Bart and Christy Broome, the parents of the late Dane and Brett Broome of Batesville, have created a lasting memorial to their two sons in the form of an annual scholarship at Mississippi State University. 

The scholarship is funded by a $50,000 gift from John Cook of Purvis, a Batesville native and lifelong friend of the Broomes.

After hearing the Broome family had lost both boys, Cook reached out to the Broomes and together they decided that creating a perpetual scholarship fund at MSU would be a great way to create a lasting memorial.

“Bart and Christy are two of the finest people I have ever known,” Purvis said. “I wanted to help them create a lasting memorial to their two incredible sons, and to give back to my hometown in some way.”

Brett Thomas Broome (Oct. 23, 1985 – May 21, 2005) was a 2004 graduate of South Panola High School, where he was active in the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Risqué Business Drama Team. While in high school, he was president of Student Council, co-captain of the Drama Team, in the Merit Class for gifted students, in the leadership class, and selected for the Citizenship Award.

He was also a member of the First United Methodist Church in Batesville. He was a rising sophomore at the University of Mississippi where he was also a member of the Ole Miss Chancellor’s Leadership class.

Dane M. Broome (Aug. 6, 1990 – Jan. 25, 2024) was a 2009 graduate of South Panola High School, where he excelled in school and baseball. Dane was very involved in his high school days at South Panola. He was a member of the Risqué Business Drama Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the leadership class. 

He enjoyed many years in the Boy Scouts, receiving the highest rank of Eagle Scout along with the high honor of being in the Order of the Arrow. He also served three years with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of America and was the Hoby Youth Leadership delegate. After high school, he attended Mississippi State University and Northwest MS Community College. 

Dane worked for United Parcel Service and then went on to work for Frontier Fencing in Grenada. He was a member of the former First United Methodist Church and recently a member of the Providence Baptist Church in Grenada, where he was baptized. Dane was everyone’s friend and his kindness to everyone will never be forgotten.

The Dane & Brett Broome Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Memorial Annual Scholarship is administered through the MSU Scholarship Committee. 

• Candidates must be full-time entering freshmen or community college transfers enrolled at Mississippi State University.

• Entering freshmen must have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA and community college transfers must have a minimum 3.0 All Transfer GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

• Candidates must have demonstrated leadership ability.

• Candidates must have demonstrated financial need.

• Preference will be given to candidates who graduated from South Panola High School, North Delta High School or Northwest Mississippi Community College.

• Preference will be given to residents of Panola County.

If no candidate meets either preference, then any Mississippi resident candidate will be considered so long as they meet the remaining criteria.

The scholarship will be awarded on a year-to-year basis. Students who are recipients one year are eligible for consideration in any other year; however, they must again comply with the selection criteria.

To apply for this scholarship or to donate funds, contact the MSU Foundation at 662-325-7000 or send an email to info@advservices.msstate.edu.