George Schloegel began his banking career as a high-school-age mailroom associate at Hancock Bank in Gulfport, MS. Over his career spanning more than 60 years, he worked his way up through the ranks, managing nearly every facet of bank operations, to the position of Chairman and CEO. From 2009 to 2013, George served his hometown as Gulfport’s Mayor, and was instrumental in the city’s and the Gulf Coast’s continued economic development following Hurricane Katrina.

For 40 years, George Schloegel was a beloved instructor at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU and the Mississippi School of Banking. In his tenure, it is estimated that he touched the lives, both personally and professionally, of some 10,000 graduates of both schools. He was a pillar in both his community as well as the banking industry, with a heart of charity, advocacy, and service.

George passed away on Friday, October 6, 2023, at the age of 83. Right up to his death, he kept his original key to the mailroom in his pocket to remind him that through hard work and dedication, anything can be accomplished.

To honor George’s legacy, the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, in partnership with Hancock Whitney Bank and the Mississippi Bankers Association, has created the “George A. Schloegel Memorial Scholarship,” which will be awarded annually via application process to one deserving banker from the 15 Southeastern states within the GSBLSU footprint. Unlike other scholarships offered by GSBLSU, which cover first-year tuition and fees, the GAS Memorial Scholarship will cover tuition and fees for the full three years of its recipients’ enrollments and will serve as a tremendous honor to its awardees.

Hancock Whitney Bank, Mississippi Bankers Association Foundation, and GSBLSU have made the necessary investment to fund the first year of the scholarship, and we are looking for further contributions from our partner banks across the Southeast to build that investment to a point that will sustain all three awarded scholarships, which cover all tuition costs and fees, via investment income.

The George A. Schloegel Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the legacy of a man who gave so much of himself to his community, to his state, and to the banking industry. The scholarship is awarded annually via application process to one deserving banker from one of the 15 southeastern states within the GSBLSU footprint (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, & WV).