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Mississippi State

features

Fall 2007 | Volume 83 | Number 3 USPS 354-520 One State. One Team.

From MSU to CEO: It all adds up for Richard Adkerson | page 2

President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong

Mississippi State has its share of successful alumni. Perhaps one of the most visible of late is Richard C. Adkerson.

Alumni Association Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni

Leadership program provides students a ‘third dimension’ of understanding | page 6

Jimmy W. Abraham (’75, ’77)

Vice President for Development and Alumni

In May, a group of MSU students traveled to South Korea as part of the university’s new Global Leadership Program, with the goal of broadening their world perspectives.

John P. Rush (’94, ’02)

National engineering society honors Foglesong with top alumni award | page 10 Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Ofﬁce of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 397625526; telephone 662-325-7000; or e-mail fcarr@advservices.msstate.edu.

Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325. Telephone, 662-325-3442 Fax, 662-325-7455 E-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu www.msstate.edu

Editor Allen Snow (’76)

Associate Editor Kay Fike Jones

Designers Becky Smith Mary Howell (’93)

Photographers Russ Houston (’85) Megan Bean

Tau Beta Pi, the world’s largest engineering society, is recognizing MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong as its 2007 Distinguished Alumnus.

Behaviorist coaches both pets and their humans | page 12 Dr. Jennifer Burgess has a photograph of a Suffolk ram named Raymond on her desk at the Wise Center—and for good reason.

Parker remembered as perhaps ‘greatest of all time’ | page 16 In November 2006, one of the greatest pro football players ever to come out of Mississippi State died in Edmonton, Canada. Yet, many in the MSU family may not recognize his name.

Paws for Health | page 18 The American Kennel Club has donated $100,000 to the College of Veterinary Medicine. The gift was used to purchase and equip a mobile vet unit to be used in times of disaster.

New book examines effect of Civil War rumors | page 20 MSU assistant professor of history Jason Phillips writes about Confederate rumors during the Civil War in his most recent book, Diehard Rebels: The Confederate Culture of Invincibility.

Foglesong reviews first year at MSU helm | page 22 Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers David W. Jones (’81), national president Andrew D. Hunt (’70), national ﬁrst vice president Charles Cascio (’79), national second vice president S. Keith Winﬁeld (’70), national treasurer Betty Latimer Black (’74), immediate past president

President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong says that he’s learned the value of patience and has been energized by his interaction with the Bulldog Family.

Campus news 25 | Alumni news 35 Foundation news 41 | Class news 48 | In memoriam 51

On the cover: The university’s new Global Leadership Program is helping students broaden their world views. Photo by Megan Bean. A Fall 2007

From MSU to CEO:

Ric KE — Phot

Adkerson with his sons Ryan, Tyler and Clark following the announcement of his gift to create an endowment for MSU’s School of Accountancy.

Adkerson credits his MSU accounting degree for giving him the fundamentals to succeed in business.

ississippi State has its share of successful alumni.

Former accounting professors, like Dora Herring (center), inspired Adkerson to succeed. Herring’s son Clyde (right) is now interim director of the school.

He also serves on the advisory boards for the Col

Perhaps one of the most visible of late is Richard C.

Business and Industry and the university’s Agribu

Adkerson.

Institute. His longtime support of Mississippi Sta

Adkerson stands at the helm of the world’s largest

to scholarships, several excellence funds and athle

publicly traded copper producer as its chief executive ofﬁcer.

In 1969, Adkerson earned a bachelor’s degre

Earlier this year, he led Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold

highest honors from Mississippi State. He then p

Inc., now headquartered in Phoenix, in the acquisition of a

master’s in business administration, which he atta

company twice its size—Phelps Dodge. The $26 billion deal

1970. Later, he completed the Advancement Man

r in the history of the mining industry.

Program at the Harvard Business School. Adkerso

-chairman of New Orleans-based

named outstanding accounting alumnus at Missi

tion Co., a NYSE oi mpany. ordinary career movi

accomplishments in 1989, and in 1 mnus of the Year for the business colle shes.

and driven alumnu

this year, Adkerson brought his association with

sy schedule for his b

ull circle by giving back to the accountancy

s as leader of the ste

ich he feels has given him so much. His

State of the Futuree ca

ift to Mississippi State’s School of Accountancy

MSU Foundation bo

wo endowed faculty positions—a chair and A Fall 2007

From MSU to CEO: It all adds up for Richard Adkerson

a professorship—and establish an operating fund for the

department stores. During Adkerson’s senior year in high school, the family settled in Kosciusko where Adkerson

tion of his generosity, the university renamed

graduated and then enrolled in nearby Mississippi State

nit the Richard C. Adkerson School of

University.

n the College of Business and Industry.

While an MSU student, Adkerson developed lifelong

ndowment, announced in August, enables

friendships with a group of ac

e to join the ranks of ﬁve other Southeastern

considers “family.” These spec

versities with named schools of accountancy.

Curry, Dora Herring, R.S. “Sc

l of mine to help the School of Accountancy

late W.W. Littlejohn, and the

ng tradition of excellence in preparing

Adkerson maintains a close co

ccessful careers in the accounting profession,”

so inﬂuential to his success.

“My vision for the school is to see it move a solid academic reputation in the Southeast to one of the leading accountancy schools in the nation.” For Adkerson, setting goals and striving to achieve them

Adkerson beneﬁted from accounting classroom as well. began keeping the books for c ﬁrm and worked for the Stark

has been a way of life. During his days as an MSU student,

Co. The hard work certainly

he was proclaimed capable of “zooming up the corporate

received the Elijah Watts Sells

ladder” by Bill Simmons, a now retired accounting professor

second-highest grade nationally on the CPA examination,

and Starkville businessman. Nearly 40 years later, the

an award he says he pursued thanks to a friendly challenge

prediction has proved true thanks to Adkerson’s unwavering

from Professor Herring for him to study to compete for the

determination—what he calls his “Bulldog” nature.

Mississippi Gold Medal.

Ambitious and motivated, he has never failed to seek opportunities in the challenges placed in his path, adapting to change at an early age as his family migrated through Mississippi— Corinth, Brookhaven and Tupelo— while his dad managed

It was also during his time at Mississippi State that Adkerson married his former wife, San Adkerson of Tupelo. She is an honor graduate of Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences and an ardent supporter of the university as well. Together, they have three sons—Clark, Tyler and Ryan. Following graduation,

“I encourage others to support Mississippi State in ways that are meaningful to them,” -Richard Adkerson

Adkerson was hired by a fellow MSU accounting alumnus—H. Devon Graham Jr.—as a Arthur Orleans, quickly erson gest

partners ever admitted at Arthu managing director of the ﬁrm’s W Industry Practice. In 1989, Adkerson joined F headquartered in New Orleans, “When I went to work for understood that I needed to dev and learn how to manage techn resources industry in order to ea become CEO of a major corpor Of course, Adkerson again continuing to climb the corporate ladder culminating in his current post as CEO of the company, which now boasts membership in the Fortune 150. During a recent Mississippi State campus visit, Adkerson shared his secret to success with a group of MSU accounting students and faculty. “Be a Bulldog,” he told a group of students assembled in the new Taylor Auditorium in the College of Business and Industry’s McCool Hall complex. “Persevere and

Accountancy students visit with Adkerso area of the College of Business and Ind business complex.

don’t let side issues distract you—go after what you want and accomplish it. Having a goal, being driven, having a

forgotten his roots an

competitive nature, and ﬁnding ways to succeed should be a

says Rick Stansbury, M

part of your life.” Despite his success, Adkerson remains quite grounded

If Adkerson coul State, he undoubtedly

in his MSU roots. The connections and the friendships

he will continue to su

forged at Mississippi State are always part of all that he does.

with his time and ﬁn

Adkerson and his wife Nancy have been signiﬁcant

university’s accountin

ﬁnancial supporters of both the university’s academic and

process.

athletic programs over the years. Mississippi State football,

“Fond memories

baseball and basketball have always been a signiﬁcant part

of the accountancy pr

of Adkerson’s downtime, and he is an ardent ﬁnancial

make this gift, and I e

supporter of MSU athletics.

State in ways that are

“Richard Adkerson is obviously a good business person—that speaks for itself. He’s also a good person—

“I know a good inves investment opportunity of a lifetime.” N

humble and genuine. He is also someone who has never

A Fall 2007

Korea

Study Tour

2007

I’ve heard about Korea all my life. My

graduate students would be acting as chaperones

grandfather Pete Vowell served in the Korean

and authority ﬁgures for the undergrads while

War, among others. Now, we all know about

in Korea. It’s not my habit to back down from

war stories, those yarns spun by the veterans in

responsibility, but the prospect of ﬁve graduate

our families that seem to get more fanciful as

students being in charge of 30 undergrads while

the years progress. But, two of the things Pete always said about Korea were how beautiful the country was, and how much he respected and

in a country where

provides students tuden

a ‘Third hird

admired the Koreans he served with. In March of 2007, my wife came

Leadership dership program og

on’ Dimension’

I did not speak the language was mildly intimidating, to say the least. But, this was a small price to pay for the opportunity to

experience another culture and people,

especially one

in with a press release

of understanding ng

with whom the

she received at work.

By Marcus Vowell — Photos by Megan Bean

such an important

It told about the Global Leadership

Program, an overseas study program Mississippi

United States has

friendship. This was a “no-brainer.”

On a side note, upon learning that I would

State was offering that was to take place in

be going to Korea, particularly that one of the

Korea.

places we would be visiting was the DMZ,

“You need to do this. It’s a great opportunity,” she said. “Ten days? I’ll starve,” was my ﬁrst reaction, I’m ashamed to admit. Being a typical American, the prospect of an utterly foreign

Pete said, “Be sure to look around for my boot prints. You should ﬁnd many sets going in both directions.” He’s a veteran and a hero, but he’s also a realist. I can’t say the plane ride was a bucket of

diet for a prolonged period of time gave me

laughs. Fourteen hours is a long time to spend

pause. However, I could not deny that it was a

in one building, much less in one chair. But,

marvelous opportunity, and as I had let a couple

once we landed, after a short trip through

slip away during my undergraduate years, I was

customs, we were ofﬁcially in Korea.

determined to seize this one.

We arrived at roughly 5 in the morning.

Dr. J.P. Shim, professor of management

Dr. Shim met us at the airport with a bus that

systems and one of the driving forces in creating

was graciously provided to us by Chew Young

the GLP Korea Study Tour, told me that the

Roo, a Korean food company that specializes

A Fall 2007

Leadership program provides students a ‘third dimension’ of understanding

in dumplings. Our schedule for the day would take us to

in the United States, but the top ﬂoor is devoted to exhibiting

Samsung Electronics, TU Media, the Seoul Metropolitan

Korean traditional institutions such as the tea ceremony and

Council chambers, and the Dongui Bogam Health

traditional music. Both were demonstrated for us beautifully.

Department Store.

The bottom ﬂoor of the store houses a museum honoring the

None of us had showered in over 36 hours. I was worried about the impression we were going to make on our hosts. But, everywhere we went, we were treated like celebrities. Someone was there taking our picture whenever we got off the bus, and not just Megan Bean, the fantastic photographer we

herbal cures. The ﬁrst three days in Seoul were ﬁlled with visits

turn was amazing.

the aforementioned Chew Young Roo 3, the ancient

numerous electronic products that have not yet been released

Kyongbokkung Palace 4, Seoul Tower, and many others. All were fascinating and we were always met with open arms. But, the most profound stop we made while there was the

to the public. A certain 80-inch plasma television is now on

Uniﬁcation Observatory at the DMZ 5. The other glimpses

my Christmas list. TU Media 1 is a content provider for

into Korean culture were intriguing, but they also were from

cellular television broadcasting, and we were amazed at how

demonstrations and performances. They were aspects of the

developed and pervasive this technology is in Korea, while we

Korean culture they were proud and happy to share with us,

are only now getting a small taste of cellular television here in

and rightly so. But, the DMZ provided an insight, at least for

the U.S.

me, into an issue that looms like a shadow over all of Korea. It

Dongui Bogam Health Department store 2 was particularly interesting, as this was the ﬁrst real

way of life of those who grew, prepared and administered the

to numerous locations, including the American embassy,

on the cutting edge of technology. Samsung demonstrated

with dioramas depicting ancient places of healing and the

brought with us. The level of hospitality we found at every

Samsung and TU Media were fascinating. Both are

history of herbal medicine in Korea. It was beautifully done,

was real in a way that nothing else could have been. I had always assumed that there was a sort of

exposure to Korean traditions we experienced. The

rivalry between North and South Korea. Here,

store is a department store, not too different from

in the United States, we’re used to looking at

what you would ﬁnd in some of the larger cities here

North Korea as the bad guys. Besides, there is still

S Fall 2007

something of a rivalry between the

written their prayers and hopes of

North and South here in the States, and

eventual uniﬁcation with the North.

that war was almost 100 years before the Korean Conﬂict. But, what I found wasn’t that, at

hospitality got even better. Our every

We We le rned a lot, l lo learned i d gained vvaluable aluable uable eexperiences… ex pperiences

All of the Koreans who were

need was taken care of, we were given

uisite accommodations, and we were

visiting the observatory kept a re

silence while in the Uniﬁcation R

all. What I saw was a solemn sadness,

and, indeed, throughout the museum.

a sorrow of a people whose soul is

To me, this was one of the most

split in two and who long to be whole

important cultural experiences I have

again. The Koreans very much consider

ever had in my life. Needless to say, m

as much of

themselves to be one people. There is

views on the North Korea-South Kore

uld. We

no such thing as a “North Korean” or

issue have changed considerably

a “South Korean.” Anything that is

standofﬁsh. It took some convincing to didn’t need

From Seoul, we split into g

keeping them separate from each other

to travel to the universities we would

samulnori (traditional drumming),

does so against their will, on both sides.

call home for the next week. My group

and, of course, taekwondo. I truly wish

traveled to what they referred to as a

that each one of these classes could

“smaller town,” only 2.5 million people.

have been for a semester or longer.

