BY ANTHONY DEAN It’s no wonder Larry Belton spent the past 23 years recruiting students for an institution of higher learning. Growing up in Greenville, Miss., Belton’s father imparted an important lesson when he moved his son from a public school to a private one because Belton wasn’t allowed to bring his books home. The lesson – always put a premium on quality education. That lesson followed Belton through a successful career at Jackson State University and resulted in him becoming the associate vice president for Student Life. Belton, 62, hopes he’s leaving that lesson with his recruiters as he retires on June 30. “Your greatest satisfaction is not your paycheck,” Belton insists. “Your greatest satisfaction should be that you have given something and impacted someone’s life.” Belton believes one of his greatest accomplishments at Jackson State is that through his support, all of his recruiters have advanced degrees. Other accomplishments include developing the Office of Marketing and Recruit-
Belton’s memories of those early recruitment and creating a High School Day. Belton’s accomplishments have not gone ing years are vivid and sometimes comical. unnoticed. “I know one time I ended up at a private Linda Rush, director of Undergraduate Recruitment, says Belton positively im- school and I didn’t realize it….They called pacted her life. “He promoted a sense of it North Delta School. The private schools family in the office and is a true man of his didn’t use ‘high school.’ They would just call it school. Everybody was white, even word,” Rush says. Belton’s fate to attend Jackson State the bus drivers,” Belton says with a laugh. The recruiter who typically had set his seemed sealed early in life. As a Sacred Heart Catholic High School student, Bel- sights on majority black schools says he ton planned to attend Xavier University was embarrassed, but sought to salvage in New Orleans, but those plans were the visit. “I told the North Delta School admindashed when his mother insisted on a colistrators I just wanted to come to see if lege in Mississippi. Many scholarship offers came, but a one or two students might be interested in summer readiness program for academi- Jackson State,” Belton says. “They were, cally talented students at Jackson State however, as warm and friendly as any sold Belton on JSU. school I had visited.” After graduating, Belton’s first job was a Belton never regretted returning to Jackhistory teaching fellowship at the Universi- son State. “It’s not difficult to do something ty of Mississippi. Eventually, Belton taught you enjoy,” he says. at Greenville High School and a middle and Belton says he’ll spend the next chapter high school in Jackson. A chance meeting of his life fishing, traveling and enjoying with Haskell Bingham, then JSU dean of his family and friends. But there will alAdmissions and Records, in a barbershop ways be time, he says, for his beloved Jackson State University. in 1975 shifted his path to recruitment.