Mississippi State Alumnus Summer 2007

Her future is the State of the Future. Make sure she has the facilities, professors and programs tomake it a bright one. Make a gift today. Call 877-677-8283 or visit www.msufoundation.com.

AUBREY CLAIREBROADCAST METEOROLOGY

2022

Summer 2007 | Volume 83 | Number 2USPS 354-520

One State. One Team.

PresidentRobert H.“Doc” Foglesong

Alumni Association Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Development and AlumniJimmy W. Abraham (’75, ’77)

Vice President for Development and AlumniJohn P. Rush (’94, ’02)

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, 662-325-7455E-mail, [email protected]

EditorAllen Snow (’76)

Associate EditorKay Fike Jones

DesignersBecky SmithMary Howell (’93)

PhotographersRuss Houston (’85)Megan Bean

Mississippi State UniversityAlumni Association National OfficersDavid W. Jones (’81),national presidentAndrew D. Hunt (’70),national first vice presidentCharles Cascio (’79),national second vice presidentS. Keith Winfield (’70),national treasurerBetty Latimer Black (’74),immediate past president

Mississippi Statefeatures

No shortcuts | page 2Dr. Katrina Poe’s hard work paid off when she was named the national 2005 CountryDoctor of the Year. The town of Kilmichael’s only doctor says the experience was trulyhumbling, but the most rewarding part of her job is working with her patients on adaily basis.

Old Main Plaza to transform central campus | page 6When the Old Main Plaza is completed between Colvard Student Union, PerryCafeteria and McCool and Montgomery halls, it will commemorate a campus land-mark at the same time it makes central campus more pedestrian friendly and attractiveto today's students.

Inaugural ragtime music festival a huge hit | page 8Music was in the air in March as pianists from across the country—and beyond—assembled at Mississippi State for the inaugural Charles Templeton Ragtime MusicFestival.

Planting technique spells salvation for Deer Island | page 10Two MSU professors hope to use a new technique they developed on parts of Biloxi’sbeach to stop vegetation loss on Deer Island, which in turn should halt erosion andeven help the island expand.

Historic points of interest at MSU | page 12In 2006, as Mississippi State anticipated opening the Welcome Center at the newCullis Wade Depot, two retired university administrators who were MSU alumni wereasked to develop a guide of historic buildings on the Starkville campus.

The right place at the right time | page 16When Richard Gilbrech was 7 years old, he watched in fascination as Neil Armstrongbecame the first man to walk on the moon. Today, as director of the Stennis SpaceCenter in Hancock County, he’s helping others achieve their exploration dreams.

Campus news 21 | Alumni news 30 Foundation news 37 | Class news 45 | In memoriam 47

On the cover: Dr. Katrina Poe ('92) of Kilmichael, the town's only physician, was named the national 2005 Country Doctor of theYear. Photo by Megan Bean.

A L U M N U SSummer 2007

2

N o s h o r t c u t s

“I truly feel that I was meant to behere at this particular time.And I feel like that’s acalling from God.”

-Poe

Katrina Poe


3

By Erika Celeste

The people of Kilmichael may very well havea math professor to thank for their health.

Freshman bravado

When Katrina Poe first arrived in Agathea Misiano’s

freshman algebra class at MSU in the fall of 1988, she was

confident that she would ace the course. So confident, that

she didn’t pay attention to one of her professor’s first lec-

tures in which she told the class not to take shortcuts when

solving their equations. To Katrina’s great surprise, she got

a “B” on her first test. Horrified, she went to the instructor

to point out what just had to be an error in grading.

“She told me, ‘Katrina you’re a very good student, but

when things come easy, you tend not to pay attention to

detail and some important things may fall by the wayside.’

She pointed out that I had taken a shortcut in solving the

problems—something she had forbidden in her class. But,

she gave me that one-on-one attention, and did it in such a

nice way that it didn’t make me feel little.”

