Please Note: MSU MEMO is archived as a part of Mississippi State University's history. Articles may refer to situations which have changed or people who are no longer affiliated with the university.
 |
Jan. 10, 2005 Volume 29, Issue 19 |
Honorary degree nominations are open
Nominations for honorary doctoral degrees to be awarded by Mississippi State next spring are being accepted until Feb. 1.
Nominations, including supporting materials, should be sent to the Honorary Degree Committee in care of the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning authorized state universities to begin awarding the degrees in 1999 and generally allows each institution to give up to two each year. Mississippi State so far has awarded nine honorary degrees.
Under IHL guidelines, persons eligible for the doctor of laws, doctor of science, doctor of humane letters, doctor of creative and performing arts, or doctor of public service must have demonstrated nationally recognized sustained achievement in scholarship, public service, creative and performing arts, or professional activity.
Faculty, staff and administrators of the university, and elected or appointed public officials are ineligible for an honorary degree until one year after leaving their position. Candidates for public office also are ineligible.
The Honorary Degree Committee will evaluate nominations, develop additional information about nominees, and verify information submitted. The committee will recommend to the president candidates for degrees to be presented at May 2005 commencement ceremonies. The state College Board must approve honorary degrees at least two months prior to their announcement. Names of nominees will be kept confidential until they are approved.
Any member of the university community may submit nominations. All information that nominators wish to present to the Honorary Degree Committee should be provided along with the nomination by the Feb. 1 deadline.
Prior recipients of honorary degrees at Mississippi State are John H. Bryan Jr., former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Sara Lee Corp.; Leo W. Seal Jr., chairman and CEO of Hancock Bank in Gulfport; Harry Charles F. Simrall, dean of engineering at Mississippi State until his retirement in 1978; Dave C. Swalm, retired petroleum products company owner; G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery, former 3rd District congressman from Meridian; and Hunter Henry, retired Dow Chemical Co. executive; Bobby Martin, president of The Peoples Bank in Ripley; Jack Cristil, radio play-by-play announcer for MSU football and basketball games for the past 50 years; Charles B. Cliett, head emeritus of the Aerospace Engineering Department; and Hartley D. Peavey, owner and CEO of Peavey Electronics in Meridian.
Members of the Honorary Degree Committee are Peter Rabideau, chair, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Connie Forde, professor of instructional systems and workforce development; Sara Freedman, dean of the College of Business and Industry; Jamie Mixon, professor of art; David Shaw, director of the Remote Sensing Technologies Center; and Bill Wilson, professor of chemistry.