Many study with great interest everything they can about the way of life in the North. It’s not easy. There is very little communication between

If anything, once arriving at Catholic University in Daegu, the

Our Korean teachers showed almost superhuman levels of patience and

the North and the South. In fact, that is why the Uniﬁcation Observatory was built: to observe the North. The museum there displays the different styles of clothes that are common in the North, the ways in which the language has diverged (a remarkable thing, considering it has been only 50 years since the end of the war), and many other aspects of life across the DMZ. There was a room in the museum called the Uniﬁcation Room. It consisted of nothing but white walls where visitors to the observatory have

Marcus Vowell: back row, far right.

A Fall 2007

S Fall 2007

Foglesong

National engineering society honors By Maridith Walker Geuder

Honoring career accomplishments and guiding

principles, a national engineering honor society is recognizing Mississippi State President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong with its highest professional honor. Tau Beta Pi, the world’s largest engineering society, is

as individual programs for incoming MSU freshmen, sophomores, and juniors and a leadership academic minor. Under his leadership, the university has adopted its ﬁrst-ever comprehensive honor code, established a Center for America’s Veterans, initiated an African-American

naming Foglesong its 2007 Distinguished Alumnus. The

studies program, and created new outreach and economic

award has been made each year since being established in

development programs such as the Mississippi State

1997.

Community Action Teams.

“The program was established to recognize alumni

Enrollment, which had declined or was ﬂat the two

who have continued to live up to the ideals of Tau Beta Pi

years before Foglesong’s arrival, hit a record high of 17,039

and to foster a career of liberal culture on the local, national

in fall 2007, with an all-time high in number of freshmen,

and international scales,” said James D. Froula, executive

graduate students, and African-American students, among

director.

others.

The two most recent recipients include an Apollo 8

Since being at MSU, Foglesong has been designated

astronaut and an endowed chairholder of engineering at

by President George W. Bush as co-chair of the U.S.-Russia

Princeton University.

Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. During his military

A former president of the West Virginia Alpha

career, he served as a national security adviser at cabinet and

Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, Foglesong is being recognized for

presidential levels and as commander of U.S. Air Forces in

outstanding lifetime achievements, the organization said.

Europe. He has worked in 19 countries and, over his career,

President of Mississippi State since 2006, Foglesong

accumulated 30 military awards for leadership and technical

earlier spent 33 years in public service, retiring from the

skills. He is the author of 57 publications covering a wide

U.S. Air Force as a four-star general. Since arriving at

range of topics.

the university, he has launched a comprehensive strategic

Foglesong earned three degrees in

planning effort, FutureState 2015, and established

chemical engineering from West Virginia

leadership initiatives for high school students, as well

University. N

A Fall 2007

From MSU to CEO: It all adds up for Richard Adkerson

S Fall 2007

Behaviorist coaches both pets [

their humans ] By Kay Fike Jones — Photos by Megan Bean

Dr. Jennifer Burgess has Raymond’s photograph on her desk at the Wise Center, home of Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

As a clinical instructor of animal behavior, welfare

between the two of us and butt at

and human-animal bond, it’s easy to understand her

Damien to keep him away from

affection for the Suffolk ram.

me,” she recalled. “When I left

“I spent four years in the United Kingdom while

my husband was working on his Ph.D.,” she said. “While there, I traveled all over England and Wales as a

Raymond, Burgess’ protector

England, the people I worked with gave me a photo of Raymond to take with me.” Although classiﬁed as a part-time employee of the

veterinarian with a sheep research project. After this, I

state’s veterinary college, Burgess, who earned a degree

did a clinical residency in companion animal behavior.”

in forestry from MSU in 1990, busily divides her time

Research has shown that sheep, like humans, are

between teaching behavior, welfare and human/animal

able to identify other sheep—and humans—by sight.

bond classes to veterinary students and working with the

Raymond seemed to like Burgess, in particular, and often

clinic’s clients.

appeared very protective of her. “There was another ram there named Damien who was very aggressive and Raymond would place himself

However, don’t compare the animal behaviorist to TV’s self-proclaimed “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan! “The major difference between Millan and myself

A Fall 2007

dominance,” she explained. “This

have a place to go if they are nervous,”

is an oversimpliﬁcation of behavior

she advised. “Some animals will get

problems and can lead to inappropriate

under a table or bed so they can feel

treatment. For example, ‘dominating’

safe. The worst thing owners can do is

a fearful dog could make it become

to drag pets away from their safe havens

aggressive.”

to ‘comfort’ them. Leave them where

In fact, Burgess considers Millan’s

Along that line, Burgess also

She added: “I don’t teach owners to use

points out that some pets are quicker

‘dominance’ and physical punishment.

than others to understand what beneﬁts

Instead, I teach boundaries by using

them and how this knowledge can help

a consistent ‘learn-to-earn’ program

them manipulate their keepers. She

with positive reinforcement and non-

cites her family’s dog, Violet, as a good

physical punishments like ‘time-outs.’

example of “pets training their owners.”

We don’t have to scare our animals to

When put outside one winter

There iss one area in which Burgess

day shortly after the family moved to Starkville, Violet went to the ﬂoor-

agrees with Millan: the belief that a

length kitchen window and started

person’s energy can affect a pet.

shaking. Burgess’ husband Shane felt

“I deﬁnitely believe we pass on what we are feeling to our pets,” she observed, citing a thunderstorm-related example.

sorry for the “shivering” canine and let her back in the house. “Now this summer, she was out there ‘shaking’ when it was 100 degrees,

Burgess said that, while some dogs become nervous during a storm, they can come to understand that they

just so she could come inside,” Burgess said, with a laugh. As with young children, it is easier

have little to fear if in the company

to stop behavior problems before they

of calm dogs. Such usually isn’t the

start. It happens that this mother

case, however, when a human attempts

of two youngsters lists prevention as

to comfort a nervous dog in similar

her favorite teaching topic. She is

circumstances. Dogs don’t “comfort”

a proponent of the “learn-to-earn”

each other, so our reassurance acts as a

program because, as she puts it,

reward for their nervous behavior.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

“It will backﬁre and make the dog

they feel safe!”

methods to be fairly one-dimensional.

get them to do what we want.”

“Ignore them, but make sure they

For a well-behaved pet, she

more anxious and frightened,” Burgess

encourages pet owners teach the dog

said.

or cat the “rules of the house,” then

S Fall 2007

George Eliot

is that he relates everything to

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

Behaviorist coaches both pets and their humans

enforce them while providing ample rounds of exercise and

ask their clients about their pet’s behavior. This is one thing

entertainment.

Burgess hopes to change by teaching future veterinarians.

Cats also can be taught good manners through positive reinforcement, especially for food rewards! “Dogs are descended from wolves, but they aren’t wolves. Domestication has changed their behavioral and physical characteristics, so they won’t necessarily respond the same as

In many cases, Burgess ﬁnds that training the owners helps as much, if not more, as training the pet. Telling the owners what to change in their own behavior can make a difference, in most cases. “Take a barking dog, for example. Reassuring or telling

a wild animal,” Burgess said. “While dogs want to be around

off the animal, which, of course, are natural human responses,

people, they still have a pack mentality and look to the leader.

only make the barking worse. I try to teach owners to ‘speak’

But, being the pack leader doesn’t have to mean physical

to their dogs in a language their dog understands—using body

dominance. It’s all about control of resources.”

language, calm tone, reinforcement—to get the behavior they

Burgess said she regularly encourages families to make certain all humans in the home understand the importance of

want,” Burgess said. And, teaching is something this behaviorist hopes to do

supplying those resources. “Let the kids feed the pets to help

more of in the future. After her children are older, she sees

show that all the humans in the house are in charge,” she cited

herself spending considerable time in the classroom.

as an example.

“I want to do as much teaching as I can do. I want a

And when the pets inevitably “mess up,” what then?

whole program on behavior welfare and human/animal bond

Burgess said punishment for breaking the rules doesn’t

in place,” she enthused. “I’d like to have public seminars for

have to be physical. As a behaviorist, she tends to seek other

the average person who is adopting a dog from a shelter, for

methods to modify a bad behavior. If Fido has been chewing

example.

shoes, maybe he needs a time-out instead of a spanking and then be shown what he is allowed to chew on. The key, she added, is to be consistent in whatever reward

“I want to get more information out to the public so we will have fewer animals euthanized in shelters,” she continued. One thing she is excited about is the new Nestle Purina

or punishment is chosen. Always look for good behaviors to

Human-Animal Bond Visiting Lecture Series. The lecture

reward so that “no” is not the only thing your pet hears. Sadly,

series will debut in spring 2008.

she observed, behavior problems are the biggest single reason animals are taken to shelters. “We live in a disposable society, and if it’s not easy, we don’t want to do it,” she remarked, with a sigh. “I became interested in behavior problems because I wanted to decrease the number of animals relinquished to shelters. Anything that severs the human-animal bond can have welfare implications for the human, as well as the pet.” She said many pet owners never even tell their veterinarians about behavior problems, possibly because it’s somehow embarrassing, or they don’t realize that it can worsen with time. Unfortunately, 75 percent of veterinarians never

Burgess also admits to wanting to work more with

Just J t lk lik like aanold ld friend iend ie end d production animals, like the sheep she studied back in

ten them, and, it seems, some of

Years after she worked in Britain, Burgess returned on a

trip to the island nation. While there, she visited the sheep ﬂock where she once had worked. And, guess what?

“Raymond, ‘my protector,’ was in the group,” she recalled.

Pausing, she continued, with a smile: “He saw me and came running up to greet me

Just like an old friend. N

From 1953 Reveille

PARKER

beered as perhaps ES ST OF ALL TIME’ of th he

atest professional football playeers r to come out of Mississippi Sta State

d in Edmonton, Canada, at the

S Fall 2007

Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Parker came to MSU by a circuitous route. Most of the Southeastern Conference

mily would barely recognize his

schools and others of that era had

ame.

no interest in him because he had

ever played in the National Football

for the rest of his life.

ge of 74. Yet, many in the MSU

John Dickerson “Jackie” Parker

Canadian Football League and lived

married in high school. Parker’s older brother knew

eague. He played for two years at

Paul Davis, who at the time was

ate, 1952-53, before moving to

head football coach at Jones County

dmonton, Canada, where he played

Junior College and later would coach

r the Edmonton Eskimos of the

at MSU. Davis agreed to let him

play at Jones, regardless of marital status, and Parker enrolled at Jones in 1950. He had two outstanding seasons there, but still no four-year institution wanted him. But following a divorce, Parker signed a baseball scholarship at Mississippi State and made the football team, as well. His first year as a Bulldog quarterback, he scored 120 points to lead the nation in that department. During his two-year MSU career, Parker twice was voted Most Outstanding Player in the Southeastern Conference, and was Mr. Mississippi State his senior year. So, how is it that such a talented and versatile player bypassed the National Football League to play in the Great White North? Parker’s coach during his junior year at State was none other than the legendary Darrell Royal. By the time Parker graduated, Royal had moved on to become head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos. Well aware of Parker’s unique skills in the backfield, he enticed the young phenomenon—with a handsome contract—to cross the border and play for his team. Thus, in 1954, Parker began a professional career that can only be described as amazing. Playing mainly at quarterback, but variously as a running back, receiver, and kicker, he took Canada by storm. Over the course of his 14 years in the CFL, he ran for 88 touchdowns, passed for 88 more, kicked 40 field goals, scored 750 points, and passed for more than 16,000 yards. “Ol’ Spaghetti Legs,” as he came to be known, is widely regarded as the Canadian Football League’s greatest player of all time. After his playing career, Parker coached the British Columbia Lions for two years before being named general manager of that club. He returned to the Eskimos organization in 1983 as head coach, and retired from football in 1987. Mississippi State has produced many football greats over the years—Johnie Cooks, Joe Fortunato, Tom Goode, Kent Hull, D.D. Lewis and Tyrone Keys, to name a few. But that list would be woefully incomplete without the name of Jackie “Ol’ Spaghetti Legs” Parker near the top. N

[ ] Mississippi State has produced many football greats over the years— Johnie Cooks, Joe Fortunato, Tom Goode, Kent Hull, and Tyrone Keys, to name a few.