A strong foundation

That lesson has been the foundation on which Poe has

built her career as a family physician and chief of staff at

Kilmichael Hospital. It also has helped her relate to her

patients in a much more human way.

“They expect

me to come in and

say, ‘Hey, sweetie,

how are you

doing?’ You know,

the hugs, the pats.

They expect that

from me. Usually,

if I don’t do that, if

I’m really busy, if I

have an emergency,

they think that

there’s something wrong.”

Being a country doctor isn’t the easiest path someone

with Katrina Poe’s education could take. But she’s never

been the type to take a shortcut to happiness either.

Growing up in Kilmichael, she always knew she wanted to

be a physician—which could have created a great dilemma

for her, because she also wanted to follow in the steps of a

beloved aunt.

“She was a graduate of Mississippi State, and I knew

from the start that that’s where I was going to college, as

well.”

To prepare for medical school, Poe majored in biologi-

cal sciences. Along the way, she met another brilliant

young student, Calvin Johnson, who was interested in med-

ical administration.

The two began dating. The romance blossomed as the

years flew by, and all too soon, she graduated. From there,

she went straight to medical school in Jackson. After 11

years of courtship, she and Calvin married.

A new doctor in town

Upon returning to Kilmichael, life was not quite as she

remembered it. Even though years had passed, and she was

an adult with a medical degree, in many ways, time stood

still in the small town of 900. Folks still remembered her as

a little girl in pigtails, and had trouble taking her seriously

as a doctor.

The only other doctor at the hospital, L.C. Henson,

had delivered her years earlier. She took comfort in the fact

that she would be working alongside him for a year before

he retired. But within a month, plans changed and she was

left to fend for herself. Though she was a bit nervous to

have so many people depending on her, she stood tall and

reminded herself “no shortcuts.”

“Of course, a lot of people would tell me in the begin-

ning, ‘Well Dr. Henson didn’t do it that way; Dr. Henson

would give me this.’ But, with time, people adjusted to my

style of practice and it’s been very rewarding.”

Since then, life at Kilmichael Hospital has fallen into

routine. Katrina is up every morning between 4 and 5. She

takes her younger son to her mom’s and is at the office by 6

to work on leftover charts and dictations. By 7, she’s mak-

ing rounds in the 19-bed hospital, and by 8, she’s at the

clinic to see patients. On good days, she’s able to have

lunch with Calvin, who happens to be the hospital adminis-

trator. Then, it’s back to the patients at the clinic. Before

returning home for the evening, she makes another set of

rounds, ending the workday around 9

p.m. Of course, she’s still on call

evenings and most weekends.

“Everybody looks at it and

they ask me, ‘How are you able to

do that?’ I think the main thing is I

truly feel that this is what I was meant


4

N o s h o r t c u t s

“I hope that when mypatients come and see me,they take away from thatvisit that, ‘Hey, she reallylistens, and she reallycares about what’s goingon with me.’”

to do. I feel that I was meant to be here at this particular

time. And I feel like that’s a calling from God. So I feel

that God is the one who gives me that strength to do those

day-to-day activities.”

She also has a wonderful support system. Her parents

often watch her two boys, 4 years and 18 months, and her

husband gets to see what she does every day, which she

believes makes him more understanding.

Mommy’s helper

She’s learned to treasure the stolen moments with her

children, yet her oldest, C.J., has a way of alerting all those

around him to just who his mommy is.

“He tells everybody that his mommy’s a doctor. If any-

body is sick, even in the stores, he tells them, ‘You need to

go see my mommy.’”

She often takes him on rounds with her, wearing his

own scrubs and carrying his own medical bag. So, she

thinks he may someday develop an interest in medicine, as

well.

“If that’s truly what he wants to do, I would be excited

about it. I would encourage him. But if he decided that he

wants to do something else, I wouldn’t be disappointed.”

