RAYMOND – «Ӱҵ’s yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday continued Aug. 10 with a special program honoring those who’ve shown exemplary passion for the college.
Honorees, family, friends and others totaled nearly 1,000 people in Cain-Cochran Hall on the Raymond Campus for the event, dubbed “100 People Passionate about «Ӱҵ.” A mix of addresses and multimedia presentations showed how the college has evolved from an agricultural high school to a thriving institutions with cutting-edge facilities.
Gov. Phil Bryant
The project started when the extended college family and alumni were asked to nominate people who are “passionate” about «Ӱҵ. Over the course of six months, from July to December 2016, a total of 658 people were nominated. From the 658 people nominated, a series of committees finally narrowed the nominations down to 100 people.
«Ӱҵ County Justice Court Judge Jimmy Morton, a member of the Centennial committee, emceed the program.
“At its core, this college has always been about people serving people,” Morton said. “We believe the story of «Ӱҵ is best told through the lives of the individuals deeply committed to the mission of the college.”
Among the 100 honored was Gov. Phil Bryant, introduced by «Ӱҵ President Dr. Clyde Muse. Bryant spoke for several minutes about what the college means to him personally and about being the first in his family, including three children, to earn a college degree.
“We cannot underestimate the effect the school has not only had on us, but the thousands and thousands of parents, wives, husbands who greet that simply joy of their loved one receiving a degree from «Ӱҵ,” Bryant said.
Beverly Fatherree, a retired longtime English instructor at «Ӱҵ, and Jim Smith, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court and past Alumnus of the Year at «Ӱҵ, both among the 100, reflected on the school’s impact on their lives, particularly when they were students.
“I loved it from the beginning, living first in Westside Dorm, which isn’t here anymore, and then in Davis, which is,” Fatherree said, citing as mentors Anne Hardy and Peggy Brent, both also English instructors on the list of 100 honorees. “They both encouraged and supported me in my plan to become an English teacher when I grew up.”
Beverly Fatherree
It didn’t take long, Smith said, to figure out “coming to «Ӱҵ, next to my salvation and my marriage, was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
“The foundation I received helped me immensely and continues to help me to this very day,” Smith said.
“The theme for our celebration has been 100 Years of Community Inspired Service,” said Jackie Granberry, executive director of the «Ӱҵ Foundation, told event-goers. “To those of you being honored, you truly have been the foundation of this college. «Ӱҵ is all about service. And you have served the college and our communities well. You have set the bar high for all of us.”
Many of the 100 People are natives of the college’s district of «Ӱҵ, Rankin, Warren, Claiborne and Copiah counties, and about half of the 100 still live in the area. About three-fourths of them were «Ӱҵ employees at some point in their career, although presidents of the college were not among those considered for the list. Among employees, Lola Allen was in the first graduating class in 1923 and was then was employed at «Ӱҵ for 43 years until 1966.
Jim Smith
In a handful of cases, couples are being honored together. Family members of those who are deceased are asked to represent their loved one but all will be honored. For more information about the Centennial, see 100.hindscc.edu.
From left, Adam Jenkins, Johnny Crisler, Bobby Cooper, Linden Haynes, Dr. George Barnes, state Rep. Greg Holloway representing the late Walter Washington, Charles Bell and Cleon McKnight («Ӱҵ/April Garon)
From left, Donald Oakes, Jane Lauderdale Flowers, Joe Loviza («Ӱҵ/April Garon)
From left, state Sen. Dean Kirby, Mike Vinson, Larry Swales, Lynn Weathersby, Dr. Clyde Muse, Tom Burnham, Gov. Phil Bryant, Jimmy C. Smith, Jim Smith, Wayne Stonecypher, Tom Weathersby, Irl Dean Rhodes, Noelle Wynne, representing George Wynne. («Ӱҵ/April Garon)
From left, Dr. Libby Mahaffey, Bobbie Anderson, Mary Ann Sones («Ӱҵ/April Garon)
The 100 People Passionate about «Ӱҵ are as follows:
Jerry Agent
A.A. Alexander
Lola Allen
Bobbie Anderson
Lou Anne Askew
Billie Banes
Sharp Banks
George Barnes
Anna Cowden Bee
Emma and T.T. Beemon
Charles Bell
Walter Bivins
Peggy Brent
Sue and Fred Brooks
Gov. Phillip Bryant
Bill Buckner
Tom Burnham
Robert Cannada
Emma Grace and
W.H. Cochran
Bobby Cooper
Rosia and Johnny Crisler
Lamar Currie
H.H. “Shine” Davis
Katherine and A.L. Denton
Bob Dunaway
David Durham
Beverly and Ben Fatherree
Pat Flaherty
Jane Flowers
D.G. “Sonny” Fountain
Howell Gage
Walter Gibbes
Albert Gore
Durwood Graham
Jackie Mangum Granberry
F.M. Greaves
Anne Hardy
Jim El and Jobie Harris
Colleen Hartfield
Mike Hataway
Linden Haynes
Troy Henderson
Mildred Herrin
Dan Hogan
Warren Hood
Adam Jenkins
Roger Jones
Ted Kendall III
Dean Kirby
Ann and Bob Laster
Earl Leggett
Dean Liles
Bell Lindsey
Joe Loviza
Con Maloney
Ray Marshall
Lee Mayo
W.M. McKenzie
Cleon McKnight
Joe Moss
Bob Mullins
Vashti Muse
Mary Etta Naftel
Clifford Nelson
Carla Nicks
Bill Oakes
Donald Oakes
J.B. Patrick
Nell Ann Pickett
Polly and Mike Rabalais
Geneva and Leslie Reeves
Joe Renfroe
Irl Dean Rhodes
Troy Ricks
Virginia and Marvin Riggs
Henry Riser
Grady Sheffield
Tom Shepherd
O.H. Simmons
Jim Smith
Jimmy C. Smith
Mary Ann Sones
Lurline Stewart
Wayne Stonecypher
Dale Sullivan
Larry Swales
E.E. “Tad” Thrash
Jack Treloar
Michael Vinson
Alice and Charles Walker
Gary Walker
René T. Warren
Walter Washington
Lynn Weathersby
Tom Weathersby
Gov. John Bell Williams
Liles Williams
R.E. “Ed” Woolley
George Wynne
David Yewell
[tweetable alt=””]«Ӱҵ CC honors ‘100 People Passionate about «Ӱҵ’ [/tweetable]