PAWS for HEALTH

By Erika Celeste — Photos by Tom Thompson

eanie for short. Like most dogs, the one-

esn’t like going to the vet. After all, it’s

melling room, where someone may give ut for many pets like Theanie, the story

was quite different after Hurricane Katrina. Injured, tired and hungry, many were glad to see anyone who would help them. To help make sure we humans provide better pet support when a disaster occurs, the American Kennel Club recently donated $100,000 to Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The gift was used to purchase and equip a mobile veterinary clinic. Dr. Philip Bushby, a professor of surgery who also oversees the mobile unit, is thrilled. “It’s wonderful to have it here. We’ve been working on this for a little bit more than a year, trying to

Dr. Philip Bushby oversees the mobile veterinary clinic.

get it here, so it’s great to ﬁnally have it.” The new MSU mobile clinic includes a 32-foot trailer with a full surgical suite, treatment room and small holding ward capable of housing up to 16 animals. “When there is a vehicle is fully equipped as a diagnostic lab nd surgery clinic,” explains Bushby. “We o the disaster zone, we can examine ured animals. If we think there are animals that have fractured or broken legs, we can take radiographs of them.”

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While the facility probably won’t do orthopedic surgery, it will be of beneﬁt because veterinarians will be able to diagnose and stabilize animals, while searching for a more equipped facility to handle such operations.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who have a heart for animals.”

The mobile unit also has some other capabilities that leave Bushby feeling like a kid in a candy store. “We have equipment to do serum chemistry so we can ﬁgure out what’s going on with an animal’s kidneys and liver. We also have hematology so we can ﬁnd out blood loss, anemia

And working with shelters is a passion that Bushby hopes to awaken in his students. “I believe it’s criminal that we treat animals as

or whatever. We are pretty much a fully equipped mobile

disposable items,” he says. “And anything that we can do in

clinic.”

this unit to help the shelters out to try and reduce the over-

Bushby also points out that while the mobile unit is

population of puppies and kittens, that’s what I’m really

mainly for small animals such as cats and dogs, disasters

excited about. I guess the other aspect that I’m really excited

don’t pick and choose which animals are affected. He says

about is that we’re exposing our students to this because

that no animal will be turned away based on size.

we’re getting every one of our students into animal shelters.

“The radiology facility in the unit is mobile. It’s on

They’re seeing the problem ﬁrsthand. I think our students

a pulley in the surgery room. We can remove it from the

are graduating with a much better recognition of the

pulley and take it outside and radiograph larger animals.

problem and the role they can play in solving the problem

We have equipment and supplies so we can perform minor

than when I graduated veterinary school.”

procedures on larger animals.” The mobile unit will not only help animals in their times of need, but also will be a valuable tool, providing hands-on experience for students. “I am really excited,” says third-year student Lloyd

However, Bushby adds that additional, long-term funding will be required to maintain stafﬁng, supplies and expenses in the years ahead. “After disasters, we’ll be going into areas that don’t have electricity. The unit has a diesel generator, so we can

Reitz. “I can’t wait to go out for some of the clinics and

generate our own power. Obviously, the diagnostic and

get the ﬁeld experience. That’s something that would be

surgical supplies that we need are going to be relatively

difﬁcult for undergraduates to get at a larger

s a great opportunity for people who have a

school. It just shows what a hidden gem

imals—who really want to ﬁnd a way to help

MSU’s vet school really is.”

to contribute.”

Only three out of every 10 puppies or

ugh Theanie isn’t looking forward to going

kittens born ﬁnd homes. So, students from the

he knife, she’s glad the mobile unit will be

College of Veterinary Medicine will be touring

to help other terriers, bulldogs and even

the state and surrounding areas in the mobile

for years to come—and that has her tail

unit providing spay and neutering clinics, so

agging! N

that dogs like Theanie won’t have puppies who can’t ﬁnd a home.

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[

They said Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s hubris cost him his life.

]

y said the Yankee general died on a surgeon’s table in an operating uly 1864, shortly after a Confederate cannonball ripped his arm from Since Confederates billed the Civil War as a battle between Gen. Lee and Grant, his death certainly showed the South would win,

proving its superiority. Not only did they spread good news of Grant’s agonizing, bloody death,

reports also surfaced about the North’s stock market collapsing and England and France supporting the Confederacy.

New book examines effect of

Civil War rumors By Robbie Ward

These non-events didn’t make the cut for students

to read in history books, but Confederate soldiers and civilians spread these rumors to keep morale high in the South and to help convince themselves their preferred reality existed. Mississippi State assistant professor of history Jason Phillips writes about Confederate rumors during the Civil War in his most recent book, Diehard Rebels: The Confederate Culture of Invincibility, Jason Phillips

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which will be published by the University of Georgia Press in November.

One essay from the book, “The Grape Vine Telegraph:

While Southerners believed a higher power would

Rumors and Confederate

guide them to victory, they also had practical reasons for

Persistence,” was included in

pushing rumors of false hope. During the last months of the

the prestigious “Best American

Civil War, Confederate leaders experienced problems with

History Essays of 2008,” a

desertion among their armies.

collection of about 10 essays

False rumors during the Civil War provide insights into

selected from several thousand.

early Southern psychology that likely served as a precursor

The Organization of American

to popular Confederate and Southern ideologies such as the

Historians, the premiere professional society of American

“Lost Cause” and “Never, Never,” which supported their

historians, selects essays for the collection.

ideals no matter the result and promoted the thought that

Phillips’ research into rumors during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, found very little previous

the South would emerge victorious some day. “Even religious leaders would spread rumors from the

scholarly research analyzing how newspapers, soldiers’

pulpit,” Phillips said of his research ﬁndings. “We can see

journals and other documents helped continue doomed

likenesses between wartime experiences of the soldiers and

hopes of a Southern army rising victorious against

the legacy of the Civil War and the South.”

“Northern aggressors.” “They believed there was no way God would let them lose a war to people who seemed so barbaric,” Phillips said. Phillips had to dig back to research by Harvard

Research by Phillips showed how some roots of the political, social and economic parts of the New South can be found in the Civil War in the South. “So much of Southern history during the Civil War

University psychologists on World War II soldiers’ rumors

can explain history long after the cannons stopped ﬁring,”

to ﬁnd something similar to his work. While rooted in

Phillips said. N

American history, Phillips’ book and essays also combine threads of psychology and sociology. A central theme of Phillips’ research revolves around why some Confederate soldiers continued to ﬁght and expect to win after so many successive defeats. “A culture existed in the South that believed it was superior to the North,” Phillips said. “During the war, these soldiers thought they were more than just superior. They thought they were invincible, invincibility rooted in white supremacy.”

“They believed there was no way God would let them lose a war to people who seemed so barbaric.” A Fall 2007

Reviewing his ﬁrst year as president of Mississippi

State, Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong says that he’s learned the value of patience and has been energized by his interaction with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends.

“I’ve been the new kid on the block, and I’ve

logged thousands of miles getting to know the extensive MSU family,” said the university’s 18th president, named in 2006. “Mississippi State has a presence in every Mississippi county, and our more than 100,000 alumni stretch literally around the globe. This has very much been a year of hitting the ground running and being in as many places as humanly possible,” he said. Within n weeks of arriving on the Starkville

FOGLESONG e e s

s yea y a

MSU helm

campus in April 20 2006, Foglesong appointed a crosscampus committee mmittee of faculty, staff, and students to year strategic stra build a 10-year plan. Called FutureState 2015, the resulting esulting document yielded more than 100 recommendations, about 70 of which already have been implemented or are ar substantially under way. The former four-star general adopted a theme of One State, One Team and announced the ambitious goal of becoming the most respected land-grant school

[

]

in the region.

“I believe that Mississippi State University has talent and a work ethic that are second to none.”

-Robert H. Foglesong

“To some, that seems audacious,” he admitted, “but I believe that Mississippi State University has talent and a work ethic that are second to none. After a year, I’m more convinced than ever that this institution can accomplish great things for the state and the region.”

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Initiatives under way in the last year: s THE ' 6 3ONNY -ONTGOMERY Center for Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Veterans, a national center that links veterans with educational beneďŹ ts and provides support as they transition to civilian life. Drawing on resources such as MSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Science Research Center, the new venture also will be able to provide research speciďŹ c to national veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; issues. s A COMPREHENSIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT SEEKS to ground students in out-of-classroom skills for success. An initial class of 29 sophomores and juniors make up the Appalachian Leadership Honors Programâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sonny Montgomery Chapter, and the program will expand this fall. New components in the leadership continuum are a Day One program for incoming freshmen and the Young Guns summer program for rising high school juniors. All focus on mentoring young men and women and involving them in service activities that foster community engagement, Foglesong said. s REVITALIZED INTERNATIONAL linkages. A Global Leadership Program is building on an already strong international emphasis at MSU, Foglesong said, with a recently completed Korea Study Tour the ďŹ rst of many he hopes to see. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our students must be comfortable with many cultures, and one of my goals has been to create linkages that will foster increased understanding,â&#x20AC;? he said. s AN !FRICAN !MERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM In place for the fall, the program will involve a variety of academic disciplines,

including literature, the arts, history, and political science, among others. s A REVITALIZED STUDENT RECRUITMENT EFFORT WITH Foglesong as the chief recruiter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to grow Mississippi Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enrollment by a manageable amountâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;300 to 400 more students each year,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have traveled across Mississippi and the South and have met literally thousands of prospective students over the last year to introduce them to the Great Bulldog Nation.â&#x20AC;? s A MILLION 2EACH FOR Excellence fundraising effort focused on academic excellence, faculty development and campus enhancements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our donors are making a difference in helping us move Mississippi State forward,â&#x20AC;? Foglesong said. s THE -35 0ROMISE 0ROGRAM A PRIVATELY FUNDED effort designed to ensure rising tuitions do not squeeze deserving students out of higher education. It has assisted more than 120 students in the ďŹ rst year. s THE -ISSISSIPPI 3TATE #OMMUNITY Action Teams, a coordinated effort that pulls together MSU resources to address issues of signiďŹ cance to local governments. MSCAT currently is working with nearly a dozen communities around the state. s A FORMALIZED (ONOR #ODE THAT REAFlRMS THE HIGHEST expectations of students to lead and learn with character. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to continue to build these programs, to ensure that we have adequate support for our academic foundation, and grow our research programs to extend beneďŹ ts to all Mississippians,â&#x20AC;? he said. If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been one surprise in the last year, Foglesong says, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the amount heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed to travel.

A Fall 2007

Foglesong reviews first year at MSU helm

“Our donors are making a difference in helping us move Mississippi State forward.” Foglesong

“I’ve often found myself jammed with recruiting, fundraising, economic development, and alumni

including many weekends, he adds that he’s seeing it pay off.

events, often in different parts of the state on the same

“I was advised by alumni and those engaged in

day, and each important,” he noted. “But perhaps the

higher education to spend this ﬁrst year getting to know

most important thing I’ve done was to visit separately

people and agencies that could help move the university

with many

forward,” he said. “That was good advice. “I believe my personal contact is having an effect,

of the university’s

either directly or indirectly, in helping raise tens of

academic

millions of

departments,

dollars for

and I look

research and

forward to

economic

meeting with the others as soon as I can.”

development,

During his months on the job, Foglesong has

generating

spoken to about 23,000 people at more than 140

a signiﬁcant

alumni meetings, civic clubs, recruiting events, and so

return to Mississippi; boosting the extraordinary success

on. He also received over 19,000 e-mails and covered

of our $400 million State of the Future campaign; and

more than 2,000 miles during daily runs.

contributing to a signiﬁcant increase in our student

“To cram everything in

application rate for the coming year,” he said. “There is still much more to do, and I intend to

this busy year,” Foglesong said, “I traveled tens of

stay as engaged this year as I was last year,” Foglesong

thousands of miles—not

said. “I’m as excited today as I was the ﬁrst day on the

including the 2,000 I ran.”

job.

