Mississippi State Alumnus Spring 2005

featuresSpring 2005 | Volume 81 | Number 1USPS 354-520

PresidentJ. Charles Lee

Vice President for External AffairsDennis A. Prescott

Alumni Association Executive DirectorJohn V. Correro (’62)

Mississippi State Alumnus is published threetimes a year by the Office of UniversityRelations and the Mississippi StateUniversity Alumni Association atMississippi State, Miss. Send addresschanges to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA,Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526;telephone 662-325-7000; or [email protected].

Editorial offices:102 George Hall,P.O. Box 5325,Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325.Telephone 662-325-3442; fax, 662-325-7455;e-mail, [email protected]

EditorAllen Snow (’76)

Associate EditorKay Fike Jones

DesignersBecky SmithErin Norwood (’98)

PhotographersRuss Houston (’85)Megan Bean

Mississippi State UniversityAlumni Association National OfficersKeith Winfield (’70),national president;Joe L. Bryan (’63),national first vice president;Betty L. Black (’74),national second vice president;David W. Jones (’81),national treasurer;Gary A. Blair (’81),immediate former national president.

Mississippi State

Graceland’s Vet | page 2Memphis veterinarian and MSU alumna Dr. Susie Taylor says that one of the bestthings about her work at Graceland is that “the animals know who I am.” And it’sclear to anyone around her that her career is her passion.

Six Sigma program helping students kick-start careers | page 8Six Sigma is not one of the martial arts, but earning a black belt in the methodologymay help Mississippi State engineering students kick-start their careers and choptheir way to success in the workaday world of private industry.

‘About Children’ provides snapshot of issues facing America’s youth | page 10When a number of the nation’s leading pediatric researchers, academicians, andchild care advocates sat down more than two years ago with research scientists atMSU’s Social Science Research Center, they asked themselves, “What are the mostcompelling issues involving the health and well-being of children?” The answers insome cases surprised them.

An opportunity of a lifetime | page 16Alumna Page Austin’s enthusiasm for the political process has led her to a coveted position at the White House, where she helps plan and coordinate policy events forfirst lady Laura Bush.

‘Just a mom who has a store’ | page 20Can you name a Mississippi gift company that sells state-made products and hasbeen featured in Southern Living magazine and USA Today? Here’s a hint: It’sowned and managed by a 1993 Mississippi State graduate from Starkville.

Cover photo and thisphoto by Megan Bean.

Campus news 23 | Sports talk 28 | Alumni news 31 | Foundation news 35 | Class news 43 | In memoriam 47

ALUMNA Dr. Susie Taylor

Memphis veterinarian and MSU alumnaDr. Susie Taylor says that one of the best thingsabout her work as veterinarian for Graceland isthat “the animals know who I am.”

Story by Maridith Walker Geuder | Photos by Megan Bean

{ Graceland’s }Vet

W“When you die, you want to come back as one of Elvis’horses,” laughs Alene Alexander, stable supervisor at ElvisPresley’s Memphis mansion, Graceland.

A lifelong Elvis fan and a longtime chemistry teacher inthe Memphis area, she assumed supervision of the stables in1982, when five animals occupied the 1938-era barn behindthe mansion that is a major tourist attraction.

While millions of worldwide visitors troop through theJungle Room, the Trophy Room and the Meditation Gardensyearly, in the barns behind the house life is much quieter onElvis Presley Boulevard.

Animals, Alene says, are the reason the King boughtGraceland in 1957, and the barn was one of his favoriteretreats. Elvis Presley Enterprises today continues a policy ofalways having horses at the mansion, maintaining as much aspossible the original look of the animals Elvis left behind.

“Because of Elvis’ love and compassion for animals,Graceland has chosen to give horses who are physicallyimpaired a home,” Alexander explains. “These horses wouldbe put to sleep in most cases were they not retired to Graceland.”

To care for the special needs animals, the vivacious, out-going stable supervisor depends on a professional staff thatincludes veterinarian Susanne Taylor, a 1983 graduate ofMississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“She’s been my savior with these horses,” Alexandersays, as Taylor quietly strokes Old Ebony, a 31-year-oldTennessee walking horse Elvis bought in 1975, two yearsbefore his death. The horse, whose official name is Ebony’sDouble, was the last animal Elvis ever acquired and sharesthe stables with “New” Ebony (officially, Ebony’s SecretThreat), bought by Priscilla Presley in 1983, and Sun’sReflection, a quarter horse born in 1984.

�� A L U M N U SSpring 2005

3

A L U M N U SSpring 2005

4 ��

“Because of Elvis’ love and compassion for animals,

Graceland has chosen to give horses who are physically impaired a home,”

Alexander explains.

Dr. Susie Taylor, foreground, and Alene Alexander have teamed toprovide tender loving care for the horses stabled at Graceland.


5

“They were referred to me”

Alene Alexander and Dr. Susie Taylor met by accident,but the two have forged a lasting friendship through theirmutual love of animals.

It all started because the Graceland veterinarian was outof town.

“At the time, I was operating a large animal practice outof the back of a truck,” Taylor recalls. “I was doing somerelief work at Dr. Pinkerton’s clinic on Raines Road, andGraceland had a problem with one of the horses. The regularvet was out of town, and they were referred to me.”

The problem was with Memphis, a Tennessee walkinghorse and one of the 20 original Graceland animals. “He’dknocked the top off a garbage can of sweet feed and eaten thewhole thing,” Taylor said.

A serious case of colic resulted, and then Memphisfoundered. “Either of these is a fundamentally challengingsituation,” Taylor said. After a touch-and-go week, Memphisrecovered and lived out his 35 years at the stables. Taylorhas been the on-call veterinarian for Graceland ever since,available if needed 24 hours a day.

In collaboration with the stables staff, she has developedcareful diets for the animals. They’re fed a specially formu-lated feed for senior animals, food supplements, sweet feed,and the finest Bermuda grass hay. Annually, Taylor does fullexaminations of the animals and gives them vaccinations, andshe’s on call if anything special arises.

“If Old Eb has skin trouble, Susie will come out and bringa special soap,” Alexander explained.

That’s just one example of the extraordinary care theanimals receive. Each has a stall that is cleaned throughoutthe day to ensure there’s no refuse. Each stands on specialmats, and, to protect their legs and joints, the barnyard is covered with a dense matting made from recycled roofingmaterials. They’re groomed every day, and in mild weathermay graze in Graceland pastures seeded with Bermuda grass.During the colder months, they wear weatherproof blankets.

Graceland horses also wear special fly protection masksmade with soft screen. Alexander says one of the most fre-quently asked questions is “why do you have the horses’ eyes

covered?” Despite the strange look, the horses can see anddon’t appear to object to the masks, she explains.

The horses are a big part of her love of Graceland, butTaylor said there also are the occasional unexpected requests.“We once had a flying squirrel loose in the Jungle Room,”she recalls. “It took us hours to get it out with fishing nets.”And, with a slight pause and slight smile, she jokes, “It’shard to find a flying squirrel in that wall of ivy.”

“I always wanted to be a vet”

Away from Graceland, Taylor has an active practice in aprivate clinic that currently maintains 10,000 patient records.The single practitioner, she works 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. sixdays a week, including Saturdays. She’s looking for an assistant, preferably a Mississippi State graduate.

At her meticulous Germantown clinic recently, a mothercat and kittens were in the ICU unit, along with a diabeticdog. A neutered black Lab was in recovery, and various catsand dogs were in different stages of care. The previous dayTaylor had seen an atypical client—a wallaby. “You have to have a federal permit to keep a wallaby as a pet,” she explains.

It’s clear to anyone who’s around her that her career isher passion. “I’ve always loved animals,” she says. “I knewfrom the time I was 3 years old growing up on a farm nearEtta that I wanted to be a vet.”

She earned an undergraduate degree in animal science atthe University of Tennessee before studying veterinary medicine at MSU. “But I’m 99 percent MSU and 1 percentTennessee,” she laughs. She proudly displays her MSU affiliation with a stained glass College of VeterinaryMedicine seal incorporated into her clinic design.

Taylor laughs that she often will remember an animal’sname before she recalls its owner’s name. Her attachment toanimals is borne out by a story Graceland’s Alene Alexanderlikes to tell.

Traveling to Nashville to present an Elvis Presley horsetrophy, Alexander took along her poodle. In the hotel room,the animal began to experience severe distress, and Alenesays she knew only one person to call.



6

“I knew from the time I was 3 years old. . .

that I wanted to be a vet,”Taylor says.



7

S“Susie drove 250 miles from Memphis to come andget the dog, and drove back another 250 miles,” she recalls.“She put the dog on portable oxygen, and eventuallydetermined that the animal had separation anxiety.”

It’s that love and dedication that have kept Taylorendeared to Alexander, to Graceland, and to countless private clients. But for the modest Dr. Taylor, it’s just partof what she does.

“Graceland is the perfect horse client because thestaff will do whatever it takes to care for the animals,” shesaid. And as she stands in the Graceland stables in thelate afternoon sun, an ancient Old Eb nuzzling her, Tayloracknowledges one of the great benefits of her job: “Theanimals know who I am.”

Ebony’s Double—Old Eb—the last horse purchasedby Elvis in 1975, died on Jan. 14, 2005. Ebony wouldhave been 32 years old on Feb. 14.

��


8

Six Sigma is not one of themartial arts, but earning a

black belt in the methodologymay help MSU engineering

students kick-start theircareers and chop their way to

success in the workadayworld of private industry.

Story by Phil Hearn | Photo by Russ Houston

SSiixx SSiiggmmaaprogram

helping students kick-start careers

MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering receivedmore than $500,000 from the 3M Foundation last summer to estab-lish a certificate program in Six Sigma—a widely used businessprocess methodology aimed at systematically solving problems,assuring quality control, and achieving high levels of consumer satisfaction.

Since Six Sigma levels of accomplishment generally recognized within private industry follow the martial arts exampleof earning a green belt, black belt and master black belt, studentscompleting the tough 15-credit-hour certificate program at MSUwill have the option of pursuing belt certification when they finish.

“In industry, employers generally look for the belt designations,”

Engineering student Jason Gill, right, a participant in the Six Sigmaprogram, uses a catapult to demonstrate a Six Sigma statisticalmethod to Ezhil Nachiappan and Hunter Jones.


9

said Larry Dalton, who was hired last fall to direct the MSUprogram. “The green belt represents sort of an apprenticelevel and the black belt full attainment of skills in themethodology. With a master belt, you really get into deepknowledge and application of Six Sigma, and participate inthe training of others.

“We feel that students who complete the College ofEngineering curriculum in Six Sigma methodology will haveattained the equivalent knowledge of a Black Belt,” addedDalton, an MSU alumnus and native of Corinth. “But we’replanning to offer them an opportunity through the AmericanSociety for Quality for additional testing to get the black beltdesignation.”

Dalton, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees inindustrial engineering at MSU in 1976 and 1978, respectively,spent last fall developing a Six Sigma program for start-up inthe 2005 spring semester, and prepared a plan for approvalthrough the office of engineering Dean Kirk Schulz and theuniversity’s Curriculum Committee.

“Six Sigma is known throughout business and industry asa process for executing and sustaining ideal performance andeffectiveness,” said Larry Brown, professor and head of theindustrial engineering department, where the program is based.

The certificate program consists of five three-credit-hourcourses—including two engineering statistics classes, a qualitycontrol class and a process improvement class, and a specialprojects class, which focuses on solving a real-world problemunder the guidance of Dalton, a member of the MSU StudentEngineering Hall of Fame.

Seven MSU industrial engineering seniors who previouslycompleted all of the required coursework, except for thisspring’s special projects class, were initial enrollees in theprogram.

“Some of the high-achievement students want to doeverything that they possibly can while they are in college,”said Dalton, himself a black belt and a former engineer withEaton Aerospace Corp. in Jackson. “However, a student onlyhas so many elective courses, so they really have to want todo this when they apply to participate.”

One of the seven students who signed up for the program,22-year-old Michael Hamilton of Sylverena, said he believesSix Sigma certification will make him a “more valuable commodity” in the engineering job market after he finishesgraduate school.

Another of the students, 21-year-old Haley Douglas of

Pensacola, Fla., said she signed up for the program “becausenew quality techniques have become so important in the engineering and manufacturing industry, and I hope to becomea more valuable asset to the company who hires me in thefuture.”

Developed in the mid 1980s, Six Sigma has found a nichein private industry. M.J. “Nick” Niccolai, director of SixSigma for Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, which operatesthe giant Pascagoula shipyard formerly called Ingalls, saidthe methodology has been a part of the company’s “continuousimprovement philosophy” for the past three years. He calledMSU’s initiation of the program an “excellent idea.”

“Northrop Grumman places a high value on Six Sigmabecause of the nature of understanding in both statisticaltechniques and team-oriented decision-making that the ‘belts’have achieved,” he said. “In addition, Six Sigma imposes arigorous data-based approach to decision-making whileengaged in real-world, often difficult problem-solving,” saidNiccolai, who also is a black belt.

“Hopefully, all new engineering hires will be exposed toSix Sigma and Lean (another production management-basedapproach to increasing performance and eliminating waste)tools and principles,” he added. “These concepts are funda-mental to a systems approach to engineering as required inthe ship design and building industry.”

Although Six Sigma is heavily based in engineering,Dalton said principles of the methodology also can be appliedacross other academic disciplines.

“Many of the tools used in Six Sigma are tools we use ineconomics,” said Gregg Ibendahl, an MSU assistant extensionprofessor of agricultural economics who plans to seek a blackbelt. “This might be something we could incorporate into ouragricultural economics program so our students will havemore to offer employers.”

Dalton said the university’s Human Resources Managementoffice also may take a close look at the possibility of applyingSix Sigma to the MSU administrative structure.

The main beneficiaries of the training, however, will beMSU engineering students who want to better prepare them-selves for the competitive job market.

“It’s about students getting real-world experience,” saidDalton. “Our students get more education in statistics thanwhat the black belt certification requires. What’s lacking—and what the projects course provides—is real-world experi-ence, going out and solving a real-world problem.”


11

‘About

C

CHILDREN’provides snapshot of issuesfacing America’s youth

Story by Maridith Walker Geuder Full page photos by Megan BeanDetail photos by © Corbis Royalty Free

CChildren who have so many possessions yet feeldeprived. Health concerns related to living in substandardhousing. The effects on children of having a parent in jail.Family issues when one parent is in the military. The ramifications of childhood obesity.

When a number of the nation’s leading pediatricresearchers, academicians, and child care advocates satdown more than two years ago with research scientists atMississippi State’s Social Science Research Center, theyasked themselves, “What are the most compelling issuesthat need to be raised about the health and well-being ofchildren?”

The answers in some cases surprised them. They identified areas as diverse as children and the media to religion among America’s teens, maternal depression tograndparents rearing grandchildren.

Expert essays about 40 wide-ranging topics are found ina brand-new book, “About Children,” published by theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, produced by MississippiState, and soon to be available through book outlets nationally.The book also can be ordered through the AAP Web site atwww.aap.org/aboutchildren/.

Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the AAP, “Thebook is conceived of as a ‘documentary in print,’ ” explainedArthur G. Cosby, SSRC director and one of the project editors. “We saw a tremendous need to provide informationin a usable format,” he added.

The 284-page “About Children” contains essays writtenby some of the top authorities in their fields, including aformer surgeon general, the former secretary of Housingand Urban Development, and the president of the ChildWelfare League of America. It is filled with photographs,maps, and illustrations that present information in a compelling and straightforward manner, said Linda HillSouthward, director of the SSRC’s Family and ChildrenResearch Unit and one of four editors for the project.

“Those who care for and about children came to theforefront to produce a volume that illuminates children’sneeds in a way that has not been done within one volume,”she said. Its publication was supported by grants from thePhil Hardin Foundation of Meridian and the BowerFoundation of Jackson.

“These Mississippi foundations played a tremendousrole in making this book a reality,” Southward said.


12

AA shared commitment

“About Children” was born because of collaborationestablished in 2001 between MSU and the Center for ChildHealth Research, an independent affiliate of the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics. The mutual goal: bring togetherpre-eminent researchers to address issues affecting children’shealth.

Created in 1999 by the 60,000-member AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, the child research center is locatedat the University of Rochester. Its executive director, Dr.Michael Weitzman, is a recognized pediatric researcher andone of the “About Children” editors, as well as contributorof a chapter on tobacco and health. Dr. Robert Greenberg,professor of pediatrics emeritus at the University of NewMexico and a former CCHR board chair, rounds out thebook’s senior editors.

To help define topics, the editors enlisted whatSouthward describes as a “stellar” group of professionals.

Among them:• Shay Bilchik, president of the Child Welfare League

of America;• William H. Isler, president and chief executive officer

of Family Communications Inc., which produced “Mr.Rogers’ Neighborhood”;

• Rebecca Barrera, director of the National LatinoChildren’s Institute;

• Paul H. Wise, professor of pediatrics, StanfordUniversity; and

• Dr. Robert Haggerty, former president of the W.T.Grant Foundation.

“The passion and synergy of this group guided the editors in selecting chapter topics and appropriate authors,”Southward said.

A call to action

Greenberg said the book breaks new ground in somesignificant ways.

“It defines child health broadly, encompassing childwell-being and integrating socioeconomic, psychological,environmental, and cultural, as well as biologic determi-nants,” he explained.

More importantly, he said, “It presents accurate infor-mation in a form accessible to a large audience of peoplevitally interested in our children and our future—parents,teachers, child advocates, child health providers, public officials, legislators, and others.”

The readable, visual, and easily understandable materialwill have a profound impact on those who read “AboutChildren,” Greenberg believes.

“It basically says to the readerships: ‘Here are thefacts! Here are the issues! Let others know! Take actionbased on this information! Changes the lives of childrenand families in our communities—in our nation!”

The book, which was the No. 7 best-seller at AAP’s75th anniversary conference in San Francisco, is receivinginitial strong reviews. Doody’s Book Review Service,which provides a weekly literature update to more than330,000 health care professionals nationwide, recently gave“About Children” a three-star rating.

“This is a unique book that covers a wide range of top-ics with a very interesting display style using multiple beau-tiful pictures, graphics, charts, and short chapters,” thereview noted. “It is a wonderful resource for a diversegroup of children’s caregivers.”

In addition to the text-based information available toreaders, those who purchase the book also will also haveaccess to Internet sites and a PowerPoint presentation foreach chapter. All have been screened and evaluated by theCenter for Child Health Research at the University ofRochester.

“These additional resources provide a wealth of infor-mation for those who care for or provide support for chil-dren,” Cosby said.

Outcomes

Like any project based on a compelling need, Cosbyfeels that “About Children” can be a catalyst leading toimproved dialogue about the issues.

“There have been so many unanticipated conse-quences,” he said, including interest from a nationally syn-dicated public television program focusing on health. “It’smy hope that the ‘About Children’ idea will continue toevolve as issues change. We envision this as a continuingseries of books on the state of childhood today.”

AffluenzaJohn de Graaf, co-producer of the “Affluenza” series on the Public Broadcasting System“From school, television, and numerous other sources, children see about 40,000 advertisements a year. Marketers say it is not a problem and claim they’re onlyempowering children to be full participants in a material world. But child welfareexperts suggest that training children to be caution-free consumers has serious consequences.”

Children of Incarcerated ParentsAngie Vachio, co-founder of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Preschools and executive director of PB&J Family Services of Albuquerque, N.M.“Approximately 80 percent of our nation’s prison population consists of parents withchildren of all ages. Their children are seven times more likely to become involvedin the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems than other children.”

Overweight: An EpidemicDr. William H. Dietz, director, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control“Although overweight in childhood is often considered a cosmetic problem, it has substantial health consequences. In one study, over 60 percent of overweight 5- to10-year-olds had at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor such as elevatedblood pressure, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, or elevated insulin levels; 25percent had two or more cardiovascular risk factors.”

Children and the LawShay Bilchik, president and chief executive officer, Child Welfare League of America“In virtually every instance, the courts have ruled that the legal protections afforded toour children can be compromised if the law in question is designed to further oursociety’s interests in their protection, nurturance, and overall development. To manychild advocates, this balancing has been used to deprive thousands of children manyof the rights all other citizens in this country take for granted without the correspon-ding benefits being realized.”

Religion among American Teens: Contours and ConsequencesJohn P. Bartkowski, professor of sociology, Mississippi State Universityauthor of Charitable Choices: Religion, Race, and Poverty in the Post-Welfare Era, author of Promise Keepers: Servants, Soldiers and Godly Men“Given the prominent place of religion in many teens’ lives, what effect does religious involvement have on adolescent development? Research reveals that religiousteens typically fare better than their nonreligious counterparts on a wide range of out-come measures that track adolescent development.”


15

What the experts say:

A sampling of topics in“About Children”


16

ALUMNUS INTERVIEW: Page Austin

An opportunity of a lifetime

Alumna Page Austin’senthusiasm for the political

process has led her to acoveted position at the

White House, where shehelps plan and coordinatepolicy events for first lady

Laura Bush.

Interview by Sammy McDavid

SSix or so years ago, Mississippi State’s John C.Stennis Institute of Government helped birth a neworganization designed to encourage students at thestate’s largest university to develop a greater interest in public service and the skills of politics.

As another way to honor two MSU alumniwho had gained widespread recognition for theirdecades of public service and political acumen during the 20th century, the group was named theJohn C. Stennis-G.V. “Sonny” MontgomeryAssociation.

Open to all academic majors, the SMA, as it’susually known, annually sponsors a series of lec-tures and workshops during the fall and springsemesters. It also assists members in applying forWashington, D.C., internships with offices of theMississippi congressional delegation. Additionally,the most active members are rewarded each yearwith an institute-sponsored visit to the nation’s cap-ital, where they spend a week getting a feel forgovernment service at the highest level and makeor renew contacts with potential employers.

Austin with first lady Laura Bush and President George Bush.White House photo by Joyce Boghosian.

Though she was not a member of the inauguralgroup, one early SMA member was Gulf Coast resident Page Austin of Diamondhead, a community of more than 2,600 near Bay St. Louis.

Austin, who graduated in 1998 from the publichigh school in nearby Mandeville, La., came to MSUas a freshman initially interested in either an educationdegree or a major that might serve her well in lawschool. When she graduated in 2002, Austin had abachelor’s degree in political science and a very definite idea what she wanted to do next.

In 1999, around the time she was finishing her firstyear in the SMA, she began what would become athree-year association with the Oktibbeha CountyRepublican organization. As volunteer coordinator andassistant to the local county GOP chairman, she wasespecially active during the first presidential campaign of presidential candidate George W. Bush,who would go on to win the first of two terms as thenation’s chief executive.

From August to December 2001, Austin’s involve-ment in government and Republican Party work took agiant step when she was tapped for two internships inWashington. For four days each workweek, she handled a variety of tasks in the White

House Office of Political Affairs; the remaining day,she worked at the Republican National Committeeoffice doing a variety of other duties. To put it mildly,for a university student bitten by the “political bug,”this was an experience—and opportunity—of a life-time.

Austin was not one to squander so great an oppor-tunity, recalls Stennis Institute executive directorWilliam M. “Marty” Wiseman. “When Page gotinvolved in the Stennis-Montgomery Association, shereally got involved in the world of politics,” he said.“By the time she went to Washington on her seniorSMA trip, she was armed with a first-rate resume thatshowed just how prepared she was to work in the Big Time.”

After her MSU graduation in May, Austinreturned to Washington in June 2002 as a politicalappointee in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office ofFossil Energy. In her role as executive assistant, shehandled, among numerous other duties, all aspects ofdaily scheduling for the assistant secretary of energyand the office’s senior policy adviser. After slightlymore than a year at DOE, she took another big step,this time to America’s most famous house address,1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

In September 2003—just five years after she wasvolunteer coordinator for the Oktibbeha CountyRepublican Party—Elizabeth Page Austin began workin the White House with the Projects and Policy Officeof first lady Laura Bush. From then until now, she hashelped plan and coordinate policy events for Mrs.Bush. Her other duties include analyzing andresearching information in preparation for specificevents and preparing briefing papers, policy correspon-dence and memorandums as various situations require.

Oh, and she also supervises the office’s interns—agroup of young women and men in roles similar tohers just a very few years ago.

Recently, Page Austin took time for an interviewwith Alumnus magazine:

Page Austin

T

What are the responsibilities of the Office of Projects andPolicy? Within the office, what are your duties?

The projects and policy office carries out Mrs. Bush’s ini-tiatives. We develop and manage events associated with herinitiatives, respond to constituents who write in about Mrs.Bush’s programs, coordinate projects with other White Houseoffices, federal agencies, and outside organizations, and theprojects director advises Mrs. Bush on projects and policy issues.

Right now, my duties in the office are to assist the direc-tor. I help plan the various events; oversee all of the projectscorrespondence; supervise the interns in our office; conductpolicy-related research; prepare briefing materials for Mrs.Bush; and coordinate projects with other White Houseoffices, federal agencies and outside organizations.

If there is such a thing, how would you briefly describe a“typical day” at work as you carry out your duties?

There really is not a “typical day” here at the White House.We have the regular day-to-day office duties, including phonecalls and mail. Normally, there are events on Mrs. Bush’sschedule that our office is responsible for, and so we startpreparing for those events.

We also continue our work on Mrs. Bush’s initiatives. Icommunicate with other White House offices, federal agencies,and outside organizations, set up meetings for the directorand if I am working on that issue then I attend as well.

I also read newspapers and other publications to stayinformed, especially regarding Mrs. Bush.

Do you anticipate your work in the second Bush term toevolve in any major way?

Naturally, many changes come with a second term. Thisis a time when staff members move around or leave to dosomething different. I really enjoy working for Mrs. Bush, soI’m hopeful to stay in her office.

Still, as in other offices, folks in Mrs. Bush’s office willbe moving around and things will change. I don’t knowwhere I will be, but I am willing to serve where ever thePresident and Mrs. Bush need me.

As an MSU student in 2001, you were part of the Stennis-Montgomery group whose weeklong visit to Washingtoncoincided with President Bush’s first inauguration. InAugust of that year, you began work as a White Houseintern. Did the first occurrence have any direct relationship with the second?

There was no relationship. I actually interned with Sen.Trent Lott the previous summer, and throughout the schoolyear was involved with the Bush/Cheney campaign inMississippi. I had really wanted to intern in the White Houseif then-Gov. Bush won the presidential election. After theinauguration, I contacted Sen. Lott’s office, and they put mein touch with the appropriate person to obtain a White Houseinternship.

You completed two simultaneous, semester-long intern-ships there with the Republican National Committee andthe White House. Is that unusual, and how did thosedual internships come about?

Yes it’s unusual, but it was an opportunity of a lifetime towork at the White House and the Republican NationalCommittee.

You didn’t come to Mississippi State as a freshman with abackground in politics. How did your interest in politicsevolve as a student?

While I did not come to MSU with a background in politics,I was involved in student government in high school and afew local political campaigns. But, I was primarily interestedin the study of law and elementary education. My interest inpolitics came after my first event with the Stennis-Montgomery Association.

I realized that I really enjoyed public service and felt thatpolitics is something that is very important and has an effect oneveryone. The rest of my time at Mississippi State was focusedon learning and getting involved in the political process.


18

Looking back, how much impact did your participa-tion in the Stennis-Montgomery Association helpachieve your immediate post-graduation goals?

I would venture to say that if I had not have been apart of SMA then I would not be in Washington, D.C.,today. SMA sparked something in me that I did notknow existed. I was exposed to so much over thecourse of my four years at MSU that it changed thedirection in which I was going. SMA allowed me tocome to Washington, meet the Mississippi congres-sional delegation and interact with fellowMississippians who worked in D.C.

My involvement in SMA also allowed me to makethose important contacts so that I could obtain aninternship and eventually a job. I am very thankful forthis organization and feel that it does a great job atreaching college students, showing them that politicsisn’t just something you study but something that youcan get involved in and make a difference.

Is it true that you were so organized as a politicalscience major that you had resumes and businesscards ready to leave with potential employers?

That is partially true. I did have resumes ready,but I did not have business cards. I knew that I wantedto come to D.C. and intern and then work, so I wantedto have resumes on hand.

I didn’t have connections or family that wasinvolved in politics or had an abundance of money. IfI was to succeed, I knew I had to work hard and makethe contacts myself.

Looking to the future, do you have specific goalsbeyond the next four years?

I would like to eventually settle down and raise afamily while working at the local level doing politicaleducation and/or political campaigning. I think thatyou can make such a difference working at the locallevel. But that is an interest I have for down the road.

I think that, while I am still single, I really wouldlike to stay in D.C. for a while longer and work onissues that I feel passionate about. I really haveenjoyed working in Mrs. Bush’s office because her initiatives are something that personally interests me. I think I would enjoy doing something where I couldmake a difference, maybe in the private sector.

Additionally, I love politics and would like to workwith state governors or do some sort of intergovern-mental work, or work with the National RepublicanCommittee on political education projects.

I do not know what the future holds or where Iwill be or what I will be doing. I believe that publicservice is a noble career, one that is worth pursuing andas long as I am working toward that end I know I willbe happy. I trust that God has a plan for me and hewill lead me where I can serve Him best.

What advice do you have for current or futureMississippi State students who may have aspirationsof working in public service at the highest levels?

College is the time to gain experience and to learnfrom those who have gone before you. I wouldencourage all interested Mississippi State students toget involved in the Stennis-Montgomery Association.Dr. Wiseman is such a wise and great mentor to haveand he has much to offer.

I would encourage involvement with their politicalparty, whether it is Democrat or Republican. Be activeboth on and off campus. I learned so much from thefolks in the Oktibbeha County Republican Party.College is a great time to do internships—the officeexperiences, research and writing are very beneficial.