The country doctor

All Dr. Katrina Poe’s hard work recently paid off when

she was named 2005 Country Doctor of the Year, a nation-

al award, for which she beat out a physician from Virginia

who’d been practicing for 60 years. Though she says the

experience was truly humbling, the most rewarding part of

her job is working with her patients on a daily basis.

“Well, I hope that my patients come and see me and

we spend time together, even though they have a problem, I

hope that they take away from that visit that, ‘Hey, she real-

ly listens, she really cares about what’s going on with me.

She’s not just going to write me a prescription for my med-

ical illness.’ I hope that they take away from the visit that

I’m somebody who truly cares.”

And that’s something she wouldn’t trade for the world.

“I love my job. In fact, I couldn’t see myself doing

anything else.”

She may not have been able to do it so well without

that one important lesson long ago from Professor Agathea

Misiano. So, when the spring of Katrina Poe’s freshman

year rolled around and she was honored at a banquet with

an award from the dean’s office, she didn’t take any short-

cuts to offering thanks. Instead, she took Misiano as her

honored guest.

A L U M N U SFall 2006

5

Poe and office manager Linda Turner take a scrapbookbreak between patients at the clinic.

Poe enjoys spending quality time withher younger son James, whose nickname

is “Deuce.” Her older son is C.J.


6

O l d M a i n P l a z a

The planned Old Main Plaza will fill the centralcampus footprint of famed Old Main Dormitory.

to transform central campusto transform central campus


7

By Kay Fike Jones

Before it burned in 1959, Old Main was mostlikely the largest dormitory under one roof in theentire U.S., housing more than 1,000 students.When the Old Main Plaza is completed, it willcommemorate a campus landmark at the sametime it makes central campus more pedestrianfriendly and attractive to today’s students.

Drawing from elements of the original facility, the

pedestrian corridor will be developed between the newly ren-

ovated Colvard Student Union, Perry Cafeteria and McCool

and Montgomery halls. During its 40-year lifespan, Old

Main covered the site now occupied by McCool and the

union.

“We are building this in phases,” explained university

architect Michael T. “Tim” Muzzi. “There is so much infra-

structure and so much coordination needed that it could be

constructed in 10 different phases.”

Old Main Plaza, part of the Old Main District of cen-

tral campus, will feature:

• Replica arches that duplicate those of Old Main. The

new arches will be constructed at the approximate site

of the originals. They will create a visual “axis” between

the Drill Field’s bust of Stephen D. Lee and the arched

entrance doors of the cafeteria. A shuttle bus turn-

around will be located at each end of the axis.

• A 30-foot pedestrian corridor will link surrounding

buildings.

• Lee Boulevard north of Colvard Student Union and

Perry Cafeteria, which was gated last year to remove

normal vehicular traffic, will become a pedestrian walk-

way that creates space for outdoor gatherings.

• Tracy Drive, between Lloyd-Ricks and Perry Cafeteria,

as well as Walker Drive south of Hull Hall and the

Chapel of Memories, will be improved to create a more

efficient traffic flow and to complete a loop around the

historic central campus.

• A new fountain will be constructed as a visual center-

piece north of the cafeteria in the Bell Island

Commons, which will reconnect the chapel and Bell

Island. The chapel bell, which sits in the grassy area,

will be placed on axis with the entry to the chapel’s

entrance doors.

The Bell Island

design will

reflect an

arboretum

and garden

style of the early

1900s. In addition, the memorial of the class

of 1928 will be restored and relocated in the com-

mons.

A private donor has pledged support for the $5 million

project, which will be under the direction of MSU’s

Facilities Management.

The first phase of the project is work on Tracy Drive, at

the rear of the cafeteria. Plans are to finish that phase by

this August.

Muzzi said the new green space, which has been

approved by the state College Board, will make central cam-

pus easier to navigate for those on foot.


8

By Lyle Tate

Music was in the air in March as pianists fromacross the country—and beyond—assembled atMississippi State for the inaugural Charles TempletonRagtime Music Festival.

