Bryant Unveils New State China STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY By Lisa LaFontaine Bynum
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inner guests at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion will have the privilege of being among the first to dine on a new set of china recently acquired by First Lady Deborah Bryant. The pattern features the new Mississippi state seal, which was modified in 2014 to include the words, “In God We Trust.” Governor Phil Bryant petitioned state legislature to amend the state seal shortly after taking office in 2012. “One of Phil’s and the legislature’s greatest accomplishments since he has been governor was adding ‘In God We Trust’ to the state seal. Since that day, I have wanted to update the china at the Governor’s Mansion so that it had a pattern with the new state seal,” Mrs. Bryant said. “This state’s bicentennial anniversary, coinciding with the 175th anniversary of the Mansion being occupied seems like the perfect timing to make that happen.” Bryant raised the money through various fundraising endeavors so that the 75-place settings could be purchased without using taxpayer money. “I found that people were very excited to be a part of something that would be a part of the Mansion’s history,” Bryant added. Selecting the new pattern was a process that took years to finalize. The Governor’s Mansion currently has two other china
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