Finally, I would say: You can succeed if you applyyourself and are willing to learn. Also, I would urgestudents to read, read, read news of current events.Reading and the knowledge you gain from it are veryimportant.


19

ALUMNUS INTERVIEW: Page Austin


20

‘just a

Story by Kay Fike Jones

Photos by Megan BeanMSU graduate Cindy Tyler has

built a unique and successfulbusiness while keeping her

priorities in order.

‘just a

o

ALUMNA CindyTyler


21

o

a haswhomom a store’a haswhomom a store’

o

CCan you name a Mississippi gift company that sells state-made products and has been featured in Southern Livingmagazine and USA Today?

Here’s another hint: it offers more than 1,200 food andgift items produced by some 120 merchants from every part ofthe Magnolia State.

Another? OK, it’s owned and managed by a 1993Mississippi State graduate from Starkville who’s married to a1989 MSU graduate from Greenwood.

One more? All right. It’s a trick question; the company’sname is in the first paragraph.

Based in Greenwood, The Mississippi Gift Company isthe brainchild and successful business founded by Cindy andTim Tyler.

“We started in 1993 as a fund-raising company forMississippi students to sell Mississippi-made products to raisemoney for their schools,” Cindy explained.

“We then began offering gift baskets and moved our officeto a retail space and added about 25 or 30 food items and thegift shop just took off. In 1995, we added a free mail order cat-alog and Web site, www.TheMississippiGiftCompany.com, andsales grew,” she added.


22

“We remained true to our niche, which is to offer onlythe finest food and gift items made in Mississippi.”

Due to the demand, the only exceptions to this are selectMississippi State University, Ole Miss and Mississippi souvenir items.

These unique Mississippi-made gift items range fromVicki Carroll and other local pottery to gourmet foods andthe No.1 food seller—cheese straws, which are produced bythe Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory in Yazoo City.

While catalog sales remain popular, Cindy said theInternet business has seen a significant increase.

“We receive orders from all over the United States,” sheexplained. We have regular customers in all of the 50 states.In January, we shipped product to several inaugural parties inWashington, D.C. This past year, we shipped gift baskets tovarious Mississippi-born celebrities and also to writers of television shows in Hollywood,” she added.

In 1994, Greenwood-based Viking Range Corp.—whichwas founded and is led by major MSU benefactor Fred CarlJr.—lured Tim away from the couple’s fledgling businesswith the offer of a marketing position. That left Cindy totallyin charge of the operation.

So, how’s she done since then? Well, consider that, inaddition to the original downtown Greenwood store, TheMississippi Gift Company now has a second location inJackson’s Fondren shopping district.

The Mississippi Gift Company also has been recentlynamed as a featured merchant on Amazon.com with the likesof Harry & David and other national gift companies.

In addition, Cindy has begun a franchise program thatoffers others a chance to open a Mississippi Gift Companylocation in their city. The response has been tremendous, andCindy currently is in negotiations with several interested parties.

While all this keeps Cindy very busy, she is adamantabout “putting God and family first.” She and Tim are theparents of a 4-year-old son, Cole, who definitely keeps hisfolks hopping. Balancing a business and a family are nevereasy, and, not unexpectedly, Cindy said the toughest time isduring the holiday season.

“My staff and I are at the store 15-18 hours each day fill-ing and shipping out the Christmas orders,” she said. Givenhis young age, Cindy has learned that “our son doesn’t under-stand where his mom is and why she isn’t at home” duringthis time.

As a retail veteran, Cindy has long appreciated that thereare times of the year merchants have to bite the bullet.

“When I was a Mississippi State student, I worked atMullins Department Store in Starkville,” she said. “TheMullins family was great to work for and taught me so muchabout the retail business.”

And while Cindy has learned “the retail business” fromevery angle, she hasn’t allowed herself to become over-whelmed by entrepreneurial success.

“I feel like I’m helping my state by keeping Mississippidollars at home, plus I just enjoy this,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I enjoy offering our customers the most interestingand unique food and gift items that our state has to offer, withthe ability to ship them anywhere.”

Her measured decisions have led to some honors, includ-ing being named to the “Top 40 Under 40” by the MississippiBusiness Journal; one of the “Top 50 Leading BusinessWomen” by the Delta Business Journal; one of “Mississippi’sTop 50 Women in Business” by the Mississippi BusinessJournal; “Retailer of the Year” by the Greenwood-LefloreCounty Chamber of Commerce; and “Mississippi’sOutstanding Downtown Merchant of the Year” by theMississippi Downtown Development Association.

Cindy tends to downplay any successes she hasachieved, and the fact that she has a catalog and Web giftbusiness that specializes in “made in Mississippi” products:“I am not really cut out of that entrepreneurial cloth.”

As she sees it, “I’m just a mom and I have a store.”Or two. o

oo

o

ALUMNA CindyTyler

truenicheto our

Spring 2005

23A L U M N U S

An alumnus who mostrecently was sustainableforestry program managerfor a nonprofit researchinstitute is the new headof the forestry department.

After 15 years with theNorth Carolina-basedNational Council for Airand Stream Improvement,James P. Shepard returnedto his alma mater to leadthe 50-year-old department.

In his position with the North Carolinainstitute, Shepard developed and implementedprogramming focused on environmental topics ofinterest to the forest products industry.Established in 1943 by the pulp and paperindustry, the council is recognized as a leadingsource of reliable data on environmental issues.

Alumnus now leadingforestry department

MSU accreditationfollow-up completed

Shepard

newsCAMPUS

Mississippi State has received notice it hasmet all follow-up recommendations resultingfrom the university’s 2003 reaffirmation ofaccreditation by the Southern Association ofColleges and Schools.

MSU accreditation was reaffirmed inDecember 2003 following a two-year self-study. A follow-up report in response tospecific recommendations related to planningand assessment was submitted last fall andaccepted at the December 2004 SACS annualmeeting. No further reports are required.

The self-study, required every 10 years,involved 13 campus committees and about200 committee members and was headed byphysics professor Leslie Bauman.

The follow-up process documented MSUassessment processes and changes made as aresult of assessment in academic programs,research and service functions, administrativeand educational support services, andinstructional programs.

MSU’s next reaffirmation of accreditationis scheduled for 2014, with the internalreview process to begin in 2011.

Mississippi State enrolled 31 enteringfreshman National Merit Scholars in fall2004, according to the National MeritScholarship Corporation’s annual report. Thefigure is up from 24 in the previous year.

Other Mississippi institutions enrollingNational Merit Scholars last fall were theUniversity of Mississippi, with 29; Universityof Southern Mississippi, with seven; andMillsaps College and Mississippi College,with one each. MSU has led the state inMerit Scholars for five of the past six years.

University attractsmore Merit Scholars

When approved thisyear, the Mississippi StatePolice Department willbecome the first at aMississippi institution ofhigher learning and just thethird law enforcement unitstatewide to hold nationalaccreditation.

Based on a campus visitand the assessment of ateam of law officers, theCommission on Accreditationfor Law EnforcementAgencies is recommendingthat its membership grant the

MSU police receivestamp of approval

continued

NASA recognizes pairfor aircraft research

Two Mississippi Statescientists are receivingnational recognition fromNASA for devising computersoftware that is savingaircraft engine manufacturersmillions of dollars in newengine developments.

Professors Jenping Chenand J. Mark Janus of theuniversity’s ERC/Computational Simulationand Design Center wonNASA’s 2004 Software ofthe Year Award in theirresearch category whilecollaborating with thenational space agency’sGlenn Research Center.

They also received$25,000 for finishing secondoverall in competition withother category winners.

Chen and Janus havebeen working incollaboration with NASAand private industry over thepast 18 years onturbomachinery simulationsoftware.

Mississippi State scientist, professor andadministrator Kirk Schulz became the new deanof the James Worth Bagley College of Engineer-

ing in January.Schulz previously

served as director of theSwalm School of ChemicalEngineering and was holderof the school’s Earnest W.Deavenport Jr. Chair since2001.

The dean’s positionbecame vacant in June withthe retirement of A. Wayne

Bennett, who had held the job for eight years.A Norfolk, Va., native, Schulz has been an

MSU faculty member since 2001.

Schulz named newdean of engineering

Schulz

Spring 2005

24A L U M N U S

Oktibbeha County businessman CharlesH. Templeton Sr. is being memorialized witha permanent music museum in his honor atthe university’s main library.

Templeton, a keen businessman and avidmusic lover who died in 2000, was a 1949MSU accounting graduate who played bothoboe and piccolo during his student days inthe Famous Maroon Band.

At a recent campus ceremony, his wifeMary Ann Templeton was formally thankedfor funding the renovation of an existingroom in Mitchell Memorial Library topermanently house the massive collection.Expected to open this spring, the CharlesTempleton Music Museum will be located onthe fourth floor.

Dating from approximately 1897 throughthe 1940s, the 22,000 pieces of Templeton’ssheet music have been, since 2001, in theprocess of being digitized so they may beaccessible instantly for online researchersaround the world.

Together with some 200 musicalinstruments, the collection represents whatTempleton called “the business of music”—the popularization of music that ranges fromragtime and blues to Irving Berlin balladsand a generation of tunes documenting WorldWar I.

Music collectionfinds new home

Starkville resident Mary Ann Templeton (second fromleft) and MSU President Charles Lee (second from right)were joined at the campus appreciation ceremony byTempleton’s son Chip and daughter Mary BethLangston.

newsCAMPUS designation to MSU. Formal

approval will be made atCALEA’s national meetingthis spring.

Johnson said accredita-tion requires a local depart-ment to comply with morethan 440 standards thatrepresent the best practicesof law enforcement. Partici-pation is voluntary.

Mississippi State associ-ate provost Jerry Gilbert—widely known for his studiesof the aging process—became president of theInstitute of BiologicalEngineeringJan. 1.

A faculty member at theuniversity since 1988, Gilbertwill preside over the nationalprofessional organization’s2005 annual meeting thisspring in Athens, Ga. Aspresident-elect, he hasworked this year to help IBEdevelop relationships withmajor professional engineer-ing societies that havemember ties to biologicalscience.

Gilbert came to MSUfrom the University of NorthCarolina, where he was anassistant professor oforthopedic surgery andbiomedical engineering.

Gilbert named headof engineering group

A Mississippi State alumnus who mostrecently oversaw a major facilities servicescontract for the U.S. Naval Academy is the

university’s first executivedirector of facilities.

James A. Jones isheading a new unitcomposed of threeformerly separate offices:Physical Plant, CustodialServices, and CampusLandscape and Grounds.

Jones is a 1981 MSUelectrical engineeringgraduate who went on to

receive a master’s in management from the NavalPostgraduate School. He is a registered profes-sional engineer.

In his new role, Jones will oversee operationsof all campus facilities and grounds, as well asthe utilities system. He also will coordinate allnew campus capital improvement projects.

Jones is executivedirector of facilities

JonesMississippi State is in the

top 10 for the level ofresearch articles publishedby academic facultymembers in the world’sleading economic educationjournal.

Economists amongpublication elite

continued

McGee new director ofsponsored programs

McGee

A former outreach coordinator in the office ofMississippi State’sresearch vice president isthe university’s newdirector of SponsoredPrograms Administration.

Marc McGee, who wasresearch outreach anddevelopment coordinatorfrom 1998-2003, beganwork in his new positionin December. He had

served since January 2003 as vice president forproperty development and research for theGreater Starkville Development Partnership/Oktibbeha County Economic DevelopmentAuthority.

McGee succeeds former SPA director JimPeterson, who left the job in August 2003. LyndaTuck and Jonathan Pote, associate vice presidentfor research, directed the office on an interimbasis during the transition.

Spring 2005

25A L U M N U S

newsCAMPUS

Mississippi State will commmorate theenrollment of the university’s first African-American student inconjunction with severalcampus events to take placeduring the year.

Physician Richard E.Holmes, whose enrollmentin 1965 ended segregation atthe university, grew up inStarkville. In 2003, hereturned to his alma materas a member of the medicalstaff at the John C. LongestStudent Health Center after practicing emergencyroom medicine for many years in Birmingham,Ala.

In 1991, Mississippi State recognized hiscampus achievements and medical career bynaming its cultural diversity center for him.

First African-Americanstudent honored

Holmes

Project SMART boostsscience, math teachers

Mississippi State will partner with nearby RedHills Mine this summer to help science, mathand technology teachers in a 12-county areaacquire real-world skills and high-tech resourcesthey can pass on to their students.

Utilizing a grant of $197,600 from theAppalachian Regional Commission and another$21,500 from the Choctaw County mine, theuniversity’s Center for Science, Mathematics andTechnology will conduct Project SMART July11-22.

Project SMART—Science and MathematicsAdvancement and Reform utilizing Technol-ogy—will allow eight teams of three teacherseach to participate in intensive technologytraining during a two-week workshop on theMSU campus and at the Ackerman-based mine,which is operated by Mississippi Lignite MiningCo.

Targeted for participation in the program willbe teachers in grades 7-12 from school districtsin a dozen ARC-designated counties in NortheastMississippi.

Longtime aerospace engineering professorJoe F. Thompson is a newly elected Fellow ofthe American Institute ofAeronautics and Astronau-tics.

A William L. GilesDistinguished Professor inAerospace Engineering, theuniversity alumnus will beinducted formally during theAIAA’s annual FellowsDinner and awards cer-emony in Washington, D.C.,in May.

AIAA Fellows are persons who have madenotable and valuable contributions to the arts,sciences or technology of aeronautics orastronautics, according to a letter notifyingThompson of the honor bestowed by profes-sional colleagues.

An authority on numerical grid generationand computational fluid dynamics, Thompsonwas founding director of what originally wasnamed the Engineering Research Center forComputational Field Simulation at MSU.

Thompson electedaeronautics fellow

Pat Fitzpatrick, anassociate research profes-sor at the Stennis SpaceCenter office of MississippiState’s GeoResourcesInstitute, is the author of anew book on hurricanes setfor release this spring.

Fitzpatrick’s book,Hurricanes: A ReferenceHandbook, is a follow-up tohis earlier work, NaturalDisasters: Hurricanes, whichwas published in 1999while he was an assistantprofessor of meteorology atJackson State University.

The books are designedprimarily for students,teachers, emergencymanagers, public officials,journalists, and meteorolo-gists, as well as “hurricanebuffs.”

Prof developshurricane guide

Listed at No. 10, theuniversity ranks ahead ofsuch larger institutions asPrinceton, Duke, andGeorgia for inclusion in theJournal of EconomicEducation. Vanderbilt, thirdon the list, is the only otherSoutheastern Conferenceschool in the upper tier.

Since being founded in1969 by the AmericanEconomic Association andNational Council onEconomic Education, thejournal has deemed onlyabout 1,000 articles worthyof its pages. Submissionscome from more than 400universities and collegesaround the world.

MSU actually moves upto sixth place when theanalysis is restricted to justthe last 15 years ofpublication.

The department is a partof the College of Businessand Industry.

Mississippi State electrical and computerengineering professor Stanislaw Grzybowskiis returning as director of the university’sHigh Voltage Laboratory, considered one ofthe largest academic research facilities of itskind in the nation.