While the travel required energy, time and resources,

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“This is the best gig I’ve ever had.”N

CAMPUS news Engineering team wins fuel-efficiency challenge Mississippi State’s Challenge X team placed first overall among 16 other universities this summer in the third annual national competition to

Challenge X Team

find innovative ways of redesigning a fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly SUV. The university team of undergraduate and graduate students was awarded the top position overall and in 10

individual categories at the nine-day competition in Milford, Mich. The challenge: to re-engineer a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox crossover sports utility vehicle using advanced propulsion technologies that increase fuel efficiencies and reduce environmental impact while retaining consumer appeal. Organized by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, the competition involved more than a dozen evaluations, among them acceleration, off-road performance, greenhouse gas impact, fuel economy, emissions, and consumer acceptability. Oral presentations and technical research papers also were part of the judging. Mississippi State will receive a total of $31,500 in prize money, including $15,000 from the National Science Foundation for the outstanding faculty adviser, electrical and computer engineering professor Marshall Molen.

HANDS OF TIME Local clock hobbyist Harold Rone had lots of time—and hands—on his hands recently as he worked to wind some of the more than 400 pieces in the Cullis and Gladys Wade Clock Museum. Located at the east end of the Wade Depot, the display of the couple’s lifelong collection adjoins the MSU Welcome Center, which opened last year. The museum opened in August..

The team designed a “through-the road parallel hybrid electric” vehicle with a 1.9 GM direct injection turbo diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel. The vehicle increased its fuel economy by 48 percent compared to the original design. MSU students worked many hours over the last three years on the competition, which actually continues for another year. In 2006, the team placed third overall in the competition, along with winning first place in individual categories.

Scholarship honors Eagle Scouts, Gold Award winners Mississippi State is announcing a new scholarship to honor students who already have achieved the highest honors of the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. Mississippi residents who have achieved the levels of Eagle Scout or Gold Award, respectively, are encouraged to apply for a one-time, $1,000 scholarship. Students meeting all requirements will receive $500 for the fall and spring semesters. Entering freshman applicants also must have a high school grade-point average of at least 2.5, based on a 4.0 scale. Community college transfers must have completed at least 48 hours of acceptable course credit toward an MSU bachelor’s degree, also with a minimum 2.5 GPA. To begin the scholarship application process, visit the MSU home page, www.msstate.edu, and click on the large blue icon labeled “Apply Online.” Additional information may be obtained by telephoning the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at 662-325-2224. A Fall 2007

CAMPUS news ‘Maroon Alert’ emergency announcement system begins

As part of continuing emergency response efforts initiated by President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, the university has created a new communication program named Maroon Alert. “We have reviewed our communication methods and have moved forward aggressively with new ways of notifying the campus of dangerous situations,” Foglesong said. A campus Crisis Action Team formed last year has worked closely with local and state responders in a series of periodic emergency drills, said Dean of Students Mike White, the team’s co-chair. “In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, we revisited our ways of communicating with the campus community, and we are implementing even more methods of notifying students, faculty and staff of emergency situations,” White added. The new text-message notification allows students and employees the option of receiving emergency messages on their cell phones. They also may choose to utilize instant messaging options to receive emergency pop-up messages on their personal computers. “We’re trying to reach students with technologies they use, as well as provide nearly instantaneous notification if needed,” White explained. Under the Maroon Alert system, other communication methods include: —An emergency Web page that provides continuous updates about the situation; —A system of campus sirens to broadcast a warning signal; —E-mail messages sent to official campus addresses; —Announcements on campus radio station WMSV-FM [91.1] and through other public media outlets; —Notifications from campus personnel authorized to use university radios; and —Loudspeaker notifications from key campus locations and roving police cruisers. “We take campus safety seriously,” Foglesong said. “We encourage every individual at Mississippi State to take reasonable precautions for their personal safety, and we’re committed to doing all we can to ensure the safest campus environment possible.” For complete information, visit www.MaroonAlert.msstate.edu.

MAROON A L E R T

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Search for finance vice president begins Mississippi State is launching a national search for the vice president of finance and administration. The position previously was held by Ray Hayes, who became vice chancellor for financial affairs at the University of Alabama System. President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong has appointed an eightmember search committee headed by Kirk Schulz, vice president for research and economic development, and has asked for a list of qualified names by mid-November. “We want to identify the best candidate possible and move expeditiously to fill this critical position,” he said. Foglesong recently named Wayne Bland, longtime MSU controller, as associate vice president for finance and administration. “With the naming of a new vice president, we will have a strong team in place,” he said. Schulz said the committee “will be aggressive in trying to secure a strong candidate pool.” Committee members, in addition to Schulz are: Mary Alexander, interim director, Office of Diversity and Equity; Bill Broyles, assistant vice president for student affairs; Wayne Bland, associate vice president for finance and administration; Jim Jones, executive director of facilities; Melissa Mixon, associate vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine; Barbara Spencer, professor and director of graduate studies in business; and Kevin Rogers, interim associate dean and professor, College of Business and Industry.

CAMPUS news Computer security program again earns recognition For the third time since 2001, Mississippi State is earning designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, a program designed to support federal goals for a secure cyberspace. The designation by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security recognizes approximately 80 colleges and universities meeting stringent criteria, said Ray Vaughn, MSU William L. Giles Professor of Computer Science and Engineering.

Vaughn, who directs the university’s Center for Computer Security Research, said the prestigious NSA credential acknowledges MSU’s success in meeting standards for academic course offerings, state-ofthe-art laboratories, faculty research, collaboration with other universities, and commitment to institutional practices, among others. “In order to become a Center of Academic Excellence, a university must demonstrate that its computer security courses meet standards published by the Committee on

National Security Standards,” he explained. MSU was among the first 26 institutions receiving credentials under the program and now holds certification through 2012. Mississippi State has provided scholarships to more than 50 students, with funding in place for several more years. Students currently are working for the Army, Navy, Air Force, national intelligence community, and Sandia National Laboratory, among others.

A Fall 2007

CAMPUS news Supercomputers help U.S. Navy ‘attack’ on-board fires Navy aircraft carriers now have a new safeguard to protect against fires and other related dangers. The service’s first fire and smoke simulation computer model developed by Mississippi State’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems received a certificate of verification, validation and accreditation from the Washington, D.C.-based Naval Research Laboratory. In accepting the accolade in June, university scientists said the program creates a powerful training tool to prevent injuries and death and decrease damages to the large ships. Tomasz A. Haupt, associate research professor and manager of CAVS’ cooperative computing laboratory, said basic accessibility is among the program’s greatest strengths. “Anyone can use it,” he explained. Whether a deck fire or one deep within the mighty craft’s complex interior, 21st century sailors will use the training model to determine best practices for safety and extinguishing fires. The CAVS’ high-technology computing power that determined the best ways to react to shipboard fire and smoke is expected to result in considerable savings. “The dollar savings is incredible,” said Frederick W. Williams, director of Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, in presenting the certification. “The accuracy of models is impeccable for what it’s used for,” he added. Since carrier fires can result in millions of dollars in crippling damage, constant testing is essential to assure the best safety practices. Now, instead of a single smoke-and-fire test situation costing $250,000, Navy

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Navy Technology Center official Frederick Williams (second from left) presents the certificate to MSU Vice President Kirk Schulz as CAVS officials Tomasz Haupt (left) and Rand German look on.

researchers can employ virtually limitless tests by using the MSUdesigned computer simulation model. In addition to surface ships, the CAVS model, developed through a partnership among MSU, Naval Research Laboratory and Hughes Associates Inc. of Baltimore, Md., has the potential to assist with safety issues associated with submarines, aircraft and buildings. Hughes is a global company specializing in fire safety and protection. MSU formed an additional partnership on the project with the Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Pascagoula shipbuilding operation, sharing informa-

tion that will help improve the safety of its vessels currently under construction. Additionally, Navy leaders will use the model to assist with general ship designs and as a tactical tool. In combat situations, for example, the model can determine how smoke and fire caused by enemy weapons would spread for up to 30 minutes on an aircraft carrier. While the technology now is being used for military purposes, Williams observed that it likely will filter into commercial cruise ship and other civilian industries.

CAMPUS news Donna Clevinger selected to lead MSU-Meridian An Ohio University administrator is Mississippi State’s choice to lead the university’s Meridian campus. Donna L. Clevinger has served since 2004 as associate dean of OU’s Zanesville campus. Prior to that, she was professor and chair of the theater department at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and, in the mid-1990s, led the speech and theater department at historic Blue

Pavilion designed with recycled materials A new multi-use pavilion at Starkville’s Green Oaks Park, designed by MSU students, opened in August. The construction project was completed over several months as a community service project by students in the university’s College of Architecture, Art and Design and College of Agriculture and Human Sciences’ department of landscape architecture. The park is located just off state Highway 12 West at the intersection of Whitfield Street and Avenue of the Patriots. It adjoins the eastern edge of Green Oaks Subdivision. Students designed and built the pavilion largely from recycled materials. For more information about the project, visit www.adaptivesystemskinetic.com.

Mountain College in Northeast Mississippi. Subject to formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor doctoral graduate began her new duties in early August. She replaces the retiring Harold J. Nichols. “We are pleased that Dr. Clevinger has accepted our offer to lead Mississippi State’s Meridian campus,” said university Provost Peter Rabideau in making the announcement. “She is a veteran administrator with a proven record of budget planning and preparation, as well as a deep commitment to community involvement in higher education. “It’s also to her credit that she has prior experience in Mississippi

collegiate education,” the vice president for academic affairs added. In addition to a 1980 doctorate from Michigan, Clevinger holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky in 1973 and 1975, respectively. She also is a graduate of the Harvard University Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. Established in 1972, MSU-Meridian offers upper-level undergraduate and selected graduate programs through its divisions of Arts and Sciences, Business and Industry, and Education. The campus also operates the downtown MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts, and provides a cooperative degree program in nursing with the University of Southern Mississippi.

REFLECTIONS Night lights along George Perry Street are mirrored on the perfectly calm surface of Chadwick Lake near the Joe Frank Sanderson Center.

A Fall 2007

CAMPUS news Students now have account flexibility

Graduation achievement spotlighted by minority publication

A new Mississippi State service offered this fall allows students to transfer credit account balances electronically rather than standing in line for checks. Developed for the university’s student account services office, the program, dubbed “Bull-e-buck$,” provides a number of new options for transferring credit balances from accounts such as remaining financial aid, said Wayne Bland, associate vice president for finance and administration. “We traditionally have asked students to come personally to our office in Garner Hall and stand in line,” he explained. “Our new secure online system will be much more convenient for students who choose to use it, and it will create much greater efficiencies for the university,” Bland added. While students still may opt to get a paper check, the new electronic fund transfer will allow them to move all or a portion of their credit balance while sitting at a computer. “Or, they may simply leave the funds in the existing account to apply to future charges,” Bland explained. For more information, visit http:// www.controller.msstate.edu/sas/morebeb.htm.

Mississippi State ranks 61st in the United States for bachelor’s degrees awarded to African-Americans, according to a publication’s new survey. By awarding 448 degrees to black students during the 200506 academic year, the university increased black college graduates by 11 percent, the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education survey reported. The Virginia-based magazine’s annual listing of the top 100 colleges and universities awarding degrees to black students includes both historically black and white institutions of higher learning. MSU also was ranked according to degree programs, including ninth in education, 15th in agriculture and related fields, 27th in engineering, and 48th in physical science. During the 2006 fall semester, some 2,280 African-American students attended classes on the Starkville campus. They represented nearly 20 percent of the maincampus enrollment.

Bull

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CAMPUS news S.C.-born historian to lead African-American studies Historian, author and scholar Stephen Middleton’s life represents an example of African-Americans’ access to the American Dream and obstacles they had to overcome to achieve it. For Mississippi State, the new history professor and director of the land-grant university’s new AfricanAmerican Studies program represents a long-term commitment to research, statewide community engagement and teaching of a people’s story within the larger context of American history. A South Carolina native from a family of eight children, Middleton spent time in his youth participating in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Reared in a rural environment where he worked as a plowman and cotton picker, he realized that life had other opportunities for him. “As a teenager, I decided to do something else,” Middleton said.