The festival, held in Mitchell

Memorial Library and McComas Hall,

welcomed a number of guests as the

music, composers and spirit of ragtime

music were lauded.

Performers included the “New

Queen of Ragtime,” Canadian pianist

Mimi Blais; bandleader and showman

Jeff Barnhart; boogie-woogie specialist

Neville Dickie from England; co-artistic

director of Sedalia, Missouri’s, Scott Joplin Ragtime

Festival, Sue Keller; and daughter of ragtime great Trebor

Tichenor, pianist Virginia Tichenor. David Jasen, musi-

cologist and author from New York, served as master of

ceremonies and festival adviser.

With seminars, mini-concerts and tours of the

Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum, plus concerts

with the artists each evening, the first Templeton festival

was a smash hit.

“Having performers of this caliber here for our inaugural fes-

tival was simply thrilling,” said Stephen Cunetto, MSU Libraries’

coordinator of systems and one of four coordinators of the festi-

val. “Their artistry, their enthusiasm, and their knowledge of the

ragtime genre brought exactly what we wanted to the event, and

that was for attendees to learn and to fall in love with this incred-

ible music.”

I n a u g u r a l R a g t i m e M u s i c F e s t i v a l

InauguralRagtimesmash music festival a

Mimi Blais

Sue Keller


9

Along with Friends of the Libraries President Chip

Templeton, Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman, and

Director of University Relations Maridith Geuder, Cunetto

coordinated the weekend with numerous Starkville and

MSU volunteers, and with the help and guidance of Jasen.

“The Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Music Museum con-

tains the most complete collection of Victor Talking

Machines from the beginning in 1897 until 1930,” Jasen

said. “The concept of having artifacts illustrate the ‘busi-

ness’ of music in the United States is unique and is not only

important for serious students of popular music, but for

history buffs, sociologists and everybody interested in

knowing how music influenced this country during the

entire 20th century and continuing into the 21st.”

“Through the Templeton collection of instruments,

sheet music and recordings, the mission of the festival is not

only to inspire future performers, but also to expose and

share this extraordinary collection with music lovers, histo-

rians, researchers and scholars,” said Coleman.

“We couldn’t have hosted this successful a Festival

without David’s vast knowledge and invaluable assistance,”

she added. “We truly claim him here at Mississippi State as

one of our own.”

“We’re so excited by the success of this year’s festival,”

said Templeton, “and we hope people will be marking their

calendars for next year’s.”

For more information about the Charles H. Templeton

Sr. Music Museum and to see more photographs from the

2007 festival, visit library.msstate.edu/templeton or call

662-325-6634.

h hitNeville Dickie

Virginia Tichenor

Jeff Barnhart

Mark your calendarMarch 28-30, 2008

Templeton Ragtime FestivalMississippi State University


10

D e e r I s l a n d

By Robbie WardPhotos by Russ Houston

Wind and waves wash away pieces of Deer Island

daily, less than a mile from Biloxi’s beach. The barrier

island has served as a first line of defense for the main-

land area against hurricanes and other storm surges for

years. When islands like Deer Island have strong trees

and other vegetation, they help weaken violent weather

approaching Biloxi’s beach. However, the island met its

match in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina whirled

destructively through Mississippi and Louisiana, and

now looks like Mother Nature started an oversized

game of pickup sticks with its trees, most lying uproot-

ed and dying.

With few trees using their roots to keep the island

intact, erosion eats at the island faster than before. Like

many other barrier islands along the coastal area, Deer

Island may disappear altogether if nothing changes.

However, visitors to the island may see strong,

healthy trees and grass growing near the shoreline once

again. That is, if two Mississippi State University pro-

fessors can duplicate their earlier results along parts of

Biloxi’s beach.