A member of the MSU faculty since1987, Grzybowski headed the lab from 1993-2000 and has remained actively involved inthe facility’s management.

Known as the largest high voltage labamong North American universities, thefacility helps meet testing and evaluationneeds of industry and utilities, and provides abasic academic environment for high-voltageengineering.

Grzybowski againdirects laboratory

Thompson

Spring 2005

26A L U M N U S

newsCAMPUS

Highway securitycenter announced

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., recentlyannounced a $2.3 million federal contract toMississippi State to establish and manage theHighway Watch Program’s EmergencyPlanning and Education Center.

The center will be located at theuniversity’s Center for Advanced VehicularSystems Engineering Extension Center inCanton.

Cochran said the CAVS EngineeringExtension Center “will be the national centerfor a research and training program that willhelp ensure a safe and secure transportationsystem and a safer America.”

The EPE Center will conduct exerciseswith the highway industry’s leading compa-nies and organizations to assess readiness andcapabilities, and to assist the sector indeveloping response plans for terrorist attacksand significant national emergencies

Mississippi State President Charles Lee isamong 16 distinguished alumni honored duringthe first “Evening of Stars” celebration sponsoredrecently by the North Carolina State UniversityAlumni Association.

Lee was the honoree of the College of NaturalResources, from which he received a bachelor’sdegree in forest management in 1964 and adoctorate in forestry genetics in 1972.

N.C. State Alumni Association ExecutiveDirector Lennie Barton said the event “begins anew tradition.”

“We salute the winners of the CollegeDistinguished Alumni Awards and the AlumniAssociation Awards with a ceremony that trulybefits their professional and personal achieve-ments,” Barton said. “These are individuals whohave made what you might call a ‘State’ment intheir careers, in their communities and on thecampus of their alma mater.”

Lee honored withN.C. State alumni award

The director of housingand residence life atMississippi State is thepresident-elect of theSouthern Association forCollege Student Affairs.

E. Ann Bailey will leadthe organization of morethan 900 members thisyear.

SACSA, whosemembership is spreadamong 15 states and theDistrict of Columbia, provides programming andresources to promote professional developmentand research in the student affairs area.

Bailey, who has led one of the MSU divi-sions’ largest units since 2000, earlier served asthe office’s assistant director and an areacoordinator.

Administrator to headstudent affairs group

Bailey

Capturing a turn-of-the-century transition to the“modern” era, a newMississippi State calendarand note card set is drawingfrom a unique collection ofantique sheet music.

Made available byMitchell Memorial Library,the Charles H. TempletonSheet Music calendars andnote cards replicate a varietyof artwork represented insome of the more than20,000 pieces of sheetmusic donated to theuniversity by the lateStarkville businessman. Calendars are availablefor $12 each; a collection of12 note cards, for $7.Proceeds will go towardfuture projects relating to theTempleton Collection.

To order online, visitlibrary.msstate.edu/templeton. Telephone ordersmay be placed at 662-325-0813.

Calendar, note cardscapture music art

continued

Mississippi State’s undergraduate programin landscape architecture is listed among thetop 15 programs in the country by a nationalpublication that promotes quality designeducation.

DesignIntelligence, a monthly journal forthe Design Futures Council, released therankings in its sixth edition of “America’sBest Architecture and Design Schools.” MSUwas 15th out of 66 programs the publicationranked, with Ohio State University toppingthe list.

DesignIntelligence America’s completelisting of its 15 best landscape architectureschools include, in order, Ohio State, Georgia,Kansas State, Pennsylvania State, LouisianaState, Cornell, Purdue, CaliforniaPolytechnic-San Luis Obispo and MichiganState (tie), Ball State and California StatePolytechnic-Pomona (tie), Iowa State andMassachusetts-Amherst (tie), VirginiaPolytechnic Institute, and Mississippi State.

Landscape architectureranked 15th in nation

A longtime MississippiState University professor andhumanities scholar is amongfewer than 40 U.S. educatorsreceiving a 2005 honor fromthe Fulbright Scholarsprogram.

Nancy D. Hargrove, aGiles Distinguished Professorof English at MSU, has beennamed a FulbrightDistinguished Chair,considered one of the mostprestigious appointments bythe international exchangeprogram.

A three-time FulbrightFellow, Hargrove now willhold the Fulbright-University

English prof earnsFulbright honor

Spring 2005

27A L U M N U S

newsCAMPUS

Poultry associationhonor goes to prof

Teachers invited tosummer institute

Poultry science professor J. Paul Thaxtonrecently received a national professional

organization’s highesthonor.

Thaxton is among threenamed a Fellow by thePoultry Science Associa-tion. The honor recognizesprofessional distinction andcontributions to the field ofpoultry science.

Thaxton has written formore than 300 publications,owns 11 patents and has

trained 32 graduate students. He is a member ofPoultry Science Association, Southern PoultryScience Society, World Poultry Science Associa-tion, Society of Experimental Biology andMedicine, American Association for the Advance-ment of Science, Society of Sigma Xi, andGamma Sigma Delta.

Thaxton

R. Rodney Foil of Starkville, retired vicepresident for MSU’s Division of Agriculture,Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, is among thefirst inductees into a newly created U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture hall of fame.

The Cooperative State Research, Education andExtension Service at USDA recognized 10individuals nationwide for their support ofresearch, education and extension in advancingknowledge for agriculture, the environment, andhuman well-being.

In 1994, as chair of the CSREES Board onAgriculture, Foil worked to transform CSREESfrom a subdivision of the Agriculture ResearchService into a separate and strengthened agency.

At MSU, Foil also served as head of theDepartment of Forestry then dean of the School ofForest Resources, as well as associate director ofthe Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experi-ment Station. He was named director of MAFESin 1978 and vice president in 1986.

Foil enters nationalag hall of fame

Two Mississippi State units and the state’stop health office are working together on anew program to help child care centers adopta series of simple steps that can prevent food-related illnesses.

“TummySafe” is the title of a food-safetycertification effort being coordinated by theMSU Extension Service, the university’sCenter for Advanced Vehicular Systems andthe state Department of Health. Usingcomputer delivery and a software platformdeveloped by CAVS research scientists, itoffers self-paced instruction in an interactiveformat.

The new curriculum was developed with a$280,000 grant from the U.S. Department ofAgriculture.

‘TummySafe’ seeksfood safety approach

Officials in the College ofBusiness and Industry areannouncing the university’ssecond Insurance EducationSummer Institute, to be heldon campus this summer.

Organized by the Peter K.Lutken Chair of Insuranceand the College of Educa-tion, the July 17-22 programis designed for educatorswho teach insurance eitheras a specific course or aspart of another subject. Thecost of tuition, room andboard and educationalmaterial expenses will becovered by a grant from theInsurance EducationFoundation.

The MSU training beginswith a three-week period ofonline introductions toclassroom topics, followed byon-campus classroomsessions and guest speakers.

Successful completion ofthe program will provideparticipants with three credithours of graduate-level MSUcoursework.

For more informationabout the institute, telephone662-325-2341, or [email protected].

of Vienna Distinguished Chairin Humanities and CulturalStudies.

A faculty member atMississippi State since 1970,Hargrove is the author of twobooks, Landscape as Symbolin the Poetry of T.S. Eliot, andThe Journey Toward Ariel:Sylvia Plath’s Poems of 1956-1959.

Hargrove is an award-winning classroom teacher,having been recognized withthe MSU OutstandingTeaching Award and the JohnGrisham Master TeacherAward, among others.

A 20-year wildlife and fisheries teachingand research veteran at Mississippi State hasbeen recognized by two nationally prominenteducation-support organizations.

Associate professor Jeanne C. Jonesreceived the 2004 Mississippi CASEProfessor of the Year Award from theCarnegie Foundation for the Advancement ofTeaching and the Council for theAdvancement and Support of Education.

Created in 1981, the Professors of the YearProgram is the only such initiativespecifically designed to recognize excellencein undergraduate teaching and mentoring.Jones is among 46 winners selected from atotal of nearly 300 nominations.

Jones is the fifth MSU professor to receivethe honor over the past decade.

Jones earlier received several MSUteaching awards, including three from herdepartment and two from the College ofForest Resources.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biologyfrom the University of Southern Mississippiand master’s and doctoral degrees in wildlifeecology from MSU.

Jones named CASEProfessor of Year

Spring 2005

28A L U M N U S

SPORTStalk

Mississippi State has begun a scheduledyearlong effort to continue certification ofits NCAA Division I athletics programs.

President Charles Lee said specificareas of the study include academicintegrity, governance and commitment torules compliance, as well as a commitmentto equity and student-athlete welfare.

The project is being led by Sandra H.Harpole, interim associate vice presidentfor research, and Donna S. Reese, interimassociate dean of the Bagley College ofEngineering. A 15-member steeringcommittee will lead broad campusparticipation in studying each area.

Institutional self-studies were institutedby NCAA member institutions in 1993 andare required approximately every five-10years. MSU undertook its initial NCAAself-study in 1997.

“The purpose of certification is to helpensure rules compliance in the institution’sathletics operations,” Harpole said. “Itopens up athletics to the rest of theuniversity community and to the public.”

The resulting examination confirmsstrengths of the program and promotesplans to improve areas of concern, sheobserved.

The self-study committee includesfaculty, administration, student, and staffrepresentatives, as well as athleticsdepartment personnel. Members willevaluate athletics programs in accordancewith NCAA operating principles.

“Once the university concludes its studythis year, an external team of reviewers willconduct a two-day evaluation site visit toMississippi State,” Reese said.

Composed of peers from otheruniversities, the site team will report to theNCAA Division I Committee on AthleticsCertification, which may decide that theinstitution is certified, certified withconditions, or not certified.

The steering committee also includesJimmy Abraham of the Division of StudentAffairs; outgoing Athletic Council facultyrepresentative Kirk Arnett of the College of

University begins NCAA recertification self-study

“Maroon to the Max,” MississippiState’s new extreme access Internetexperience, is available as part of theofficial athletic Web site,www.mstateathletics.com.

The subscription-based servicepromises to provide a new way for MSU

‘Maroon to the Max’ available online

Business and Industry; and Julie Berry ofthe Student Support Services Office, chairof the Professional and Support StaffAdvisory Council.

Others include Art Cosby of the SocialScience Research Center, Maridith Geuderof the university relations office, SueMinchew of the College of Education,Student Association President Adam Telle,and incoming Athletic Council facultyrepresentative Steven Turner of theagricultural economics department.

Athletic department members includedirector Larry Templeton; associatedirector David Boles, who also heads theuniversity’s Academic Advising Center;associate director Samye Johnson, whodirects the women’s sports programs; andmen’s basketball player Shane Power,representing the Student Athlete AdvisoryCouncil.

fans to follow the Bulldogs in years tocome.

“Maroon to the Max” subscribers willenjoy live and delayed video streaming of acomprehensive menu of Bulldog men’s andwomen’s sports on either a live or delayedbasis. Many other features will beimplemented as part of the “Maroon to theMax” experience in the future, includinglive chats with MSU coaches and athletes,

great moments in MSU sports historyand bonus coverage of the Bulldogs.

“Maroon to the Max” is available toany MSU fan for $100 per year. BulldogClub members who are donors in theMaroon Division and above may receivethe service for just $50 per year.

For more information on “Maroon tothe Max,” visit www.mstateathletics.comand click on the “Maroon to the Max”logo on the top of the site’s front page.

Spring 2005

29A L U M N U S

talkSPORTS

A contract extension for Bulldog head football coach Sylvester Croom was approved bythe State Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning. The extension carries Croomthrough the 2008 football season.

“This contract extension demonstrates the university’srecognition of the outstanding job that Coach Croom has done injust one year as the head of our football program,” Director ofAthletics Larry Templeton said. “It also fulfills our commitment tohim, as it relates to our NCAA sanctions.

“We are proud of the work that Coach Croom and his staff havedone, building a foundation for the future of our football program,”Templeton continued. “We are excited about the direction ourprogram is headed and confident that he will be the leader of ourfootball program well into the future.”

Croom inherited a football program that had won just eightgames in the previous three years. In just his first season, he nearlymatched the number of Southeastern Conference wins achieved

during those previous three years with back-to-back victories over Florida and Kentucky.

Mississippi State’s men’s andwomen’s student-athletes matched theprogram’s all-time best grade-pointaverage during the 2004 fall semester,assistant athletic director for academicsRay Berryhill said.

MSU scholarship student-athletesachieved a 2.90 GPA this past fall,tying the 2.90 mark set during spring1998. The men posted an all-time high2.72 GPA, while the women recordedtheir second-best average at 3.19.

The men’s (3.54) and women’s(3.64) tennis programs recorded thehighest individual sport GPAs. Of the282 scholarship student-athleteswearing maroon and white, 67 (or 24percent) made either the Dean’s orPresident’s Scholar lists, while 146 (or52 percent) earned a 3.00 GPA orbetter.

The football team posted a 2.39GPA during the 2004 fall semester, athree-year high for student-athletes inthat program. Of the 84 football playerswho were on the roster at the beginningof the fall semester, 22 (or better than25 percent of the team) finished theterm with a 3.00 GPA or better.

MSU extends Croom’s contract Men’s, women’ssports reach all-timegrade-point high

Junior outfielder Brad Corley and senior pitcher Saunders Ramsey have been accordedpreseason All-SEC honors and MSU is tabbed for a fourth place divisional finish by thecollege baseball Web site SEBaseball.com.

The MSU veterans will serve as team captains in the upcoming season.Corley, from Louisville, Ky., was named to the All-SEC first team. He compiled a team-

best .380 batting average with 19 home runs last season and already has earned All-Americateam honors from both Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Baseball America.

Ramsey, a third-team all-conference selection from Starkville, registered four saves andcompiled a 7-2 record and 3.50 earned run average, all team-leading totals.

SEBaseball.com tabbed Mississippi State for a fourth-place finish in the SEC WesternDivision behind Louisiana State, Mississippi and Arkansas. South Carolina, the pick for thetop spot in the SEC East, also was projected as the league’s overall champion.

Diamond Dog co-captains earn honors

EAST1. South Carolina2. Georgia3. Vanderbilt4. Florida5. Tennessee6. Kentucky

WEST1. LSU2. Ole Miss3. Arkansas4. Mississippi State5. Alabama6. Auburn

SEBaseball.com’sSEC projections

Spring 2005

30A L U M N U S

SPORTStalk

facilities. A by-product of that move willfree additional office space for thewomen’s athletic program in HumphreyColiseum.

Initial site preparations occurred inSeptember, and the building materialsarrived in late December. The buildingshould be ready for occupation by mid-April.

A planned second phase of constructionat the Palmeiro Center will be thedevelopment of the parking area just westof Humphrey Coliseum, which will servicethe new practice facility and provideadditional paved parking for basketball andfootball.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Palmeiro cameto the United States as an elementarystudent, and earned three letters in baseballat Jackson High School in Miami, Fla. Athree-time All-American on the collegelevel, he lettered at MSU 1983-85. Heentered professional baseball following hisjunior year at MSU after the Chicago Cubsmade him the 22nd player selected in thefirst round of the 1985 draft.