MAN-EATING TREE? When looking for bats, Dave Richardson must go where the nocturnal animals hang out— literally. While searching for a bat roosting and breeding site to be featured on MSU’s Natural Wonders television feature series, the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge biologist and MSU alumnus made a visual survey of the dark cavity in a water-loving bald cypress tree. Photo by Dave Ammon

Middleton went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in history from Morris College in 1976 and, the following year, a master’s in black studies, with a concentration in African-American history, from Ohio State University. Later, he earned a history doctorate from Miami University (1987) and attended New York University Law School for a time. Middleton comes to MSU from North Carolina State University, where he had been a professor since 1989. He earlier taught at the University of Cincinnati and Wilberforce (Ohio) University. Middleton has written four books in his research specialties, race and law. Among them is The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Ohio, 17871860 (2005, Ohio University Press). His current book project focuses on

Robert Heberton Terrell, a former Virginia slave who became the first black person appointed to a U.S. municipal judgeship. Middleton said his short-term goals for the African-American Studies program include the development of an undergraduate minor and certification program, along with a graduate minor and certification for master’s and doctoral students. Long term, he is hopeful that MSU students will have the opportunity to major in the field. Middleton said MSU’s AfricanAmerican Studies program has special meaning for Mississippi, considered one of the major focal points during the civil rights movement. “We’re committed to scholarship and dissemination of knowledge,” Middleton said. “We’re serious scholars committed to the American dream, not just for African-Americans, but for all people.”

NSF grant allows undergrad research Mississippi State is receiving a $300,000 National Science Foundation research experience grant that will address both scientific and human challenges. In addition to having the university’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems investigate something called high-rate phenomena, the award also is designed to encourage more undergraduate students to pursue advanced degrees in engineering and science fields. Heating, cooling, compression, and expansion are some examples of high-rate phenomena.

A Fall 2007

CAMPUS news S T A T E

Y O U R

P R I D E

An internationally recognized authority on HIV and AIDS policies and research has begun a four-year term on a federal review panel. Janet S. St. Lawrence, a professor at MSU-Meridian, joins a team of professionals chosen to consider research grant applications associated with prevention of the virus and lifethreatening condition. They will meet three times a year in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer L. Seltzer of Starkville, a graduate student in applied anthropology, recently received the Southeastern Microscopy Society’s Ruska Award for Student Research. Microscopy includes any technique for producing visible images of structures or details too small to otherwise be seen by the human eye, using a microscope or other magnification tool.

Longtime Mississippi State administrator Vance H. Watson is being named director of MSU Extension and Outreach, a position he has held on an interim basis since 2005. The new title was approved in August by the state Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning. Watson also is vice president of MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, as well as director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

A graduate of the professional golf management academic program who became an award-winning Professional Golfers’ Association of America instructor is the new director of the university’s public golf course. Anthony L. “Tony” Luczak began work in May as director of golf in the recreational sports department, a Division of Student Affairs unit. A 1990 MSU graduate and PGA member since 1992, he previously owned and managed a national golf academy in Clifton Park, N.Y.

Two members of Beta Gamma Sigma are being recognized for outstanding achievements in the College of Business and Industry. Juniors Jessica J. Faulkner of Natchez and Corey Hancock of Louisville recently received $1,000 scholarships from the business honor society at the conclusion of the spring semester.

A Mississippi State graduate student is being honored for her work with an electron microscope in research associated with Southeastern Native American tribes. 32

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A computer engineering graduate student was selected to receive a highly competitive fellowship awarded annually to about 1,000 students nationwide. Wesley James Holland of Florence was awarded a 2007 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship. The foundation awards fellowships to students who demonstrate the potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering.

The head of the department of electrical and computer engineering is adding the prestigious title of Fellow

of the American Society for Engineering Education to her list of professional achievements. Sarah A. Rajala also has been selected as an educator of the year by the international organization.

A veteran administrator is assuming new responsibilities at the land-grant institution. Controller and Treasurer Wayne Bland is the university’s interim associate vice president for finance and administration. An MSU employee since 1980, he will oversee functions that include the offices of procurement and contracts; receiving and property control; accounts payable and travel; printing; office supply; and mail services, as well as controller and treasurer.

Sandra H. Harpole of West Point, an associate vice president and physics professor, is part of the 2007 class of the Mississippi Business Journal’s “Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women.” She is among the latest group selected by the Jackson-based publication for its annual recognition of professional women making significant contributions to society and the workplace.

The National Society of Professional Engineers is bestowing a major honor on the undergraduate coordinator in the Bagley College of Engineering. Robert A. Green recently was named to the organization’s 2007 Fellows class. Chosen by active NSPE members, the designation recognizes

S T A T E exemplary service to the profession, organization and community.

H. Michael Barnes is a new Fellow of the Society of Wood Science and Technology. Barnes, of the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, recently received the honor by the professional organization for his work in wood preservation and durability, wood treatment and treatment effects on wood properties.

Mississippi State’s Gulf Coast Community Design Studio is being honored by the American Institute of Architects’ regional organization for its work with the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. The AIA/Gulf States Region presented the College of Architecture, Art and Design’s Biloxi-based outreach program with a 2007 Honors Citation during the national professional body’s annual convention. Selected from more than 120 submissions, the Gulf Coast studio was among only 22 recognized for design excellence.

Two seniors from Starkville again are champions in national competition sponsored by the American Institute of Floral Designers. For the second consecutive year, Mariah R. Baird and Jena Oh took best overall team honors in the student challenge held this year at Palm Desert, Calif. Oh also won best overall individual honors, as well as first in flowers-to-carry and second in driedflower design.

CAMPUS news

Y O U R

Mark W. Lehman is being honored as the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants’ 2007 Outstanding Educator. An associate professor in the university’s School of Accountancy, he received the annual tribute at the organization’s recent summer gathering.

Five Mississippi students, three from Louisiana and one from Illinois are receiving Mississippi State’s top scholarships for the 2007-08 school year. MSU’s latest Distinguished Scholar class includes Matilda I. Asuzu of Baton Rouge, La., Caleb Y. Brasher of West Monroe, La., John R. Carroll of Meridian, Halston R. Hales of Clinton, and Brooke N. Harris of Florence.

A nationally recognized administrator in the College of Forest Resources is on track to become president of The Wildlife Society. Bruce Leopold, head of the wildlife and fisheries department, recently was elected as TWS vice president. In 2009, he moves to the top administrative office of the 10,000-member international organization founded in 1937. Leopold is a longtime Wildlife Society member who previously served on its governing council and as Southeastern Section representative.

Mississippi State’s student chapter of the Society of American Foresters continues among the top organizations of its kind in the nation.

P R I D E

The 40-member body recently placed first in the SAF Student Chapter Web site competition and now ranks second overall in the outstanding student chapter category. The chapter now has won first place for five years in Web site competition. Designed and maintained by members, the site—www.cfr.msstate.edu/ studentorgs.saf/—was judged on design and content, among other criteria.

A member of the mathematics and statistics faculty is joining the Shackouls Honors College as its associate director. Kevin P. Knudson began his new duties in mid-August, working with college director Nancy McCarley. The associate professor will serve as mentor for the Distinguished Scholars Program and coordinator of the Honors Undergraduate Research Program.

An alumnus and fundraising veteran is the university’s new executive director of development. James V. “Bo” Hemphill IV now will lead efforts to obtain non-public funds, including constituency-based major fundraising, annual giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation support. A Starkville native, Hemphill has been serving as development director for the College of Business and Industry. He becomes the second member of his family to serve as foundation director. His father, James V. Hemphill III, held the position in the 1980s.

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ALUMNI news Local chapters play vital role with scholarships Mississippi State’s alumni chapters are making a difference across the university through annual and endowed scholarships that enable deserving students to attend MSU. Currently, 39 chapters across the country sponsor MSU scholarships, typically awarded to students in the chapter’s local area. Most recently, the Central Mississippi Alumni Chapter established an endowed scholarship with a $25,000 gift. Earnings from the endowment will be used to fund the annual scholarship payouts. The chapter is also continuing its fundraising efforts to add to the amount of scholarship money available annually. Several alumni chapters have established multiple scholarships for local students. The George-Greene County Chapter has a total of three separate scholarships available to incoming students, two of which are endowed. Other alumni chapters with multiple scholarships include the chapters in Lee, Oktibbeha, and Warren counties. “We are so pleased with the efforts of all alumni chapters who have set up scholarships,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the alumni association. “They mean so much to so many, as they provide deserving students with the funds they need to attend MSU, as well as give our alumni chapters a way to give back in a tangible, meaningful way.” The MSU Alumni Association has 87 chartered alumni chapters throughout the United States. Local chapter members serve as MSU representatives in local communities by hosting events ranging from socials to student recruitment parties to community service projects. The association has

Central Mississippi Chapter leadership presented a $25,000 gift to the MSU Foundation at its annual Summer Extravaganza in July.

chapters in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. “The local chapters are the lifeblood of our Alumni Association,” said Abraham. “They reach students, friends, and MSU fans at the grassroots level—something we would not be able to do without them. Their continued financial support of chapter scholarships is invaluable, and we are

excited about a long future of growth and development with them.” Gifts of any amount from individual donors may be designated to a specific chapter’s endowed or annual scholarship fund. For more information about contributing to an existing scholarship or establishing a new chapter scholarship, contact Cathy Lammons, director of donor relations, at 662-325-7843 or clammons@advservices.msstate.edu.

Currently, 39 local alumni chapters have established endowed scholarships for MSU students. These include the chapters in: Atlanta, Ga. Attala County Baton Rouge, La. Birmingham, Ala. Bolivar County Central Mississippi Claiborne-Jefferson Counties Clay County Coahoma County Covington County DeSoto County George-Greene Counties Hancock County Harrison-Stone Counties

Houston, Texas Huntsville-Decatur, Ala. Jackson County Lauderdale County Lee County Leflore-Carroll Counties Lincoln County Lowndes County Memphis, Tenn. Mobile, Ala. Monroe County Nashville, Tenn. Neshoba County New Orleans, La.

Oktibbeha County Pearl River County Prentiss County Sharkey-Issaquena Counties Southeast Mississippi Sunflower County Tippah County Union County Warren County Washington County West Tennessee

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ALUMNI news Send-off parties conclude with success More than 2,500 alumni, friends, students, prospective students and parents attended a local MSU Alumni Association Send-off Party this summer. The series of send-off parties was designed to introduce incoming and prospective students and their families to Mississippi State. In all, 32 parties were held in six states over a two-week period beginning July 24 and ending Aug. 10. The 2007 events were jointly sponsored by the MSU Alumni Association, local alumni chapters, and the Office of Admissions and Scholarships. “The annual send-off parties are truly oneof-a-kind events, and they have had a tremendous impact on our newest members of the Bulldog Family,” said Jimmy Abraham, associEast Texas Send-off Party ate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the alumni association. “They’re a great recruiting tool, provide local recognition for our alumni chapters, and are a wonderful opportunity for MSU faithful to get together.” Representatives from the MSU Alumni Association and the Office of Admissions and Scholarships were on hand at each local event along with many MSU faculty and staff. Drs. Rodney and Allison Pearson, a husband-and-wife team of professors in MSU’s College of Business and Industry, were among the West Tennessee Send-off Party many faculty members participating in the 2007 events. “This is our second year to be part of the send-off parties,” said Allison Pearson, professor of management for the business college. “Rodney and I love the opportunity to be involved in these events. It gives us the opportunity to see former students, now alumni, hosting and attending the parties, as well as do our part to welcome the newest Bulldogs to the family. We’re honored and excited to be part of this new MSU tradition.” “We were so pleased that all our alumni and friends could come together to support our incoming students in this special way,” Abraham said. “And we hope everyone will mark their calendars next summer for the 2008 send-off parties.” Atlanta Send-off Party 36

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Want to stay INVOLVED?

Each month, the Alumni Association and its local alumni chapters host events on campus and across the country. We just may be in your neighborhood! Visit www.alumni.msstate.edu often for an updated calendar of events.

Want to make your newest addition an official

BULLDOG?

You can receive a “Future Bulldog” certificate for your son or daughter by simply calling the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at 662-325-2224, by e-mailing admit@msstate.edu, or visiting http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/ friends/futurebulldog.html. You must include the child’s full name, your address, and the year he or she will be a freshman at Mississippi State. Start your Bulldog traditions now.