Professors Pete Melby and Tom Cathcart boarded

a sailboat in March and took students enrolled in

Melby’s sustainable communities class to visit the

island. Melby, a landscape architecture professor with

strong interests in sustainable communities and irriga-

tion, and Cathcart, a professor of agricultural and bio-

logical engineering, have worked for years on projects

on the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s beaches and other

areas. Landscape architecture and biological engineer-

ing students first worked with the city of Biloxi in

1991 to plant grass along about three acres of the


11

beach, seeking to restore the section to its natural

salt marsh environment. Melby and Cathcart have

brought students to the coast ever since, except for

the class trip planned after Katrina.

“We couldn’t find a place to stay,” Melby said.

The two professors hope to use a new tech-

nique they developed on parts of Biloxi’s beach to

stop the shrinking trend on the island and possibly

help it expand. One problem with planting vegeta-

tion along sandy beaches involves providing trees

with access to water. An experiment in 2006 on

beach land donated by the city of Biloxi led Melby

and Cathcart to thinking of ways to save barrier islands and

give a different look to parts of the beach. Melby calls their

solution “deep planting irrigation,” which calls for planting

trees, shrubs and grass up to five feet deep, about twice as

deep as normal when planting.

In June 2006, students in Melby’s class planted trees

and shrubs using the irrigation method. Of the 25 planted,

24 lived. A month later, they planted 600 sea oats that con-

tinue to grow in the sand. During the most recent trip to

the Coast in the spring, Melby’s students planted 50 trees

and 600 salt hay plants and moved 35 cubic yards com-

bined at an experimental site and at a privately owned area.

All trees planted—live oaks, eastern red cedar and long-leaf

pines—grown in Mississippi State’s tree and plant nurseries

are native to the Gulf Coast.

“This process requires planting tall trees,” Melby said,

“so they’d still be above water after they’re planted.”

The area along the beach where students planted trees

and plants retained sand with their roots forming a strong-

hold, becoming the highest area on the beach. This

decreased the amount of sand blown along U.S. Interstate

90, much to the delight of people strolling along the beach

sidewalks.

Students in Melby’s class benefited from the practical

experience from the landscaping work on a beach, but they

also appreciated having an opportunity to improve the Gulf

Coast after Hurricane Katrina devastated the entire region.

They worked together with hoes, shovels and plenty of

energy to plant trees and install irrigation hoses on the

beach.

“It feels good to come down and contribute,” said

Jamie Beatty, who graduated in May and accepted a job in

St. Petersburg, Fla.

After seeing success on the beachfront, Melby and

Cathcart plan to work with local officials to use their irriga-

tion method on Deer Island.

The professors will seek a federal grant to remove dead

trees and plant more. If the plantings are successful, it will

have practical benefits that include breaking the energy

from storm surges on the nearby land. It also will extend

the lifespan of the island by using tree roots to prevent

winds from blowing soil and sand away.

“We know it’s going to work,” Melby said. “We just

need to take it to an island landscape.”

Melby and Cathcart

hope to use the

irrigation tech-

nique on other

barrier islands if

their Deer Island

project succeeds.

“We’ll be able

to demonstrate how

nursery-

grown nat-

ural plants

can grow

and help

defend

against

storms,”

Melby

said.

H i s t o r i c p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t a t M S U

Historic pointsof interest at

Edited by Sammy McDavidPhotos by Megan Bean and Russ Houston

In 2006, as Mississippi State anticipated open-ing the Welcome Center at the new Cullis WadeDepot, two retired university administrators who wereMSU alumni were asked to develop a guide of his-toric buildings on the Starkville campus.

Compiled by former vice presidents J. ChesterMcKee and Roy H. Ruby, the following informationmay be used for a self-guided tour that begins fromthe visitor’s center at the depot’s east end. Involving17 historic structures or points of interest, the circuitstarts with the adjacent stadium. The remainderbegins at Eckie’s Pond in the southeast corner ofcampus.

In addition to the name, each location is identi-fied by construction year and, where appropriate,architectural style.

1

6 7 8

1. Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. 1914.