He has played 18 seasons at the majorleague level, breaking into the big leaguesin September of 1986. He is just 78 hitsshort of the magical 3,000-hit barrier andneeds only 49 home runs to reach 600 inhis career.

Rafael met the former Lynne Walden ofTupelo when the two were students at

MSU, and they were married Dec. 14,1985. They have two children, PatrickRyne and Preston Conner. The Palmeirosreside in Colleyville, Texas.

Palmeiro helps break ground on indoor training centerRafael Palmeiro will be remembered in

major league baseball as one of the game’sall-time great hitters, a durable player withthe ability to hit for average and a capacityfor delivering the long ball. Thecombination of more than 550 home runsand a near-.300 career batting average willlikely land Palmeiro, now with theBaltimore Orioles, in the Hall of Famewhen his playing days come to a close.

Palmeiro will long be remembered atMississippi State for a standout three-yearcareer which culminated with the DiamondDogs’ third-place showing at the 1985College World Series. During his playingdays at State, he became the SoutheasternConference’s first triple crown winner,leading the league in home runs, runsbatted in and batting average in 1984.

While “Raffy’s” exploits on the playingfield have assured his name in baseballhistory books on the college andprofessional level, now his name will becemented on the MSU campus because ofhis generosity.

During November ceremonies inStarkville, Mississippi State formallybroke ground on the Palmeiro Center, a$3.8 million practice facility for baseballand football. The lead gift towardcompletion of the project was provided by

Lynne and Rafael Palmeiro, who wereaccompanied by sons Preston and Patrick.

“For me to give something back to theschool, I felt it needed to be somethingspecial and it had to be the right time,” saidPalmeiro at the groundbreaking ceremony.“This is the right time and the right thing todo, and it’s a pleasure and an honor to beable to do whatever I can. I’m thrilled to bea part of this, and hopefully I can comeback and see it when it’s done before

spring training.”The building, which will be

located just west of Dudy Noble

Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium, willserve as an indoor practice area for bothsports and will be air-conditioned andheated. The interior playing area willmeasure 185 feet wide and 368 feet long,and will have a ceiling height of 60 feet.The 68,000-square-foot floor area willaccommodate a complete baseball infieldwithin the context of a full football playingfield. Retractable batting cages,which maybe loweredfrom theceiling, andfootball goalposts alsowill be included in the facility.

The project’s price tag also includes abaseball coaches’ office complex, whichwill be located between the indoor facilityand the current baseball stadium. It willallow coach Ron Polk and his staff toheadquarter closer to their baseball

Taking part in groundbreakingceremonies are, from left, Bulldogbaseball coach Ron Polk, PresidentCharles Lee, Rafael Palmeiro andhis youngest son Preston. Lookingon are Lynne and Patrick Palmeiroand Larry Templeton.

Artist’s renderingof the PalmeiroCenter

Spring 2005

31A L U M N U S

newsALUMNI

A veteran employee of the MississippiState University Alumni Association hasbeen chosen as 2005 National Alumnus ofthe Year.

Charles E. “Charlie” Weatherly ofStarkville received the association’s highesthonor in February at the annual awardsbanquet on campus.

Weatherly, a 1959 industrialmanagement graduate and Bulldog footballstandout came to work for his alma materin 1962 as the first full-time fieldrepresentative for the association.

In 1967, he was appointed theassociation’s executive secretary, andbecame director of alumni affairs in 1976.Ten years later, he became coordinator ofspecial projects for the association and theMSU Foundation. In that role, he wasinstrumental in completing the EugeneButler Guest House. He also helpedorganize the constituency-based fund-raising programs and served as director ofthe first constituency based fund drive.

Weatherly remained with the MSUFoundation in various capacities until heretired in 1997 as director of developmentfor Agriculture, Forestry and VeterinaryMedicine. But, true to form, retirementdidn’t slow him down—he continues toserve on the board of directors of the MSUAlumni Foundation, which providesscholarship assistance to deserving MSUstudents.

Since 1998, he has worked part-time assenior development officer for the collegesof Agriculture and Life Sciences, ForestResources, and Veterinary Medicine.

Active in civic affairs, he has served aspresident of the Starkville Kiwanis Club,was charter treasurer of that organization in1964, and in 1978 was named Kiwanian ofthe Year.

Weatherly honored as Alumnus of the Year

National Alumnus of the Year Charles E. “Charlie” Weatherly, center, is congratulated by MSUPresident Charles Lee, left, and MSU Alumni Association President Keith Winfield

The Alumni Association named outstanding chapters for 2004 at the annual alumnibanquet in February. The recipients were selected from among chapters throughout thestate and nation.

In-state chapters recognized for excellence in giving, chapter membership andactivities, and leadership were:

Category I, selected from chapters with membership potential of under 325—1. George-Greene County, and 2. Covington County.

Category II, selected from chapters with membership potential of 325 to 749.—1. Tippah County; 2. Lincoln County; and 3. Union County.

Category III, selected from counties with membership potential of 750 or more—1. Oktibbeha County; 2. Central Mississippi; and 3. Southeast Mississippi.

Outstanding out-of-state chapters for 2004 were—1. Houston, Texas; 2. Mobile,Ala.; and 3. Atlanta, Ga.

Chapters meeting their membership quotas and accumulating a minimum of 400points according to the Chapter Recognition Point System were the Desoto, Lee,Leflore-Carroll, Warren, and Washington chapters within the state, and Baton Rouge,La., Birmingham, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., and WestTennessee chapters out of state.

Each chapter receives an honor banner in recognition of service. First- second- andthird-place winners receive $1,000, $750, and $500, respectively, designated towardtheir local alumni chapter scholarship programs.

Outstanding alumni chapters announced

Spring 2005

32A L U M N U S

ALUMNInews

Kieu-Anh Tran of Tucker, Ga., a1996 civil engineering graduate andvice president for Q Solutionsconsulting firm, has been named the2004 Outstanding Young Alumna atthe recent Alumni Associationawards banquet. She previously hasserved as project manager for twoengineering companies.

Extremely active on behalf of heralma mater, she is student recruitingchairperson for the Atlanta Chapterof the MSU Alumni Association, andearlier served as an officer for theCentral Mississippi and Nashvillechapters.

The Vietnam native is a registeredprofessional engineer in Mississippiand Georgia.

She holds membership in anumber of professionalorganizations, including theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers,Society of Women Engineers, andNational Society of ProfessionalEngineers.

Tran named OutstandingYoung Alumna

Kieu-Anh Tran

College Alumni of the Year for 2005 were announced at the February alumni awardsbanquet. The group includes, from left, William A. Gillon of Germantown, Tenn., attorneywith Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens, and Cannada, College of Arts and Sciences; RebeccaMelton of Jackson, accepting for her late husband Jobie. T. Melton, who was a partner withthe Horne CPA Group, College of Business and Industry; Gary A. Blair of Brookhaven, seniorvice president with the Federal Land Bank of South Mississippi, College of Agriculture and LifeSciences; Alicia D. Anderson of Washington, D.C., chief of surveillance activities for the U.S.Army Veterinary Corps, College of Veterinary Medicine; Henry W. Faulkner of Destin, Fla.,founder and principal of the Advanced Sales Institute, Bagley College of Engineering; SherylFox of Jackson, senior interior designer for Canizaro Cawthon Davis, College of Architecture,Art, and Design; and David “Boo” Ferriss of Cleveland, retired Delta State University baseballcoach and former Major League pitcher, College of Education. Not pictured is Ruth J. Cookof Seminary, director of strategic planning for Molpus Timberlands Management, College ofForest Resources.

College Alumni of the Year named

Alumni and friends of Mississippi Statecan support the university and show theirBulldog pride at the same time by orderingan MSU license plate through their countylicense office. Proceeds from the sale ofthe MSU collegiate tags fund priorityprograms at the university.

Show your pride inMSU!

Promoted by the Mississippi State University Alumni Association, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526, 662-325-7000, www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu.

Spring 2005

33A L U M N U S

newsALUMNI

From left, Emery Dale Skelton of Winterville, Archie E. Cammack of Mobile, Ala., and Jack Ware ofLucedale have received Distinguished Service Awards for their years of service and dedication tothe Mississippi State University Alumni Association. They received the honors at the annual awardsbanquet in February. Skelton earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1964 and 1965,respectively, and is a farmer and president of Huntington Plantation. Cammack is a 1964 businessgraduate and is a senior field representative for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Ware, a 1962electrical engineering graduate, is retired general manager for Singing River Electric PowerAssociation.

Distinguished Service Awards presented

Mississippi State is bringing alittle Southern hospitality and a lot ofBulldog spirit with us to the Big Applein June.

Join us for a taste of home in NewYork City at the 26th annual Mississippiin Central Park picnic Saturday, June 11.

From fried catfish to blues music,you’ll find many things uniquelyMississippi right in the heart of NewYork. President J. Charles Lee and headfootball coach Sylvester Croom willheadline the festivities for MississippiState. There also will be booths set upby other Mississippi universities.

Fair Winds Travel of Starkville hasarranged a special package for alumniand friends of Mississippi State whowish to travel to New York for the event.Sightseeing or theater tickets at marketcost may be arranged by Fair Windsupon request.

Contact Fair Winds Travel at 662-323-5007 or 888-678-7708 for completedetails, or make your own arrangementsto join us in New York for Mississippi inthe Park.

For event times, contact the MSUAlumni Association at 662-325-3659 orvisit www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu.

Make plans forMississippi in the Park

Class ring tradition continues

Travis L. Klima of Starkville and Julia A. Tubbyof Philadelphia were among those receiving theirclass rings from President Charles Lee in recentcampus ceremonies. The Alumni Associationsponsors the event to commemorate the institutionalring developed in 1935. The presentation ceremonytakes place in April and December. Klima is anaerospace engineering major and Tubby a sociologymajor.

Spring 2005

34A L U M N U S

ALUMNInews

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONCALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL

22-23 Former Alumni Association National Presidents’Weekend25 Atlanta, Ga., Chapter Bulldog family celebration with Coach Croom26 Lauderdale County Chapter, Bulldog family celebration

Faculty Awards reception, Hunter Henry Center27 Class ring ceremony, Hunter Henry Center

MAY7 Commencement10 Southeast Mississippi Chapter, golf tournament and Bulldog celebration

with Coach Croom11 New Orleans/Baton Rouge Chapters, Bulldog celebration with

Coach Croom12 Mississippi Coast, Bulldog celebration with Coach Croom17 Memphis, Tenn., and DeSoto County Chapters, Bulldog celebration with

Coach Croom20 Alumni Association Executive Committee and Board of Directors

meetings, Hunter Henry Center23 Birmingham, Ala., Chapter, golf tournament and Bulldog celebration

with Coach Croom24 Houston, Texas, Chapter, golf tournament and Bulldog celebration with

Coach Croom25 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Chapters, Bulldog celebration with

Coach Croom26 Lee County Chapter, Bulldog family celebration with Coach Croom

JUNE11 Mississippi in the Park Picnic, New York, N.Y., noon18-30 Passage of Peter the Great aboard M/S Repin, sponsored by the MSU

Alumni Association. For details, contact Dianne Jackson at662-325-3444 or [email protected].

28 Retirement reception for John V. Correro, Hunter Henry Center,2-4 p.m. R.S.V.P. to Dianne Jackson at [email protected] 662-325-3444.

JULY21 Central Mississippi Extravaganza, Mississippi Coliseum, doors open

at 5:30 p.m., program at 7 p.m.

The Mississippi State UniversityAlumni Association is proud to offer a newservice: free, permanent e-mailforwarding.

Via the MSU Online Community,alumni can now sign upfor a permanent e-mailforwarding address.The address neverchanges, and is

affiliated withMississippi

StateUniversity.

Even whenalumni change jobs or e-mail providers,their MSU e-mail address remains thesame.

When alumni change e-mail providers,all they have to do is log on to the MSUOnline Community and change theirforwarding e-mail address.

It’s as simple as that. Go to https://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/MIU/register.html to sign up today!

Alumni have e-mailforwarding option

Grab your clubsfor golf outing

Enjoy a day of golf and renewfriendships at the School of Accountancyalumni golf outings. A scramble formatallows players of all skill levels toparticipate.

The first event is scheduled for June 10at Plantation Golf Club in Olive Branch;the second, on June 17 at Caroline GolfClub in Madison.

Both events begin with a shotgun startat 9 a.m. and conclude with lunch at 1:30p.m. The $60 entrance fee includes greenfees, cart, range balls, lunch, snacks, andprizes.

For more information or to register,contact Mark Lehman at 662-325-1641 ore-mail [email protected].

Spring 2005

35A L U M N U S

FOUNDATIONnews

The Bulldog Calling Center, part of theFund for Excellence Annual GivingProgram, has found a new home.

The center, formerly located on NorthJackson Street in Starkville, has moved intothe recently renovated basement of theHunter Henry Center. The center also isunder new management.

In the past, the MSU Foundation hadworked with an outside vendor whohandled the daily operations of the BulldogCalling Center. The center now will bemanaged and run completely by the MSUFund for Excellence.

“We are thrilled to have the callingcenter in the same building as the rest ofthe MSU Foundation staff,” said LauraKitchens, director of the Fund forExcellence. “This program is a key part ofthe Fund for Excellence Annual GivingProgram, and this change allows us to workmore closely with the calling center on adaily basis.”

The Bulldog Calling Center employsabout 50 MSU students who make phonecalls on behalf of the university. The

Bulldog Calling Center finds new homestudents call in the evening on Sunday-Thursday of each week seeking gifts andupdating address records.

“We have a great group of studentcallers who are excited about theopportunity to talk with so many alumniand friends of MSU,” said MandiAlexander, coordinator of TelefundingPrograms. “All of our callers are currentMississippi State students, so our alumniare able to relate well to them. They havea lot in common with the alums.”

To some, a calling center may seem likea minor part of a fund-raising effort.However, when all of the individualcontributions made through the callingcenter are combined, they have a majorimpact on the university.

“Overall, funds raised through thecalling center touch every aspect ofcampus—something we’re very proud of,”Kitchens said. “Each year, we call forcontributions to advancement andscholarship funds within each college, aswell as any special project they may havegoing on.”

MSU deans Phil Oldham and Sara Freedmantalk with student caller Amy Lofties, a juniorfrom Gulfport, about what alumni from theirrespective colleges, Arts and Sciences andBusiness and Industry, find interesting aboutthe university.

MSU first lady Pat Lee, center, led a cord-cutting ceremony for the recently relocated BulldogCalling Center that also included, from left, center coordinator Mandi Alexander and foundationleaders John Rush, Dennis Prescott and Laura Kitchens.

Since the center opened in late 2001, ithas helped secure funds for several majorcampus projects. Some of these includethe renovation of McCain Hall, home ofthe Bagley College of Engineering, andthe Hunter Henry Center. Efforts alsohave been focused toward securing gifts tobuild a new practice facility for theFamous Maroon Band.