ALUMNI news Traveling Bulldogs Alumni and friends can travel in “Bulldog-style” to many exotic domestic and international destinations in 2007-08. All Traveling Bulldogs endorsed trips include informative education programs, the services of a professional campus director and expert local guides. Schedule your next great Bulldog adventure today or visit www.alumni.msstate.edu for more information.

Make a

Peru, featuring Machu Picchu Feb. 14-21, 2008 Legends of the Nile, Egypt March 5-15, 2008 Voyage of the Western Mediterranean April 30–May 8, 2008 Cruising the Baltic Sea and Norwegian Fjords (hosted by MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong and First Lady Mary Foglesong) June 4-16, 2008 The Great Journey through Europe July 3-13, 2008 Alaska July 19-26, 2008 Italy—Sorrento and Orvieto Sept. 9-20, 2008 Village Life in the Italian Lake District Oct. 4-14, 2008

STATEment

with the official MSU license plate When the time comes to renew your license plate or purchase one for your automobile, show the world that Mississippi State is your institution of choice with the MSU tag. The cost of a collegiate license plate is just $51 per year in addition to the normal cost, and $32.50 of that fee is a taxdeductible gift to the university. Proceeds from the sale of MSU license plates fund priority programs at your alma mater. So go ahead—show your support for Mississippi State with the official MSU tag.

Donald “Duck” Mosley, left, and James Wray Bush were among 39 brothers of the Delta Chi chapter of Kappa Sigma from the 1950s and their spouses who gathered on campus in April for their second biannual reunion. A highlight of the dinner dance was the return appearance to campus for the first time since 1956 of the legendary Zeus. Mosley died in July.

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ALUMNI news Alumni Association Joins Mississippi Celebration in the The Alumni Association participated in the 28th annual Mississippi in the Park Picnic in New York City’s Central Park in June. Hundreds of native Mississippians and local New Yorkers were in attendance for the event, which is a celebration of Mississippi – its people, history, culture, organizations, businesses, and much more. Mississippi in the Park provides an annual opportunity to showcase MSU and the state of Mississippi. Members of the Mississippi state government, including Governor Haley Barbour, attended the celebration, as well as several Mississippi organizations, businesses, and six institutions of higher learning. Several representatives from Mississippi State were on hand, including staff of the MSU Alumni Association, academic colleges and units, the Division of Academic Outreach and Continuing Education, and the Division Miss MSU Danielle Smith of Student Affairs. Several local prospective students also and Alumni Association Executive Director Jimmy attended the picnic, where they received Abraham were among information about Mississippi State and other those representing Mississippi colleges and universities. Mississippi State in NYC. “We always enjoy participating in Mississippi in the Park,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. “One of the richest rewards of the event is the opportunity for MSU alumni who live so far away from campus to interact on a personal basis with Mississippi State University. We are thrilled to be part of this special experience and extraordinary celebration.”

Big Apple

Hundreds visited with Mississippi State representatives at the Alumni Association and MSU Foundation tent in Central Park.

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ALUMNI news Class pin and pendant offer alternative to class ring In addition to the traditional class ring, the Alumni Association now is offering a class pin or pendant for ladies. The official pin and pendant were designed recently with the input of MSU alumni and current students. It features the Mississippi State University seal, surrounded by alternating garnets and cubic zirconias. As an option, diamonds are available in place of the cubic zirconias. The price of the pin or pendant starts at $415. The class pin and pendant, like the official class ring, are offered exclusively by Balfour and the MSU Alumni

Association. All students and alumni are encouraged to purchase and proudly wear an official MSU class ring, pin or pendant to show the world— wherever you go—that Mississippi State University is your institution of choice.

For specific questions regarding the new pin and pendant, contact Libba Andrews, associate director of the association, at 662-325-3479 or landrews@alumni.msstate.edu.

We’re looking for a few good Bulldogs. Do you know a potential Mississippi State student who may not be aware of the opportunities our great university has to offer? If so, please complete as much of this form as possible and mail to Office of Admissions and Scholarships, P.O. Box 6334, Mississippi State, MS 39762, or fax to 662-325-1MSU. You can make a positive difference for a high school or community college student by introducing him or her to your alma mater. Student’s name Address City, State, ZIP Phone

E-mail

High school or community college GPA

Graduation date ACT/SAT

Gender

Academic interest Your name

MSU class year

Relation to prospective student Your phone

Your e-mail

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FOUNDATION news Cellular South continues investment in education As part of its commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves, Cellular South, the nation’s largest privately held wireless company, has contributed more than $300,000 to student scholarships at Mississippi State since 1998. Most recently, representatives from the Jackson-based company presented a check for $15,000 to the MSU Foundation to fund five $3,000 scholarships for currently-enrolled students. In addition to these annual scholarships, which have been awarded since 2005, Cellular South also has two endowed scholarships that were established in 1998. Earnings from the endowments are used to award a scholarship to one accounting major and one computer science major each year. In addition to providing financial resources to help students mitigate the costs of a college education, the company also offers internship opportunities to the recipients. “We place an emphasis not just on the scholarships but also on the relationship with the students,” said Jim Richmond, director of corporate communications for the company. “Our program allows scholarship recipients to participate in a summer internship to gain firsthand knowledge of the wireless industry, the Cellular South business model, and the business world as a whole. “Cellular South looks at our education platform and financial awards as more than just funding a scholarship,” Richmond said. “We believe that we are investing in the student’s education and future.”

Jim Richmond, second from left, director of corporate communications for Cellular South, presents a $15,000 gift to Bo Hemphill, far left, executive director of development for the MSU Foundation, to fund the 2007-08 Cellular South annual scholarships. Also representing Cellular South are Bryan Templeton, market manager for the Starkville area, and Amy Nash, public relations specialist.

Ridgeland company assists with new MSU degree program A new interdisciplinary degree program at Mississippi State is receiving support from a Ridgeland-based contracting firm and its founder. Mike Harrell and Harrell Contracting Group LLC recently made a $50,000 commitment to the university’s College of Architecture, Art and Design to provide funds for the new academic program in building construction science. The bachelor of science curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for careers in construction or construction-related fields by drawing upon academic expertise within the colleges of Architecture, Art and Design and of Business and Industry, as well as the Bagley College of Engineering. The program was approved by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning earlier this year. Harrell’s gift to the program’s advancement fund is in response to growing needs of the existing construction industry, as well as new enterprise developments throughout the Southeast. “Ours is a very mature industry and efforts like those of Mississippi State to attract and educate new talent are appreciated by the entire construction community,” said Harrell, company president since its inception in 1995. “The new degree program will train students in the technical aspects of construction and build on the strengths offered through exposure to classes in MSU’s architectural, business and engineering colleges,” he added. Companies or individuals desiring to join Harrell in supporting the new program may contact Bennett Evans, development director for the College of Architecture, Art and Design, at 662-325-2542 or bevans@foundation.msstate.edu. A Fall 2007

FOUNDATION news everything

Timing is for Michael and Wanda Dean Michael and Wanda Dean are always looking toward the future. In fact, they’ve recently taken the time to map out a few retirement plans–putting some thought into providing for family members and their church, assisting others with health care, and supporting public education. The Lafayette County couple is bequeathing an estimated $250,000 to Mississippi State. The bequest will be divided between the MSU Libraries and general university scholarships. “We wanted to select some areas of Mississippi State that could definitely benefit from our bequest, and we didn’t want to put restrictions on our gift,” said Michael. “The proceeds will simply be used by our designated areas as needed.” The fact that the couple has no children, and that Wanda is a breast cancer survivor, weighed heavily in their decision to establish a long-term plan. “The earlier you can sit down and begin to think about planning for when you just won’t be around, the better. By the time you are, say 50, I think you need a will and you need to consider what’s important to you, particularly if you have no one immediate to benefit from it,” Michael suggests. Wanda agrees. “Facing your own mortality is not fun, but it is something you just have to do,” she offers. The Deans also are supporters of MSU athletics. “We always try to balance our contributions between academics and sports,” Wanda says. This is most fitting as Michael, a Florida native and a graduate of Emory University, recalls meeting Wanda during the football season of 1970. The two met by chance and Michael asked

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her to the Mississippi State vs. Alabama football game. She accepted, but it posed a problem since Michael had no tickets to the sold-out game. So, the pair compromised and listened to the game on the radio. The two married in 1971 as Michael continued to work on his master’s degree in English at MSU while Wanda taught at Starkville Junior High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in special educaWe wanted to select some areas of Mississippi State tion from Mississippi that could definitely benefit from our bequest, and we State, and later didn’t want to put restrictions on our gift. earned a doctorate from -MICHAEL DEANthe University of Mississippi. After Michael earned his doctorate the International Graduate Program for at the University of South Carolina, the Educators through the State University couple relocated to Lafayette County. of New York at Buffalo. In these Michael joined the University of positions, she has already traveled to Mississippi faculty as a professor in more than 35 countries and she works the English department. He enjoyed a with embassy schools to offer curricu24-year career with Ole Miss, retiring lum design suggestions or teach as associate dean of the College of graduate classes. Liberal Arts, a position he held for a “I have an incredible job. Somedecade. times I teach a graduate class or work While with the Oxford School with curriculum design,” she said. District, Wanda held a number of “When I finish my work in a positions—from director of a center country, I get to travel with the locals serving children with severe disabiliso I’m not just getting the tourist view ties, to director of special education, to of the country,” Wanda explained. elementary principal, to middle school Since that’s often the case, Michael principal. Her final position with the joins her as his schedule permits. She district was director of curriculum and returns the favor by accompanying instruction. She also served as an him to MSU sporting events. Now, adjunct professor for the University of Michael always makes it a point to Mississippi. have season tickets. Wanda retired after 28 years in The MSU Foundation’s Office of teaching and assumed a new, more Planned Giving is available to assist challenging role as a consultant for the with bequests and other gift planning. U.S. Department of State’s Office of Call toll-free 877-677-8283 or e-mail Overseas Schools and a professor in vbristow@foundation.msstate.edu.

FOUNDATION news Family remembers MSU cartoonist with scholarship scholarship fund to memorialize his passion for art, and to encourage students to pursue art at Mississippi State. The endowment is an open fund established in the MSU Foundation that also can benefit from additional contributions from friends, former classmates or other relatives. “Hopefully, this scholarship will help preserve his legacy at Mississippi State and Van Bristow drafting one of his cartoons in his dorm room at help students get to 115 Old Main. know what a special person and unique talent he really Many of Mississippi State was,” Renshaw said. “He loved MissisUniversity’s alumni from the 1940s sippi State, and he would have enjoyed and ‘50s will remember Van Bristow seeing the old “Cow College” grow for his “Cow College Comedy” comic into what is now Mississippi State strip that appeared in The Reflector, as University. well as other cartoons in the Reveille, Bristow entered MSU in 1948, after the Mis-A-Sip Magazine and even on spending a year at the University of his window shade at Old Main dormiNotre Dame. Soon after he joined the tory. The rest of the world got to know staff of The Reflector that year, he Bristow’s brand of art as he later launched the “Cow College Comedy” pursued a career in cartooning that strip, which is believed to be one of the included working for the syndicated first college comic strips to appear on newspaper strip “Snuffy Smith,” a regular basis. During these years at serving as contributing cartoonist for MSU, he also played trombone in the several magazines and newspapers, Famous Maroon Band. and eventually establishing his own In 1951, he put his college educaadvertising agency. tion on hold to serve in the Marines Bristow’s career as an artist, during the Korean War. While in the however, was cut short in 1971 when military, he continued his passion for he died at age 41 after a five-year art by serving as a cartoonist for the battle with cancer. To honor his Leatherneck Magazine, and rose to the memory, Bristow’s widow Betti rank of master sergeant. He returned to Renshaw and their six children decided to establish an endowed

MSU and graduated with a degree in English in 1955. After graduation, Bristow pursued art as a career as he served as a contributing cartoonist to several major magazines and newspapers from his home in Tupelo while working with his family in real estate planning and development. In 1959, he joined the nationally syndicated comic strip “Snuffy Smith” as an assistant to Fred Laswell, the creator of the famed cartoon. In 1962 he again relocated to Tupelo to join the family business and in 1964, along with Bill Miles, established the Bristow-Miles Advertising Agency and the See Tupelo publication. “Van was a wonderful father to his children, but unfortunately he died when they were young so they never really got to know him,” Renshaw said. “In recent years, they’ve learned much about him and his art from others,” she added. Son Vance Bristow, who serves as MSU’s director of planned giving, explains, “My father’s gift for art and expression not only influenced the lives of my siblings and me, but countless others who still contact us today about his art work.” He continues, “My family and I desire to preserve the memory of his talents and his accomplishments for generations to come by endowing this scholarship to support students in the MSU Department of Art.” For more information regarding the Van Bristow Memorial Endowed Scholarship in the College of Architecture, Art and Design, contact the MSU Foundation at 662-325-3707.

