| Occupation: | Sports Supporter |
John O. Cunningham joins an elite group of supporters that have been elected to the Northeast Sports Hall of Fame. He joins Malcolm Kuykendall and Earline "Woodsie" Woods with this distinction.
Cunningham was an established businessman that was known as a tireless advocate for the Lady Tigers and Tigers. He remains as one of Northeast's biggest backers even in retirement.
The Baldwyn native owned Cunningham's Food Mart in his hometown for several years and was highly successful in that venture. His prosperity has seemingly gone hand-in-hand with the affluence of Northeast's nine intercollegiate athletic programs.
He became a member of the Northeast Board of Trustees in 1995 and still serves in that capacity. Cunningham currently holds the position of secretary for the 15-member board.
Cunningham also fulfills duties as part of the Northeast Development Foundation Board of Directors. He is one of four representatives from Prentiss County on this 20-person committee.
He and others on the board helped assemble an athletic giving program through the Northeast Development Foundation that has generated over $1 million for the institution over the past 16 years.
Cunningham is a familiar sight at Northeast sporting events. He can usually be found at courtside inside Bonner Arnold Coliseum or in a folding chair during the spring at either baseball or softball doubleheaders chatting about his beloved Tigers.