Kitchens credits the success of thecenter in previous years to the attitude andwillingness of alumni and friends of MSUto contribute to the university. She alsobelieves the Fund for Excellence willcontinue to grow because of the way thosealumni and friends respond to studentcallers.

Spring 2005

36A L U M N U S

CAMPAIGN GOAL:Endowed Scholarships and Fellowships

The Asbury Foundation committed $1 million for a

new student scholarship program at Mississippi State.

The scholarships benefit entering students from specific

counties in Mississippi.

A $1.5 million gift from best-selling

novelist and alumnus John Grisham

and his wife Renee is supporting the

university’s Presidential Endowed

Scholars program for freshmen. The

number of scholarships available will

grow along with endowment earn-

ings. The gift also supports faculty

awards for undergraduate teaching.

A $25 million commitment from

James and Jean Bagley of Trophy

Club, Texas, is the the largest

single financial gift in Mississippi

State’s history. Their contribution

endows the James Worth Bagley

College of Engineering and creates

fellowships for graduate education

in engineering.

A $5 million gift from Dave C.

Swalm will support scholarships for

Brookhaven students. The contribution

was instrumental in putting the State of

the Future campaign over the halfway

mark just prior to public launch.

Proceeds from a $1 million bequest from C.W. “Tex”

Ritter Jr. and his wife Carolyn will one day support

several areas of the university. The generous deferred

gift will create a Presidential Endowed Scholarship fund

for outstanding students and an endowed memorial

scholarship in honor of the Kosciusko couple’s grand-

son. The gift also will support programs of the MSU

Libraries.

STATE OF THE FUTUREsilent phase highlights

CAMPAIGN GOAL:Endowed Chairs and Professorships

Ergon Inc. has established a distinguished professorship

that will provide leadership in electrical and computer

engineering education and research, as well as outreach to

industry. The Ergon-Diversified Technology Inc. Distin-

guished Professorship will enable MSU to attract and retain

nationally recognized faculty.

With a commitment of $1.5 million,

Bill and Carolyn Cobb of Dallas,

Texas, have established an endowed

chair in the Bagley College of Engi-

neering to be filled by a faculty

member from either the chemical

engineering or mechanical engineer-

ing department. Cobb is an MSU

engineering graduate who carved out

a successful career in petroleum engineering and geological

consulting.

A $2 million gift from Earnest W.

Deavenport Jr. and his wife Mary Ann will

establish a chair within the Bagley College

of Engineering. Earnings from the endow-

ment will provide a salary supplement and

additional financial support for

all future engineering deans.

Deavenport, a Macon native and

1960 MSU chemical engineering

graduate, is the retired chairman

and chief executive officer of

Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman

Chemical Co.

Spring 2005

36A L U M N U S

STATE OF THE FUTUREwill continue through 2008.

Spring 2005

37A L U M N U S

Spring 2005

37A L U M N U S

CAMPAIGN GOAL:Educational Program Enhancements

A $2.5 million gift from Fred E. Carl Jr.

of Greenwood and Viking Range Corp. is

supporting increased small town design

research and education in the College of

Architecture, Art and Design. The

commitment endows the college’s Small

Town Center, renamed the Carl Small

Town Center, and provides resources to

expand the scope and depth of the

center’s involvement and to increase the number of communi-

ties it serves.

A $1 million commitment from Nancy and Richard

Adkerson will create an endowed fund in the College of

Business and Industry that will benefit its School of Accoun-

tancy.

The Bagley College of Engineering is receiving more than

$500,000 from St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M to establish a Six Sigma

Certificate Program, designed to provide students with

industry’s latest customer satisfaction training through quality

control.

The College of Education received a

$100,000 gift to establish the Martin Fund

for Excellence in Education from E.B.

Martin Jr. in honor of his parents. The gift is

helping improve faculty and student

environments, update computer-based

laboratories, and strengthen research

programs in the college.

A gift of $1.5 million from Joe Ann Ward

is funding a critical care unit for small

animals in the College of Veterinary Medi-

cine. The unit will provide a unique

laboratory for students to learn important

medical concepts in intensive and critical

care delivery, as well as greatly enhance the

hospital’s ability to care for small animals.

The income earned from this endowment

will be used to maintain equipment and

supplies as well as add much-needed salary support for the

veterinarians and technicians that oversee the unit.

CAMPAIGN GOAL:New and Renovated Facilities

Davis Wade Stadium at historic Scott Field was enlarged in

2001 to incorporate sky boxes and new club-level seating. The

$30 million expansion project, the largest in MSU athletic

history, was initiated largely due to a private contribution in

excess of $8 million from the late F. Davis Wade Sr., along with

self-generated funds.

Another sizeable contribution of $1.4 million for the Davis

Wade Stadium expansion came from alumnus Charles “Cullis”

Wade. A charitable remainder trust of more than $800,000

from Wade and his late wife Gladys will provide a welcome

center for MSU athletics.

A $1 million gift from Hassell Franklin

supplemented $3 million in state funding to

build the new Franklin Center for Manufac-

turing and Management. The center

houses the Institute for Furniture Manufac-

turing and Management, a new interdisci-

plinary program for the colleges of Busi-

ness and Industry, Engineering and Forest

Resources, as well as the College of

Architecture, Art and Design and MSU’s Extension Service.

A $3 million commitment from 1950

chemical engineering alumnus Hunter W.

Henry Jr., a Canton native now of San

Marcos, Texas, and the retired president of

Dow Chemical USA made possible the new

alumni and foundation center that bears

his name. All gifts to the $12 million

Hunter Henry Center were counted in the

silent phase of the campaign. To date,

Henry has given $8 million to State of the Future.

A $1 million commitment from Rafael and Lynne Palmeiro

will build a new sports facility for the university. Construction

will begin soon on the new Rafael Palmeiro Indoor Baseball

Practice Complex, named for the former MSU baseball

standout and major league baseball player who is now with

the Baltimore Orioles.

The Riley Foundation provided a lead gift of $10 million as

funding for the renovations on the 1890 Grand Opera House of

Mississippi and the adjacent Marks-Rothenburg Building in

Meridian. The restored opera house will become a performing

arts venue and the Marks-Rothenburg Building will be an

education and conference center housing programs from MSU-

Meridian and others.

Spring 2005

38A L U M N U S

Fall 2004

A L U M N U S

Spring 2005

38A L U M N U S

A $2 million boost from the Robert M. Hearin Support

Foundation is supporting biotechnology research at MSU.

The grant provides support for university scientists whose

research includes human and animal health, disease-and

insect-resistant crop development, natural resources

protection, and computational biology.

Robert V.M. Harrison and

Freda W. Harrison of Madison

have committed a gift of

$75,000 to establish a lecture

series within the College of

Architecture, Art and Design.

The Harrison Visiting Lecture

Series will include four to six

lectures each semester from a

broad range of nationally recognized architects, educators

and artists. Visits will be scheduled to allow interaction

with students beyond the formal lecture.

Mississippi natives Fred

and Sara Jean Burke are giving

engineering students an

opportunity to participate in a

special study-abroad program.

The Burkes’ endowment

provides an annual income to

operate the program and

provide study-abroad scholarships. The couple wants to

financially assist young people in experiencing a different

place and culture while encouraging them to return and

put their knowledge to work in Mississippi.

Through planned gifts, the legacy of Dr. Harry C.

Simrall and his wife Mary Virginia will live on at MSU.

Proceeds from their estates have created endowed funds

in the Bagley College of Engineering and the Department

of Chemistry. Simrall spent 44 years on the MSU faculty

before retiring as dean of engineering; his wife was an

assistant professor in the chemistry department for many

years.

Financial support from the Bower Foundation, a

Jackson philanthropic organization whose mission is to

improve the health of all Mississippians, is at work at

MSU. A gift from the foundation supports the Mississippi

Health Policy Research Center and its Bower Seminar

Series. The center is a major unit of MSU’s Social Science

Research Center, which is a nationally recognized

organization engaged in the analysis and study of

important social and economic issues facing the state,

region and nation.

Anyone wishing to learn more about State of the

Future: The Mississippi State Campaign may do so

online. The State of the Future Web site recently was

activated.

To find out more about the campaign and its goals,

simply click on the State of the Future icon on the

MSU home page or visit www.msufoundation.com.

Visitors to the site can discover how they can become a

part of State of the Future by giving to any area of the

university. Individuals also may learn about some of

the options they have in making deferred gifts to the

university.

If you would like to make a gift or pledge to

support Mississippi State through State of the Future,

the site provides an option to do so online in a secure

environment. Through the “Make a Gift” link, you

will have the option to contribute using a credit card,

or you may choose to print a pledge form, which you

may complete and return to the MSU Foundation,

P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

The site also provides users with a listing of tele-

phone numbers and e-mail connections for the MSU

Foundation’s central staff, as well as for the fund-raisers

of each academic unit. Any member of the Founda-

tion team may be contacted by calling toll-free

877-677-8283.

State of the FutureGet on board with

Spring 2005

39A L U M N U S

Spring 2005

39A L U M N U S

The following individuals, corporations and foundations have made commitments of morethan $50,000 from July 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004, for State of the Future: TheMississippi State Campaign.

3M; William Adams Estate; Mr. and Mrs. Richard C.Adkerson; Richard C. Adkerson Family Foundation;ADTRAN Inc.; ALCOA Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. JimmyAlexander ; American Furniture ManufacturingAssoc.; AmFed Companies LLC; AmSouth Bank;Scarvia B. Anderson Ph.D.; Dr. and Mrs. LesterAndrews; Asbury Foundation; The Ayco CharitableFoundation; Mr. and Mrs. James Worth Bagley; J.W.Bagley Foundation; James T. Baird Estate; Mr. andMrs. Johnny H. Baker III; Mr. and Mrs. Robert B.Barker ; BancorpSouth; Mrs. Viola G. Bardsley; BASFCorp.; Bayer Crop Science; BellSouth; Mark W.Bentley Estate; *Mr. and Mrs. M. Hays Biggs; Mr. andMrs. Clarence D. Blaine; Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Blair ;Mr. Peter E. Blum; *Mrs. Madrina D. Bokenkamp;Michael Bowen PA; The Bower Foundation; Edwin B.Bridgforth Estate; Mrs. W.W. Brunson; Mr. and Mrs.James D. Bryan; Bryan Foods Inc.; Miriam B. BryantEstate; Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Bullock; Mr. and Mrs.William W. Bunker Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Fred P. Burke;Burlington Resources Inc.; Burlington ResourcesFoundation; Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Carl Jr.; CellularSouth; Ms. Renee’ S. Chandler ; *Dr. Robert B.Channell Charitable Gift Fund; Mr. and Mrs. HollisC. Cheek; Hotel Chester ; ChevronTexaco Corp.;Citicorp; Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Clark; Tony andChrista Clark; Mr. and Mrs. William N. Clark Jr.; Dr.and Mrs. William M. Cobb; Mr. and Mrs. Lamar A.Conerly Jr.; Kelly G. Cook Sr. Foundation Inc.; Dr.Fred G. Corley Jr.; Mr. Rubel P. Cowart Jr.; Mr. andMrs. Johnny Crane; Mr. Johnny L. Crane II; CreateFoundation; Mrs. Barbara H. Criswell; Mr. SteveDavenport; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Davis; The DayFoundation; Mr. and Mrs. Earnest W. Deavenport Jr.;Delaney Foundation Inc.; Delta Gamma Foundation;Delta Lambda of Delta Gamma; Delta RiceServices Inc.; Bonnie DeMent Estate; DesignIntegrations Inc.; *Hon. and Mrs. Glen S. Deweese;Mr. and Mrs. John N. Dowdle; Dow Chemical Co.;Mr. Richard Draudt; Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Dulaney;Durward Dunn Inc.; The Dupont Energy Co.;Eastman Chemical Co.; Dr. and Mrs. John P. Elliott;Mr. Robert T. Elmore; Eloise, Enoch & MargeryNorton Foundation; England Motors; Mr. Ray B.English; Entergy Mississippi; Ergon Inc.; Mrs. MaxineC. Estess; Ethicon Endosurgery Inc.; ExxonEducation Foundation; ExxonMobil Corp.; Mr. andMrs. John S. Ferretti; Mrs. June M. Files; W.D. FisherEstate; Foil-Wyatt Architects and Planners P.A.; Mr.James C. Forbes; Mr. Hassell H. Franklin; Mr. andMrs. W. Bruce Franklin; Mary E. Frederic Estate;Freeport-McMoRan Foundation; Furniture BrandsInternational; Mr. Russell Gaines; Gallagher Farm Inc;Mr. Frank F. Gallaher Jr.; Mrs. Mary J. Gardner ;

Charles K. Garmon Estate; Mr. and Mrs. James E.Garrison; Mr. and Mrs. E.M. “Hoot” Gipson; GipsonSteel Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Steve Golding; GolightlyFoundation; Goodman Associates; Mr. and Mrs.Bryce Griffis; Dr. and Mrs. Larry R. Grillot; Mr. andMrs. John R. Grisham Jr.; *Mrs. Lucile G. Gulledge;Ms. Gretchen Gulmon; The Hall Foundation Inc.;Hancock Bank; Phil Hardin Foundation; Mr. and Mrs.Thomas H. Harris Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert V.M.Harrison; Mrs. Winifred B. Hartwig; Mr. and Mrs.John W. Head; Robert M. Hearin SupportFoundation; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Heaster ; Mr. andMrs. Hunter W. Henry Jr.; Mrs. Winafred M.Herndon; *Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hilbun Jr.; Hill’s PetNutrition Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Holliman; Mr. andMrs. Larry E. Homan; Mr. and Mrs. Tad A. Honsinger ;Hood Farms & Gin; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hopper ;Wallace Hosmer Estate; Mr. and Mrs. Billy W.Howard; Mr. and Mrs. William D. Howell Jr.; Mrs.Louise Howell; Drs. William and Karen Hulett; Mr.and Mrs. Alvis T. Hunt; Mr. Louis A. Hurst Jr.; Mr. andMrs. John L. Hyland III; ITT Industries Inc.; Dr. JamesH. Jarratt and Dr. Ann F. Jarratt; Jillco Farms; Mr. andMrs. Bill R. Job; Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Johnson; Col.Kenneth “K. D.” and Mrs. Catherine Johnson; Mr.Charles W. Johnson; Johnson Bailey HendersonMcNeel Architects; Emily Jones Pointer Trust; Mr.and Mrs. Mark S. Jordan; Mr. and Mrs. M.F. Kahlmus;Mr. and Mrs. George P. Kappler Jr.; W. K. KelloggFoundation; Doris S. Lacey Estate; Lane Furniture;Mr. and Mrs. Bobby L. Latham; Mr. and Mrs. RichardA. Linder ; Mr. and Mrs. Steve Lindsay; Mr. and Mrs.Robert E. Luke; Mr. Malcolm H. Mabry Jr.; Mr. PaulGurner Maholm; Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Mallory Jr.; Mr.and Mrs. Bobby P. Martin; Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Martin Jr.;Bryant Mather Estate; Dr. and Mrs. R. Burt Maxcy;*Mr. Charles H. Maxwell; MBNA; Mr. T.W. McCloud;Mr. and Mrs. Curtis E. McCollough; Mr. and Mrs.William T. McGuire; Mr. James F. McKinnis; *Mr. FredK. McNeel; McNeil Nutritionals; Mr. and Mrs. JohnW. McPherson Sr.; Mr. and Mrs. James L. McRae;Community Foundation of Greater Memphis; MerialLimited; Mississippi Power Co.; Mississippi PowerFoundation; Mississippi Rural Rehabilitation Corp.;Mitchell Distributing Co.; Henry Mize Foundation;Molitor Angus Ranch; Monsanto Co.; Mr. and Mrs.Roderick A. Moore; Morgan Keegan Inc.; Mr. andMrs. Alton C. Morris; Mr. and Mrs. H. David Morris;Mr. and Mrs. Davis K. Mortensen; Dr. and Mrs. NilesR. Moseley; MSU Alumni Association; GeorgiaMurphy Estate; Mr. and Mrs. Michael G. Naylor ;NBC of Mississippi; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Nusz; Dr.Shirley F. Olson and Mr. Walter Olson III; Mr. andMrs. Rafael Palmeiro; Mr. and Mrs. Hal Parker Jr.;