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FOUNDATION news Reserve your place on the Names and special messages may become a part of the Maroon Mile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a campaign to pave the sidewalks and walkways of the historic Drill Field and other parade grounds with individualized brick pavers that, when laid end-to-end, would stretch one mile or more. Donors may purchase a 4" x 8" brick with a $500 gift and engrave it with a three-line message of up to 14 characters per line. Currently enrolled students and recent graduates (within the last 12 months) may secure a brick at a reduced price of $250. For a larger donation, individuals or groups may

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Maroon Mile purchase a 28" x 16" paver which can be engraved with a four-line message of up to 16 characters per line. As with gifts of any amount, the purchase of a Maroon Mile brick will activate a donorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership in the MSU Alumni Association and will count toward the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing State of the Future campaign. Gifts designated to the Maroon Mile will benefit the Division of Student Affairs, which works to enrich the total Mississippi State student experience through student services, organizations and activities. Bricks purchased by Dec. 31, 2007, will be installed in

time for Super Bulldog Weekend festivities in spring 2008. Alumni, parents and friends interested in purchasing a brick may contact the MSU Annual Fund at 662325-2466 or via e-mail at mmcpherson@foundation.msstate.edu or download an order form by selecting Maroon Mile from the list of opportunities at www.msufoundation.com.

FOUNDATION news BCBS Foundation gift propels Mississippi in Motion With the aid of a significant grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the Mississippi State University Extension Service has implemented a statewide program to promote physical fitness and healthy nutrition among Mississippi residents. Mississippi in Motion, an initiative endorsed by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, is designed to promote healthy lifestyles through exercise, proper nutrition and social support. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the insurance company, is funding the project. The foundation’s grant resulted from the successes of a pilot version of the program by the MSU Extension Service. “We’re trying to change the health culture in Mississippi with a focus on prevenPresident Robert H. “Doc” tion and Foglesong, center, is joined by Melissa Mixon and Bill Kibler for healthy a Bulldogs in Motion run at the lifestyles,” Sanderson Center. said Wade Overstreet, executive director of the foundation. The program is more than just a way to lose weight, said Jane Clary, an associate extension professor in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion and administrator of the program. “This grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation to implement the program will help people improve their quality of life through positive lifestyle behaviors,” Clary said.

Mississippi in Motion gives individuals the skills, knowledge and support to adopt healthy habits for a lifetime, she added. The program involves a statewide, communitybased, 12-week intervention designed to promote healthy eating and to encourage positive physical activity behaviors among adults. The initial Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation grant in 2006 brought Mississippi in Motion to a 10-

county area—Attala, Claiborne, Lowndes, Scott, Simpson, Hancock, Newton, Wayne, Wilkinson and Winston, as well as the MSU and Mississippi University for Women campuses. For more information on Mississippi in Motion, visit www.msucares.com/health/health04/ ms_in_motion/

CVM Class of 2010: Creating its legacy today Although students of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 2010 have several more years of instruction ahead, class members already realize they can positively impact their future profession and assist their college with its goals. The class recently pledged $10,000 to the Pegasus Partners Fund–an endowment that will aid the veterinary college in perpetuity. “Our class is serious about our education and about those students who follow behind us,” said Keith Youngblood of Laurel, president of the Class of 2010. “The contributions made by people that preceded us have made it possible for us to have a better opportunity for an education.” The Pegasus Partners Endowment Fund was established as a way to enrich the activities within the veterinary college. The fund serves as a discretionary fund that provides critical support for various supplemental activities that complement, enhance or expand the mission of the CVM. Youngblood and his classmates will donate $500 of class dues annually to the fund. Additional funds to fulfill the $2,000 per year pledge will be secured in various ways. The College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking additional funds to reach the $2.5 million goal for the Pegasus Partners endowment. Individuals or groups may become Pegasus Partners by contributing $10,000 or more over a fiveyear period. “We are pleased to have students who truly understand the importance of philanthropy and the impact it can have on their college,” said Keith Gaskin, CVM’s senior development director. For more information on how you can join the CVM Class of 2010 and become a Pegasus Partner, contact Gaskin at 662-325-3815 or kgaskin@foundation.msstate.edu.

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The following individuals, corporations and foundations have made commitments of more than $50,000 from June 1 through August 31, 2007, for State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign. ADTRAN, Inc. Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James W. Bagley J. W. Bagley Foundation Dr. and Mrs. William M. Cobb The Community Foundation of Louisville Mr. Steve Davenport

Design Integrations, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. S. Elliott Dubuisson Mr. James C. Forbes Mr. W. Bruce Franklin and Mrs. Donna B. Franklin Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Haley Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Johnson

Mississippi Power Company The New York Community Trust Renasant Bank Mr. and Mrs. George T. Rosenbury The Shackouls Family Foundation Tuplagum Farms, LLC

STATE OF THE FUTURE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN EDGES CLOSER TO GOAL A recent $5 million gift to create an endowment for Mississippi State’s School of Accountancy brings campaign counting to more than $385 million for State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign. The gift from alumnus Richard C. Adkerson, an international executive and chair of the steering committee for State of the Future, is the third for a named academic unit thus far in the State of the Future campaign, and the fourth in Mississippi State’s 129-year history. Since the launch of State of the Future in 2001, almost $64 million has been received for endowed scholarships and fellowships, which help Mississippi State University compete for the best and brightest students and maintain its competitive academic position. More than $35

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million has been raised for endowed faculty positions, which recruit nationally-recognized scholars and researchers to the university to teach and mentor our students. And just over $41 million has been earmarked for new and renovated facilities and campus enhancements, including the newly-expanded McCool Hall complex–which houses the College of Business and Industry–and the College of Education’s new band and choral rehearsal facility. In addition, over $49 million has been used to enhance educational and other programs, including the Shackouls Honors College, the Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship, and the development of learning communities, just to name a few. Donors may

earmark their gifts for a particular college, school, initiative or priority of their choosing. Gifts for program enhancements and annual support are needed throughout the university over the life of the campaign. All outright gifts, pledges or deferred gifts for Mississippi State through December 31, 2008, including those to athletics, will be considered State of the Future contributions. For more information on State of the Future, contact Bo Hemphill, executive director of development, at 662-3253686 or visit www.msufoundation.com.

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CLASS news '56

BOBBY P. MARTIN of Ripley, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Peoples Bank, has been inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame by the Mississippi Business Journal.

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NICK CASTANIS, a retired engineer and fire marshal, has written his second novel, Justice West of the Pecos. The book is available through major Internet book sellers.

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HARTLEY PEAVEY of Meridian, founder of Peavey Electronics, and Gov. Haley Barbour recently presented Peavey Awards to Mississippi Grammy award winners and nominees Jerry Lee Lewis, Marty Stuart, the Williams Brothers, James Burton, and the North Mississippi Allstars. Gov. Barbour and first lady Marsha hosted a reception for the group at the Governor’s Mansion. Peavey also has received the prestigious Torchbearer Award for 2007, presented by the Mississippi Business Journal and the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi.

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CLAUDE PASSEAU of Lucedale is owner and general manager of Farmers Supply Co. in Lucedale. The company recently moved to a new location and expanded merchandise and services. J.B. STROUD (M.B.A. ’75, D.B.A. ’85) of Thibodaux, La., has received the Society of Louisiana CPA’s Lifetime Achievement in Accounting Education Award. He is retired as director of graduate studies at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, and is an emeritus professor of accounting.

S Fall 2007

BILL FORD WATERS of Tupelo, vice president of B&B Concrete Co., has been elected president of the State of Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

WALTER G. LYONS has joined Michael Baker Jr. Inc. engineering firm as vice president and manager of its Jackson office. He previously worked with the Mississippi Department of Transportation for more than 30 years.

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JULIAN WATSON, a tree farmer and board member of the Mississippi Forestry Association, appeared on the weekly Farmweek television show and RFD-TV in August, discussing his family’s tree farm operation. Farmweek is produced by the Mississippi State Extension Service.

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GARY DURHAM, president of Durham Geo-Enterprises in Stone Mountain, Ga., has received the Award of Merit from ASTM International Committee D18 on Soil and Rock. The award honored his service to the committee in standards development, publications and committee operations. JAN GWIN, a wealth asset manager for Morgan Keegan in Memphis, Tenn., and former MSU football player, recently delivered a motivational speech at the Northwest Mississippi Community College Football Showcase in Senatobia. CURTIS R. HOPKINS (M.S. ’73) has been promoted to director of the Southern Regional Office of Ducks Unlimited Inc. in Jackson. He was the 2006 College of Forest Resources Alumni Fellow at MSU.

'72

DWIGHT DYESS (M.S. ’80) of West Point, a retired Army colonel and president of BancorpSouth in West Point, has been inducted into the MSU Army ROTC Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

JAMES H. CLAYTON (M.B.A. ’74) of Indianola, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Planters Bank & Trust Co., has been elected chairman of the Mississippi Bankers Association for 2007-08. VICTORIA JOHNSON HOGGATT has opened a law practice in Tupelo. She is director of the Current Constitutional Application Project. ROBERT HUNTER of Birmingham, Ala., general counsel for Altec Inc. and its subsidiaries, is president-elect of the International Association of Defense Counsel. ALAN WHITE of Burlington, N.C., has been inducted into the Elon University Sports Hall of Fame. He retired last year as Elon’s director of athletics. White also is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

'74 TOM AUSTIN has joined Ferro Corp. as vice president of operations. He previously worked for Dow Chemical Co. for 30 years.

'75 DAVID EARL JOHNSON (M.B.A. ’77) of Hattiesburg, chairman and chief executive officer of The First Bancshares Inc., has been elected as an at-large director of the Independent Bankers Association for 2007-08. He also is a director of the New Orleans branch of the Atlanta Federal Reserve. BIG JOE SHELTON of Columbus has been awarded a $500 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission to be used

Class news to promote his soon-to-be-released album, “Black Prairie Blues.” He also was selected to be included in the commission’s prestigious Artist Roster from 2007 to 2010.

'76 MANSELL MCCORD JR., an attorney in Atlanta, Ga., has been reelected chairman of the Georgia Republican Party for the 5th Congressional District of Georgia. BETTYE MCPHAIL STROUD (M.B.A. ’77) of Thibodaux, La., received the 2006 Community Service Award of the National Council of Social Security Management Associations. She recently retired as a district manager for the Social Security Administration.

'77

GLENN L. MCCULLOUGH JR. has been named chairman of the board of directors for NuVision Engineering. He previously served a four-year term as chairman of the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

'78

W. RAY BALENTINE has retired as director of intermodal planning and transportation for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. He has joined Wilbur Smith Associates as senior transportation manager in the company’s Jackson office. BRENDA SMITH AND HUSBAND STEVE (’77) established the Greene County Junior Miss Fitness Award presented by the Greene County Chapter of the MSU Alumni Association.

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previously was associate dean for research and graduate studies at Ohio University.

'82

FELICIA SIMPSON of Lucedale, a teacher at Lucedale Intermediate School, has been named a Teacher of the Year by the local school district.

'83 SHARI TUCKER VEAZEY of Jackson has been named deputy director of the Mississippi Municipal League.

'84 RICHARD GILBRECH has been named associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, the NASA division designing the next generation of spacecraft to return astronauts to the moon and eventually journey to Mars. Gilbrech previously served as director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. JANIE WARD JARVIS of Madison is involved in lobbying efforts for full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the funding mechanism for K-12 public education. In May, she was named Mississippi Parent of the Year by the state Superintendent of Education’s Office.

'85 STEPHEN L. TIMME, professor of botany and director of the Theodore M. Sperry Herbarium at Pittsburg State University in Kansas, has had a new edition of his book, Wildflowers of Mississippi, published by University Press of Mississippi.

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NORMAN FORD of Vicksburg, director of business and operations for Vicksburg Convention Center and Vicksburg Auditorium, has been named to the board of directors of the Association for Convention Operations Management. CLAYTON LAWRENCE of Lucedale is chair of the Peanuts Advisory Committee for Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and vice president of the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association.

'87 LAURA CONNOR (M.B.A. ’89) of Butler, Ala., environmental, health and safety manager for Georgia-Pacific’s Naheola Mill, has received the company’s Woman of Achievement Award.

