by L.A. Warren
Notable Jackson State University alum and automobile dealership tycoon Winston R. Pittman Sr. donated $250,000 to his alma mater – a gift matched by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III, bringing the total award to $500,000.
Pittman, president and CEO of Winston Pittman Enterprises, has dealerships in Kentucky, where he resides in Louisville, as well as automobile businesses in Ohio and Georgia. His companies offer a range of vehicles: Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Nissan, Lexus, Toyota, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Scion and Subaru.
The native of Grenada, Miss., is a 1972 graduate of JSU. In October 2012, the university held a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating the auditorium in the College of Business in honor of Pittman and his wife, Alma Dent Pittman. Married 45 years, they have three children, Winston Jr., Misty Withers and Jabari D. Pittman; and four grandchildren.