Parker & Associates; Mr. and Mrs. Claude Parker ;Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn Parks; Jane T. Perry Estate; Mr.Henry C. Pilkinton III; Plum Creek Technologies; Mr.Ronald G. Polk; Mr. and Mrs. W. Stan Pratt; PremierFord, Lincoln, Mercury, Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert A.Pritchard; Procter & Gamble; RW Distributors Inc.;Dr. and Mrs. J.M. Randle M.D.; The Riley Foundation;Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Ritter Jr.; Revit TechnologyCorp.; Mr. Bob G. Roberts; Mr. Joe D. Robison Jr.;Mr. and Mrs. I. Alfred Rosenbaum; Mr. and Mrs.James Rouse; Charles H. Russell Jr. Estate; Mr.Michael J. Ryan; Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Sanders;Mr. William R. Sanderson; Mr. and Mrs. Joe F.Sanderson Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sanford; Mrs.Helen A. Sawyer ; J.R. Scribner Estate; Mr. and Mrs.Leo W. Seal Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Bobby S. Shackouls;Shady Brook Angus; Dr. Kay R. Shirley; Mr. and Mrs.W.C. Shoemaker ; Dr. and Mrs. Allen K. Sills Jr.; Mr.and Mrs. Wilson D. Simmons; Harry C. SimrallEstate; Mr. and Mrs. James B. Skewes; JohnBentinck-Smith Trust; Lorena J. “Rockie” SmithEstate; Southeast Chapter APCA; Southern FarmBureau Life Insurance Co.; Southern GinnersAssociation; Spirco Manufacturing; Dr. and Mrs.John Walter Starr Jr.; Charles E. Steele Estate;Charles E. Strahan Estate; Mr. and Mrs. QuentinStringer ; Structural Steel Services Inc.; Mr. and Mrs.Dave C. Swalm; Syngenta Crop Protection; CharlesD. and ZonaDale Taylor ; Mr. Rowan H. Taylor ; Mrs.Mary A. Templeton; James S. Therrell Estate; JamesM. and Luvie C. Thomas Foundation; Mr. WilliamLakin Thomas; Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Thompson Jr.; ThreeTrees Ranch Inc.; Tigrett & Williams; Tippah CountyAlumni Chapter ; Tower Loan of Mississippi Inc.;Trim Joist Corp.; Dr. and Mrs. Glover B. Triplett Jr.;Trustmark National Bank; Twin Hills Farm; VanZyverden Inc.; Vicksburg Hospital MedicalFoundation; Viking Range Corp.; Floyd D. Wade Sr.Charitable Lead Trust; Mr. Charles Cullis Wade; *Mr.and Mrs. Wenton R. Walker ; Dr. Clinton E. Wallace;Walton Family Foundation Inc.; Mrs. Joe Ann W.Ward; Mr. David L. Watson; Dr. and Mrs. Vance H.Watson; Dr. and Mrs. A. Randle White; Mr. and Mrs.James T. White; Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Whitehead;Mr. Joseph B. Whiteside; Charles R. WhitfieldCharitable Foundation; Mr. H. Lewis Whitfield; Mr.Francis Whitfield; Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Wile; Dr.R.E. Williams; Mrs. Daphine Williamson; Mr. andMrs. Randy Wilt; Mr. Ben Wilt; Mr. and Mrs. Dean K.Wingo; W.G. Yates & Son Construction Co.; and Dr.Oskar H. Zernickow.

*deceased

Spring 2005

40A L U M N U S

FOUNDATIONnewsArmstrong, Rush take on new Foundation assignments

Two MississippiState Universityalumni and fund-raising veterans areassuming new roleswith the MSUFoundation.

RichardArmstrong is fillingthe newly createdposition of regional

director for State of the Future: TheMississippi State Campaign.

As regional director, Armstrong willsupport State of the Future campaignactivities in the Southern region ofMississippi, and will have responsibilitiesoutside the state as well. Armstrong wasmost recently executive director of the

MSU Foundation. He will be based at theMississippi State-Meridian Campus.

Armstrong joined the university fund-raising team in 1993 after 25 years ofactive duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. He

is a 1968 generalbusiness administra-tion graduate and anative of Meridian.

John P. Rush isthe university’s newdirector of majorgifts. He will leadefforts to obtain non-public funds,including constitu-

ency-based major fund raising, plannedgiving, and corporate and foundationsupport. He moves to the central officefrom the Bagley College of Engineering

MSU is seeking to build a $3 millionendowment to honor and expand the workof U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)

through State of theFuture: The Missis-sippi State Campaign.

Through the years,numerous university-based research projectshave been funded withCochran’s assistance,including energy,agriculture and forestryfacilities at MississippiState.

The university, in cooperation withlocal government entities and establishedprivate sector technology-related busi-

where he was senior director of develop-ment.

Rush, a Leakesville native, is a 1994political science graduate who went on tocomplete a master’s in public policy andadministration at his alma mater. Hebecame the engineering college’s develop-ment director in 2002 after serving fouryears as assistant director.

“We have great confidence in the abilityof Richard Armstrong and John Rush tomove the university’s State of the Futurecampaign forward,” said Dennis A.Prescott, vice president for external affairs.“These two men have established a greatrelationship with donors, friends of theuniversity, and board members, as well asthe rest of our fund-raising team.”

Armstrong

Rush

Mississippi State seeks funds for Cochran endowmentnesses, will create and support an organiza-tion devoted to promoting entrepreneurshipamong university students while support-ing economic development in the ThadCochran Research, Technology andEconomic Development Park, the GoldenTriangle region, and the State of Missis-sippi.

“The Thad Cochran Endowment willseek to partner with successful privatebusinesses to further expand opportunitiesfor emerging entrepreneurs,” said DennisPrescott, vice president for external affairs.“The endowment also will assist new anddeveloping technology-related businessesby providing seed grants and bridgefunding,” he added.

The endowment, which will seek privatefunding for support of its programs, will beadministered by MSU’s Office of Researchwith the advice of an external board.

Cochran was elected to the Senate in1978, becoming the first Republican inmore than 100 years to win a statewideelection. He has won re-election everyterm since. He is a native of Pontotoc.

To date, major commitments toward theendowment include $1 million fromNorthrop Grumman Corp., $250,000 fromEntergy Mississippi, and $250,000 fromMississippi Power. For more informationon the project, contact Trish Hughes of theMSU Foundation at 662-325-7000.

Cochran

Spring 2005

41A L U M N U S

Spring 2005

42A L U M N U S

FFE Alumnus Ad - Spring2005.indd 1 11/12/2004 1:10:12 PM

Spring 2005

43A L U M N U S

SIM COOLEY (M.ED. ’63) ofEllisville has been recognized with thenaming of the football field at JonesCounty Junior College in his honor. Therecent ceremony designating the SimCooley Football Field at Bobcat Stadiumpays tribute to Cooley’s 27 years as theschool’s head football coach, during whichhe was named Mississippi Junior CollegeCoach of the Year five times. He also hasbeen inducted into the Mississippi CoachesHall of Fame and the National JuniorCollege Hall of Fame.

HASSELL FRANKLIN of Houston,president and CEO of Franklin Corp., hasreceived the prestigious TozzoliInternational Leadership Award at theMississippi World Trade Center’s 2004annual meeting. He was honored for hisinternational business leadership and fordemonstrating the trade center’s mission ofpromoting peace and stability throughtrade. Franklin Corp. is the state’s largestprivately owned furniture company and thenation’s third largest producer of recliningchairs.

JIM CORLEY of Lucedale has receivedthe Outstanding Volunteer of the Yearaward from the Greater George CountyEconomic Development Foundation andChamber of Commerce. The awardsceremony, sponsored by BellSouth,honored a number of local communityvolunteers and civic leaders.

DOUGLAS T. LUCE JR. of Lucedale,president and CEO of Century Bank, hasreceived a Volunteer of the Year plaquefrom the Mississippi EconomicDevelopment Council in recognition of his

leadership and contributions economicdevelopment in George County andLucedale.

JUDY SANDERS of Liberty hasreceived a 2005 Mississippi ArtsCommission Literary Arts Mini-Grant tofurther her work as a writer of Southernfiction. She also is one of two writers inthe state to receive a literary fellowship infiction. Both grants were funded by thestate Legislature and the NationalEndowment for the Arts.

KENNETH C. STEWART JR. has beennamed director for the Georgia ForestryCommission, where he will be responsiblefor the agency’s $40 million budget and675 employees. He previously was vicepresident for retail and specialty businessfor Unisource Worldwide.

ALLEN D. BROWN of Houston, Texas,has joined Sterling Bank as regional CEO.He will oversee the bank’s wealthmanagement, international banking, smallbusiness administration lending, andenergy lending departments.

JACK BULLMAN of Madison, Ala.,has been named director of the Spacecraftand Vehicle Systems Department in theEngineering Directorate at NASA’sMarshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.Bullman began his NASA career in 1981and most recently served as manager of theAvionics Department in theEngineering Directorate.

MICHAEL B.BALLARD (M.A. ’76,PH.D. ’83) of Ackerman,Mississippi State Universityarchivist and coordinator ofthe Congressional andPolitical Research Center atMSU, has written Vicksburg: TheCampaign That Opened the Mississippi,recently published by the University ofNorth Carolina Press. Ballard is the authorof six previous books, includingPemberton: A Biography and A LongShadow: Jefferson Davis and the FinalDays of the Confederacy.

SHARON Y. EUBANKS of McLean,Va., is head of the U.S. Department ofJustice’s tobacco litigation team. She hasbeen a lawyer with the department since1983.

'51

'59

'63

'71

'72

'73

'74

'75

Ballard

'76

Mississippi State Alumnus is pleased to publish photos of our graduates in ClassNews, along with word of their accomplishments.

To ensure that your photo submissions for Class News are usable, please provide uswith studio-quality prints or electronic files in JPEG or TIFF format. Electronicsubmissions (via e-mail or CD) should be 300 dpi minimum and generated on PC-basedequipment. We cannot use Macintosh files, laser prints, or photos clipped fromnewspapers, magazines, or other publications.

Say ‘CHEESE’

'69

newsClass

Spring 2005

44A L U M N U S

CLASSnews

CALVIN T. HULL JR. has been namedsenior vice president for The StaubachCompany in Addison, Texas, aninternational real estate strategy andservices firm.

JAMES P. SHEPARD (‘PH.D. ’85) hasbeen named head of the Department ofForestry at Mississippi State. Hepreviously was sustainable forestryprogram manager for the National Councilfor Air and Stream Improvement, anonprofit research institute based in NorthCarolina.

DON MUNDIE of Eads, Tenn.,managing partner of Delta CapitalManagement, has been named to the Boardof Directors of Smart Furniture Inc.

RHONDA NEWMAN KEENUM ofAlexandria, Va., has been appointed byPresident George Bush to serve as assistantsecretary for trade and promotion anddirector general of the U.S. ForeignCommercial Service in the Department ofCommerce.

FERNANDO PALACIOS (M.S. ’85)has been named executive vice president offeed for Land O’Lakes Inc. He previously

was the company’s vice president of dairyfoods operations and supply chain.

CHARLIE GERRETSON of Lucedaleis president and CEO of First NationalBank of Lucedale.

CHARLES KENT COOK has beenpromoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S.Army. He is a G3 digital training officerwith the XVIII Airborne Corps at FortBragg, N.C.

'81'79

DOUBLE

SCORE

'83'84

'85

Spring 2005

45A L U M N U S

newsClass

PAULA B. THOMAS of Murfreesboro,Tenn., chair andAdvisory BoardDistinguished Professorof Accounting at MiddleTennessee StateUniversity, has begun athree-year term as amember of the board ofdirectors of theAmerican Institute ofCPAs. She is the only

academic member of the 23-person board.

RENEE COTTON of Jackson, directorof Corporate Health Services, MississippiBaptist Health Systems, has been selectedto participate in the 2004-05 LeadershipMississippi program sponsored by theMississippi Economic Council’s M.B.Swayze Educational Foundation.

DALE HANCOCK of Jackson,customer service center manager forEntergy Services Inc., has been selected toparticipate in the 2004-05 LeadershipMississippi program sponsored by theMississippi Economic Council’s M.B.Swayze Educational Foundation.

PAUL FIELDS of Dallas, Texas, is nowco-owner and president of Lambert’s

landscape architecturalcontracting andmaintenance servicesfirm.

LOURIE N.FORMBY III, a major inthe Mississippi ArmyNational Guard, isserving as battalionexecutive officer of the298th Corps SupportBattalion in Al-Fallujah,

Iraq. The 298th CSB was deployed from

Philadelphia, Miss., in December 2003 toserve in support of Operation IraqiFreedom.

TOM KENDALL of Vicksburg, vicepresident of commercial lending forTrustmark National Bank, has been selectedto participate in the 2004-05 LeadershipMississippi program sponsored by theMississippi Economic Council’s M.B.Swayze Educational Foundation.

JAY DAVIS of Lucedale recentlyorganized “Praise in the Park,” an all-daypraise, worship and music celebration atLucedale City Park.

KIM DAVIS of Lucedale, formerlyassistant principal at George County MiddleSchool, has been transferred to GeorgeCounty High School as assistant principal.

ROBERT JARMAN has been appointedassociate dean of the Katherine ReesePamplin College of Arts and Sciences atAugusta (Ga.) State University.

TIM JOSEPH has joined Gulf StatesPaper Corp. as first assistant golfprofessional for NorthRiver Yacht Club inTuscaloosa, Ala. He previously was golfprofessional for Searcy (Ark.) CountryClub.

