced cancer care, and her legacy here will endure far beyond this campaign.”

The planned 250,000-square-foot cancer center will be designed for collaboration across medical disciplines and research areas to deliver better patient outcomes, greater access to clinical trials and exceptional cancer care closer to home for Mississippians.

Adams’ husband, the late Fred Rodgers Adams Jr., founded Cal-Maine Foods in 1957, building the company from a feed mill into the largest shell-egg producer in the country. Cal-Maine, now a public corporation based in Ridgeland, produces more than a billion dozen eggs each year.

“The family has always kept Mississippi in mind,” Adams said. “Together with other family members, he grew the company and was blessed to provide employment for many — nearly 4,000 employees today. Because Mississippi has been so central to our lives and livelihood, giving back to improve health care in the state felt like the right and meaningful thing to do.”

Through Cal-Maine, Jean Adams met Delores McMillin, who became her closest friend for more than 50 years. She was at Delores’s side in September 2025 when she passed away from cancer just a few short months after Kyle. The new building will honor the legacies of both Kyle and Delores. The Kyle Shane Morris Infusion Suite will be the home for treatment to Mississippians, without them having to leave the state. And patients who complete their treatment will ring the ceremonial bell named for Delores.

Adams’ support for CCRI and its mission to gain National Cancer Institute designation is as meaningful as it is generous, said Dr. Rod Rocconi, Ergon Chair for Cancer Research and CCRI director.

“This gift will be transformational for cancer care in Mississippi,” Rocconi said. “Mrs. Adams is not only investing in a building – she is investing in the future of every patient who will one day receive care inside of it. Her generosity will be felt for generations to come, and we are deeply honored by her confidence in our vision.”

Meredith Aldridge, executive director of the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement at UMMC, echoed the impact of this generous gift on patients. “This gift will impact patients for generations. Like so many Mississippians, this is personal for Mrs. Jean. She has walked the journey of cancer with her son and closest friend, and she wants to help others who will face this journey. She is helping to make the very best care available to all Mississippians, and we are deeply honored by her support.”