'89 DANNY INGOLD, a professor of biology at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, is the inaugural recipient of the Homer A. Anderson Distinguished Professorship of Natural Sciences.

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CHAD SMITH has opened a law firm, Chad Smith & Associates, in Ridgeland. It is a general litigation practice.

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JOHN MILLER of Lucedale, a math teacher at George County High School, was selected the school’s STAR Teacher by STAR Student Clint Diamond. GINGER TURNER has been named registrar at Hinds Community College.

ANGIE BUKLEY (M.S. ’81) has joined the University of Tennessee Space Institute as assistant vice president for research and development. She

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CLASS news '96

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HOLLAND CARLEY of Nashville, Tenn., has joined Vanderbilt University Medical center as department administrator for the department of psychiatry. ROBBIE HAYES has been named assistant city attorney for the City of Southaven. SISTER MARY PIUS PRATS (ERIN PRATS) of Nashville, Tenn., is a member of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Congregation in Nashville. She has been a nun for nine years. MICHAEL SHARP of Vicksburg has been named technical director for Water Resources Infrastructure at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg.

'93 PETER HAIRSTON of Marietta, Ga., a physician’s assistant at Pinnacle Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, has been named 2007 Physician Assistant of the Year by the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants. In 2006, he served as GAPA president.

'95

EDDIE STRINGFELLOW of Laurel, a Mississippi Department of Transportation engineer, has been named Mississippi Government Engineer of the Year by the Mississippi Engineering Society.

MARK DUMAS is chief executive officer and chairman of SPADAC, a Washington, D.C.-based company that delivers predictive analysis products and services. Inc. magazine recently ranked SPADAC No. 32 on its 26th annual Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. CLAY WILLIAMS of Ocean Springs has opened an office for Capitol Resources LLC, a government relations firm, in Gulfport. He previously was economic development coordinator for Sen. Trent Lott and legislative director for Rep. Chip Pickering.

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CHRISTI ROBY MATENS, a fourthgrade teacher at Barton Creek Elementary School in Austin, Texas, has been chosen the 2007 Barton Creek Elementary Teacher of the Year.

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CHAD BRUMFIELD has been promoted to senior brand manager in the Gulf Coast region office of GodwinGroup. JOHN STEWART HROM III has just completed a chief resident year at University Medical Center and has begun a three-year fellowship in oncology and hematology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

'00 ALICIA PELLEGRINO EWING has joined Green Hills Pediatric Associates in Nashville, Tenn., as its newest pediatrician.

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ELISA MAYO has written a romance novel titled Let Me Fly, which is available in bookstores. She is pursuing a professional writing career.

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MATT FAHRNER, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, is working as a contractor administrator in Iraq, overseeing service contracts as part of the rebuilding efforts. KYLE KISH of Birmingham, Ala., has joined HKW Associates architectural firm with responsibilities for project management and construction documents.

'03

MEGAN ANDERSON of Honolulu, Hawaii, has been named marketing manager for Bishop Museum. She also will oversee marketing initiatives for the museum’s other entities, Hawaii maritime Center and Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. JOSH DALY (M.B.A. ’04) of New York, a third-year student at New York College of Podiatric Medicine, has been elected president of his class. He will graduate in May 2008 and begin a threeyear foot and ankle surgical residency. PAMELA HARMAN of Hoover, Ala., an earth science teacher at Spain Park High School in the Hoover City School System, has been named 2007-08 Alabama Teacher of the Year.

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ZHIJUN LIU of Starkville, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State, has received Phi Kappa Phi honor society’s Love of Learning Award.

BIRTH announcements Elizabeth Lorraine Boykin, Aug. 8, 2007, to LORRAINE WALTERS BOYKIN (’00) and husband Smith of Jackson. Robert Wayne Carlton IV, May 1, 2007, to ROBERT W. CARLTON III (’94) and wife Melissa of Union. Barrett Oliver Cox, April 20, 2007, to WILL COX (’97) and SHANNON KYLE COX (’97, M.S. ’99) of Canton. John Thomas Draper, Aug. 24, 2006, to MIKE DRAPER (’91, M.S. ’93) and KATIE STRICKLAND DRAPER (’93) of Corinth. Madeline Wellborn Easley, June 25, 2007, to JOHN F. EASLEY (’03) and wife Suzanna of Gulf Shores, Ala. Henry Thomas Fyke, Dec. 1, 2006, to KRISTEN TOMLINSON FYKE (’01) and Robert Henry Fyke III of Clinton. Matthew Jerome Golemon, April 14, 2007, to HARRY GOLEMON (’99) and wife Ana of Findlay, Ohio. George Elliot Hampton, Oct. 2, 2006, to DANIELLE LOUYS HAMPTON (’96, M.B.A. ’99) and husband George. Emma Grace Hayes, March 29, 2007, to ROBBIE HAYES (’92) and EMILY TURNER HAYES (’95) of Southaven.

Madelyn Kylie Hayes, May 7, 2007, to SHANNON LOUYS HAYS (attended) and husband Jesse. Thomas Ervin Hicks, June 8, 2007, to SUSANNE LOFTIS HICKS (’85, M.A. ’87) and husband George of Nashville, Tenn. Laura Kathryn Hrom, May 3, 2007, to REAGAN JOHNSON HROM (’04) and JOHN STEWART HROM III (’99) of Dallas, Texas. Landen Reece Huber, May 3, 2007, to COREY HUBER (’02) and JAMANDA HUBER (’01) of Hattiesburg. Benjamin David Hughes and Emma Nobile Hughes, Aug. 2, 2007, to KIMBERLY NOBILE HUGHES (’97) and DAVID GLYNN HUGHES (’95) of Ridgeland. Camille Ciro Hutchinson, Jan. 2, 2007, to HAL HUTCHINSON (’90) and wife Christine of Chicago, Ill. Jase Harper Mathis, Dec. 13, 2006, to JENNIFER MATHIS (’00) and husband Jeff of Lucedale. Grayson Elizabeth McDade, Oct. 16, 2006, to DANA WILSON MCDADE

(’02) and ROBERT MCDADE (’01) of DeKalb. Callee Frances Moore, May 16, 2007, to MARY LEE HODGES MOORE (’04) and JOSHUA RUSTIN MOORE (’04) of Lake City, Fla. Emma Kate Purviance, June 17, 2007, to LEIGH ANNE PURVIANCE (’06) and husband Chris of Brandon. Owen Andrew Richey, Feb. 15, 2007, to DREW RICHEY (’99) and KRISTEN HALL RICHEY (’99) of New Albany. Gabriella Grace Russo, Feb. 5, 2007, to RICHARD D. RUSSO II (’00) and SARA BAILEY RUSSO (’00) of Batesville. Emmy Elise Tolar, May 29, 2007, to TRENT ALLEN TOLAR (’98) and wife Melissa of Columbia. Hunter Anthony Ward, Feb. 27, 2007, to EMILIE WARD (’00) and husband Russ of Starkville.

DEAN WALLACE COLVARD

play against the integrated Loyola University of Chicago team. During his tenure at Mississippi State, the University Honors Program and the MSU Development Foundation were established, and a construction expansion saw four new dormitories built. Colvard secured funds for construction of a student union building, which today bears his name. President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong said of Colvard, “He is remembered as one of the most effective and most courageous leaders in the university’s history. He presided during a time of great social change and rapid growth, and is often credited with overseeing the

beginnings of Mississippi State’s transition into a modern, comprehensive university.” Colvard left MSU in 1966 to become the first chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a position he held until his retirement in 1978. While at UNC-Charlotte, he was instrumental in increasing enrollment from 1,700 students to more than 8,700. Before coming to Mississippi State, he had served as dean of agriculture at North Carolina State University.

Former Mississippi State president Dean Wallace Colvard of Charlotte, N.C., Mississippi State’s 12th president, died June 28, 2007. He was 93. A North Carolina native, Colvard served as MSU president 1960-66. In 1963, he captured national headlines when he defied university policy and allowed the men’s basketball team to

IN memoriam

Colvard

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IN memoriam PAUL AUSTIN SMITH (’33)—92, Galax, Va.; retired Carnation Milk Co. employee, Feb. 19, 2003. BERNARD SENTER (’37)—91, Macon; retired businessman and civic leader, May 5, 2007. A.J. HUFF (’40)—89, Leakesville; retired president and chief executive officer of the Bank of Leakesville and World War II veteran, Feb. 21, 2007. JAMES O. MAYO (’41)—87, McLean, Va.; retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, former executive vice president for Kiplinger Washington Editors Inc. and World War II veteran, Aug. 18, 2007. HARVEY SHARP BUCK (’42)—86, West Point; retired circuit judge, former district attorney and World War II and Korean War veteran, Aug. 11, 2007. WILLIAM J. MOATES (’44)—87, Union, N.J.; June 9, 2007. SAMUEL P. LUCKIE (’46)—86, Reydell, Ark.; retired farmer and veterans teacher and World War II veteran, June 26, 2007. NEWTON W. CARVER JR. (’47)— 82, Ruleville; retired farmer and World War II veteran, April 8, 2007. CLIFTON D. MCLEOD SR. (’47)— 87, Leakesville; agriculture instructor, Dec. 1, 2006. ROBERT ALLEN SMITH (’47)— Tupelo; retired businessman and World War II veteran, July 16, 2007. JOHN RIMMER CRAFT (’48)—83, Greenville; Retired Mississippi Power & Light Co. employee and World War II veteran, May 5, 2007. SARAH ALINE HILLMAN SMITH (’48)—89, Austin, Texas; retired World Book Encyclopedia sales representative and World War II veteran, June 14, 2007. P.O. BEARD SR. (’49)—81, Hattiesburg; retired forester and realtor, April 21, 2007.

S Fall 2007

WILLIAM M. MORRIS (’49)—81; retired soil scientist for the Soil Conservation Service and World War II veteran, June 25, 2007. JOSEPH ODELL JOHNSON (’50)— 80, Laurel; retired president and chief operating officer of Sanderson Farms, member of the Mississippi Poultry Hall of Fame, and World War II veteran, May 26, 2007. HAROLD STRINGFELLOW (’50)— 79, Lucedale; owner of Stringfellow Farm Tractors and Equipment Co., Feb. 28, 2007. FAHOMA CRUMBY HORN (’52)— 75, Houston; homemaker, June 19, 2007. MURRAY MAXWELL (’54)—77, Columbus; retired engineer for General Tire (now Omnova Solutions) and Korean War veteran, April 26, 2007. CURTIS DEAN FULGHAM (’57)— 76, West Point; retired Mississippi Forestry Commission employee and Korean War veteran, Aug. 22, 2007. THOMAS W. HARDAGE (’58)—81, Jackson; retired Mississippi Forestry Commission employee and World War II veteran, June 5, 2007. WILLIAM C. BOYD (’60)—Summit; May 2, 2007. DONALD EDWIN WALSH (’61)— 70, Woodville; attorney, April 14, 2007. THOMAS RODNEY LOWE (’62)— 70, Luray, Va.; retired chief of maintenance for National Park Service and retired Army National Guard captain, July 17, 2007. MARY DUNCAN HOWELL (’67)— 58, Brandon; homemaker, Jan. 4, 2007. JACQUELINE CULP VALENTINE (’67)—61, Lucedale; Jan. 10, 2007. BROOKS JACKSON THOMAS (’72)—61, Hazlehurst; State Farm Insurance agent, July 21, 2007.

BRUCE LAMAR CAIN (’79)—51, Starkville; associate professor of mechanical engineering at Mississippi State, Aug. 27, 2007. ADELE BETHANY KETTE (’86)— 43, Jackson; certified public accountant for Ergon Inc., July 21, 2007. PAUL R. VOWELL (M.S. ’96, PH.D. ’98)—55, Kingsville, Texas; associate professor of sociology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, June 13, 2007. James Lonnie Allen (attended)—88, Clinton; retired division chief for Mississippi Employment Security Commission and World War II veteran, July 1, 2007. Clint Ogletree Greer (attended)—82, Shelby; retired music teacher, May 8, 2007. Charles Edwin Holmes Jr. (attended)—71, Greenwood; retired florist and cotton factor, July 24, 2007. Lynn Purdom Mastin (attended)—58, Nettleton; professor of biology and microbiology at Itawamba Community College, June 1, 2007. Bess Davis Bragg (former employee)—72, Starkville; retired accountant at Mississippi State, Sept. 1, 2007. Viola Faye Boles (friend)—91, Abilene, Texas; May 27, 2007.

Please send obituaries to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.

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