RONALD R. WILSON of Pascagoula,research and development program directorfor Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, hasbeen selected to participate in the 2004-05Leadership Mississippi program sponsoredby the Mississippi Economic Council’sM.B. Swayze Educational Foundation.

CAMILLE YOUNG (M.S. ’96) ofJackson, public relations representative forthe Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis lawfirm, was named to the 2004 class of theTop 40 Under 40 by the MississippiBusiness Journal.

DAWN WALLACE of Leakesville is atraining supervisor for the livestockjudging teams of the Greene County Jr.FFA.

MATT YARBOROUGH of Asheville,N.C., is an oncology product specialist forOrtho Biotech, a subsidiary of Johnson &Johnson.

JOHN M. SHAPPLEY of Hattiesburg,senior vice president and chief creditofficer for The First, A National BankingAssociation, has been selected toparticipate in the 2004-05 LeadershipMississippi program sponsored by theMississippi Economic Council’s M.B.Swayze Educational Foundation.

THOMAS WALLACE of Leakesvilleis adviser to the Greene County Jr. FFA,which recently won first place at the StateFair livestock judging competition.

AMIEE MOCK METHVIN ofHuntsville, Ala., is a professionallylicensed, self-employed architect.

JOSH SHOEMAKER of Meridian hasjoined Rea, Shaw, Giffin and Stuart CPAas an accountant.

Thomas

'87

'88

'89

Fields

'90

'93

'94

'95

'97

'00

'02

Spring 2005

46A L U M N U S

BIRTHannouncements

Collin Ray Adair, Aug. 16, 2004, to J.AUBREY ADAIR (’90) and wife Cindy ofColumbus.

Warren Ellis Ammons, Nov. 12, 2004,to JENIFER DIXON AMMONS (’97) andJAY B. AMMONS (’00) of Madison.

Taylor Reid Bennett, July 8, 2004, toAMELIA EZELLE BENNETT (’92) andhusband Don of Tupelo.

Nina Delise Bokenkamp, adopted Nov.5, 2004 by MADRINA STROUPBOKENKAMP (’94, ’97) and husbandDane of Katy, Texas.

Thomas Andrew Bongiolatti, June 1,2004, to NICK BONGIOLATTI (’98) andMELISSA KORTE BONGIOLATTI (’97,M.S. ’99) of Memphis, Tenn.

Tate Daniel Chatham, June 14, 2004, toDAVID L. CHATHAM (’92, M.B.A. ’94)and TRICIA LISTER CHATHAM (’94) ofMoseley, Va.

Perry Reese DeLoach, Aug. 9, 2004, toAPRIL HEATH DELOACH (’99) andTREY DELOACH (’99, M.S. ’01) ofMadison.

Laighton Brooke Green, Dec. 1, 2004,to TERRY GREEN (’96) and KIMBERLYGREEN (’99) of Starkville.

Brennan Elizabeth Henderson, Feb. 19,2004, to JENNIFER HARTWELLHENDERSON (’96) and husband Matthewof Halls, Tenn.

Kathryn Pharr Keenum, Everett JamesKeenum, and Mary Phillips Keenum, Sept.17, 2004, to MARK KEENUM (’83, M.A.’84, PH.D. ’88) and RHONDA NEWMANKEENUM (’83) of Alexandria, Va.

Elizabeth Claire Lawrence, Aug. 16,2004, to TODD LAWRENCE (’95) andSHANNON PETERSON LAWRENCE(’95) of Oconomowoc, Wis.

Garrett Denson Reid, May 13, 2004, toASHLEY SMITH REID (attended) andALLEN REID (attended) of Atlanta, Ga.

Jayden Mykel Rockingham, Dec. 7,2004, to CHARITY AUSTINROCKINGHAM (’01) and husbandRoshon of Brandon.

John Jenkins Wells, Nov. 4, 2004, toJACK D. WELLS (’88) and AUBRE J.WELLS (’97) of Belden.

Andrew David Wigginton, April 14,2004, to DAVID RANDALLWIGGINTON (’97) and JENNIFERWHITE WIGGINTON (attended) ofBrandon.

Chloe Jean Woodall, July 28, 2004, toKARIE CRAVEN WOODALL (’97) andBRAD WOODALL (’90) of Meridian.

Andrew Rhettson Yarborough, Aug. 3,2004, to MATT YARBOROUGH (’95)and wife Michelle of Asheville, N.C.

Spring 2005

47A L U M N U S

Bradley D. Carter ofLexington, Ky., director ofthe University of Kentucky’sCenter for Visualizationand Virtual Environments,died Jan. 15 after a longillness. He was 61.

Carter was associateprovost and chiefinformation officer atMississippi State from2000 to 2003. He alsoserved for three years asinterim executive directorof the National ScienceFoundation’s EngineeringResearch Center at MSU,and prior to that, he wascoordinator of theengineering college’scomputational engineeringprogram.

Carter joined theengineering faculty in1971 as an assistantprofessor and rose to fullprofessor in 1980.

An Olive Branch native,he earned bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees inindustrial engineering atMSU in 1967 and 1968,respectively, and adoctorate at the Universityof Arkansas in 1972.

Bradley D. Carterformer associate provost

HUBERT B. DUCKWORTH (’33)—93,Jackson; retired general manager of the Jacksondivision of the Borden Co. and past president ofthe MSU Alumni Association, Nov. 1, 2004.

RICHARD W. ELLIOTT SR. (’33)—94,Oxford; retired funeral home director and mayorof Oxford for 16 years, Dec. 3, 2004.

MOSES MCWILLIE COLE (’34)—95,Gainesville, Fla.; retired University of Floridaentomologist and professor and World War II andKorean War veteran, July 22, 2004.

ALBERTA FRANCES WEEMS (’35)—89,Reno, Nev.; homemaker and former U.S.Department of Agriculture employee, July 20,2004.

CHEVIS RAYMOND BOONE JR. (’38)—89,Kosciusko; retired electrical engineer for SouthCentral Bell and World War II and Korean Warveteran, Aug. 31, 2004.

MATTHEW MANUEL MITCHELL (’38)—88, Southaven; retired businessman and WorldWar II veteran, Oct. 2, 2004.

DONALD M. DOCKERY III (’40)—85,Ridgeland; partner in the Mississippi BottledWater Co., retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S.Air Force Reserve and World War II veteran,Sept. 7, 2004.

ELMER W. GWIN (’41)—Lafayette, La.;manager for Pennsylvania Life Co., Aug. 16,2004.

JOHN HENRY MURPHY (’41)—85,Ridgeland; retired plant quarantine inspector forthe U.S. Department of Agriculture and WorldWar II veteran, Sept. 13, 2004.

JOHN BRICE KERR JR. (’43)—80, Oxford;retired construction superintendent and WorldWar II veteran, Jan. 11, 2004.

CHARLES HARDING WELLS (’43)—81,Greenwood; retired draftsman for Bowman &Bowman and World War II veteran, Oct. 10,2004.

CLIFTON D. HUNTER (’47)—85, Agricola;retired from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,farmer and World War II and Korean War veteran.

JOHN MCCALL NORSWORTHY (’48, M.S.’52)—81, Hattiesburg; retired associate professorof special education at the University of SouthernMississippi, Oct. 29, 2004.

RICHARD EDWIN CAMPBELL (’49)—81,Gloster; retired senior adjuster for General

Adjustment Bureau and World War II veteran, Oct.2, 2004.

WILLIAM HOWARD EAST (’49)—85,Brookhaven; retired engineer with McMullen andson, former pharmacy owner, and World War IIveteran, Sept. 19, 2004.

DOUGLAS S. GOFF (’49)—81, Lucedale;retired manager for Sperry Marine Systems andWorld War II veteran, Nov. 2, 2004.

JULIUS JOHN HAYDEN JR. (’49, M.S.’50)—84, Pass Christian; retired president ofMississippi Gulf Coast Community College andWorld War II veteran, Oct. 10, 2004.

HARPER STEWART JOHNSON JR. (’49)—78, Weatherford, Texas; retired salesman forStauffer Chemical Co. and World War II veteran,Aug. 19, 2004.

GEORGE FRANK OAKES (’49)—76,McComb; retired Pike County economicdevelopment professional and communityvolunteer.

J. LARRY SHOOK (’49)—79, KeystoneHeights, Fla.; retired prison system chaplain andWorld War II veteran, Sept. 24, 2004.

MORRIS G. BLOCKER (’50)—80, Benoit;farmer and manager at Dahomey Plantation andWorld War II veteran, Dec. 11, 2004.

WILLIAM G. MCKEITHEN (’50)—Garland,Texas; retired senior electrical engineer for Brown& Root Inc., Oct. 2, 2004.

CAROLYN BYRD NYMAN (’50)—78,Lucedale; retired English teacher at GeorgeCounty High School, Oct. 6, 2004.

JAMES LEWIS GARNER (’51)—78,Pascagoula; retired vocational teacher for thePascagoula City School District and World War IIveteran, Oct. 8, 2004.

DANIEL MARSTON BONNEY (’52)—Quitman; retired owner of Standard Cotton GinCo. and Quitman Bonded Warehouse and WorldWar II veteran, Sept. 9, 2004.

RICHARD A. LEWIS (’52)—67, Starkville;retired dairy farmer, former Oktibbeha Countysupervisor, and World War II veteran, Nov. 21,2004.

CHARLES WESLEY BOUCHILLON (’53)—73, Starkville; retired Mississippi State mechanicalengineering professor and Korean War veteran,Sept. 13, 2004.

memoriamIN

Spring 2005

48A L U M N U S

INmemorium

ROBERT VERNON RILEY SR.(’53)—73, Newhebron; self-employed inthe timber, cattle, and oil and gasbusinesses, Dec. 18, 2004.

JOHNNIE SARTOR (’53, M.S. ’60,PH.D. ’74)—80, Starkville; retired head ofthe Agricultural Economics Department atMississippi State, retired brigadier generalin the Mississippi Army National Guard,and World War II veteran, Dec. 12, 2004.

WILL HOYT OWEN JR. (’54, M.S.’58)—72, Starkville; retired assistantprofessor of accounting at MississippiState, Nov. 20, 2004.

WILMER C. DAWS JR. (’55)—71,DeKalb; retired president of KemperCounty Farm and Building Supply, Sept.11, 2004.

IRENE R. MAYFIELD (’55, PH.D.’73)—89, Jackson; retired principal ofMcLeod Elementary School, Oct. 9, 2004.

DAVID L. LANGFORD (’57)—69,Tupelo; retired travel editor for TheAssociated Press, Oct. 12, 2004.

HUGH E. ADAMS (’58)—Southaven;retired field representative and agent forMill Mutuals, Nov. 16, 2004.

WENTON ROBERT WALKER (’59,M.S. ’62)—73, Ridgeland; retired presidentof Diversified Technology for Ergon Inc.and MSU Foundation board member, Nov.28, 2004.

ANDREW JOHN BOND SR. (’60,M.S. ’62)—73, Florence, Ala.; retiredassistant director of placement at theUniversity of Georgia and former dean ofstudents at Mississippi State, Nov. 24,2004.

JAMES NEWTON CROWE (’60)—75,Kosciusko; CEO of Central MississippiOffice Supply and Korean War veteran,Oct. 13, 2004.

CHARLES WALDEN (’64, ED.S.’69)—66, Booneville; former state senatorand businessman.

GEORGE D. VAN DEVENDER II(’68)—59, Meridian; owner of VanConstruction Co., Oct. 19, 2004.

KENNETH F. WISSNER (’68)—58,Richmond Hill, Ga.; systems analyst forVerSIGN in Savannah, Ga., Oct. 22, 2004.

ALFRED M. SEARS JR. (’71)—55, Ft.Lauderdale, Fla.; owner of Wyatt B.Hodges Properties, July 29, 2004.

BRENDA DENSON MELOHN (’72)—53, Brandon; associate vice chancellor foradministrative affairs at the University ofMississippi Medical Center, Oct. 17, 2004.

SUZY MARTIN HERNANDEZ (’73)—52, Blum, Texas; teacher and basketballcoach, Aug. 20, 2004.

CHARLES B. GRIMM JR. (’78)—Dallas, Texas; golf course superintendent,Oct. 3, 2004.

MARTHA MAGEE ROYALTY (’78)—50, Madison; owner of GraphicReproductions printing company, Sept. 16,2004.

KATHLEEN WILHITE MANSFIELD(’84)—Creve Coeur, Mo.; assistant cityadministrator.

Fred Howard Bounds (attended)—88, Lucedale; retired U.S. Army coloneland World War II and Vietnam Warveteran, Sept. 29, 2004.

Willis Terry Hinton Jr. (attended)—69, Jackson; retired sales representative,Sept. 7, 2004.

Joseph Samuel McNair(attended)—74, Magee; retired captainin the Mississippi Army National Guard,Sept. 5, 2004.

Timothy Pendleton McCullough Jr.(former employee)—93, Springfield,Va.; retired research physicist, formerinstructor of physics at Mississippi State,and World War II veteran, Nov. 19,2004.

William Franklin Miller (formeremployee)—72, Starkville; retiredforestry professor and director of theMississippi Remote Sensing Facility atMississippi State, Nov. 5, 2004.

Glover Moore (former employee)—93, Birmingham, Ala.; retired historyprofessor and former head of the

WILLIAM DAVID HICKEY (’85)—53, Cedar Park, Texas; electronic engineerfor Motorola Semiconductor, Dec. 24,2004.

CHARLES R. BLOUNT (’89)—56,Madison; health administrator for stateDepartment of Health, Oct. 13, 2004.

HELEN WILKERSON SKELTON(’90)—61, Winterville; former high schooland elementary librarian and Englishteacher at MSU, Sept. 11, 2004.

LANCE ALLAN MONROE (’92)—34,Huntsville, Ala.; medical salesrepresentative for Guidant Corp., Sept. 23,2004.

KEN SMITH (’98)—30, Terry;engineer for Milwaukee Electric Tools,Aug. 7, 2004.

STEPHANIE RENEE JAMES (’02,M.S. ’04)—26, Starkville; mathematicsteacher at Pickens (Ala.) High School,Oct. 22, 2004.

Department of History at Mississippi Stateand World War II veteran, Nov. 9, 2004.

Ann E. Wiltrout (former employee)—Starkville; professor emerita of foreignlanguages at Mississippi State and theuniversity’s 1998 Outstanding Humanist ofthe Year.

Frances Rice Bartran Windham(former employee)—Starkville; retiredhuman nutrition research scientist atMississippi State, Oct. 6, 2004.

Daniel “Kirk” Fordice (friend)—70,Madison; former governor of Mississippifrom 1992 to 2000, Sept. 7, 2004.

Vadie Lorene LeCroy Gholston(friend)—83, Starkville; homemaker andgardener, Sept. 14, 2004.

Hortense Pachter Leveck (friend)—95, Pensacola, Fla.; former piano teacher,Sept. 5, 2004.

Louie Glynn Wright (friend)—80,Quitman; former Quitman mayor, funeraldirector, and World War II veteran, Aug.5, 2004.

Documents

Mississippi State Alumnus Spring 2005