Located adjacent to the depot on the west side of thecampus, Scott Field is named for Don Scott, a famous1917 Mississippi A&M College graduate and outstandingOlympic runner in the 1920 Paris Games. In the late1930s, the first 10,000-seat concrete section was complet-ed. Later additions expanded seating to 55,000, including1,100 at the club level and 50 luxury skyboxes. Finaladditions were made possible by successful businessmanDavis Wade.

2. Eckie’s Pond. 1893.

Built by horticulture professor A.B. McKay, the pond

was designed to demonstrate the use of natural irrigation

in truck produce farming. Its name evolved from “Echo,”

the nickname early students gave the quite-deaf McKay.

Over time, “Echo’s pond” evolved to Eckie’s Pond.

3. Former Mobile & Ohio Railroad Depot. 1928.Commercial.

From the first, Mississippi A&M was linked to the

larger world via a Mobile & Ohio Railroad branch line

connecting to the mail line in Lowndes County. In 1928,

the permanent M&O structure replaced a nearby open-air

platform. After the branch line closed in the 1960s, the

building eventually was converted to house the John C.

Stennis Institute of Government, a memorial to the distin-

guished alumnus and longtime United States senator.

4. Textile Building/Industrial Education and SeedLaboratory. 1900. Italianate.

Constructed for the textile engineering program, the

distinctive structure now is the oldest on campus and the

first to have electricity. Included in 1975 on the National

Register of Historic Places, it features typical textile-plant

towers of the time. Often called the “Twin Towers” or

“IED Building,” it now houses the Department of

Instructional Systems, Leadership and Workforce

Development and Rehabilitation Research and Training

Center on Blindness and Low Vision.

5. Herbert Hall. 1928. Romanesque Revival.

Herbert Hall first housed students in the innovative

Part-Time College Program. After the program ended, it

became the athletic residence hall for all male athletes.

With construction of a new hall, Herbert became part of

general student housing. Today, it is home to the Office

of Housing and Residence Life.

6. Power Plant. 1921. Industrial.

The massive building (more than 21,000 square feet

of interior space) originally housed two coal-fueled

Skinner steam engines that provided electricity and dis-

tributed water and heating to the entire institution. Still a

power plant, the Mississippi Landmark facility now uses

fuel oil to generate hot and cold water for heating and

cooling older campus buildings.

5432

9 10 11


14

7. Bowen Hall. 1930. Romanesque Revival.

Built to house the new School of Business—now one

of the Southeast’s oldest—and named for founding dean

J.V. Bowen, the building is a Mississippi Landmark in

recognition of its architectural and historical significance.

In 1934, a new School of Education also took up resi-

dence, causing it to also be called the BE Building (for

business-education). Recently renovated, it houses the

departments of Political Science and Public

Administration, and Sociology, Anthropology and Social

Work.

8. Dairy Building/ROTC Building/MiddletonHall. 1907. Colonial Revival.

To meet demands of a developing farm industry, the

Dairy Building built in 1907 originally featured class-

rooms and a student-staffed creamery. It later was used

for a variety of functions until occupied by Army and Air

Force Reserve Officer’s Training Corps programs. In

1986, the now-ROTC Building was renamed for Army

Gen. Troy Middleton, an A&M graduate and World War

II combat leader who became Louisiana State University’s

president.

9. Harned Hall. 1921. Late Gothic.

Another Mississippi Landmark building, Harned Hall

was constructed to provide offices and laboratory space for

expanding basic biological science programs. For a time,

it also housed the College Library on the third floor until

Mitchell Memorial Library was built in 1950. A major

1973 addition was completed with National Science

Foundation funding.

10. Lee Hall. 1910. Beaux Arts.

Another Mississippi Landmark, Lee Hall is named for

A&M’s first president Stephen D. Lee. For 60 years, it

was the center of academic, administrative and cultural

activities. Its 1,100-seat auditorium—recently renovated

and expanded—also served for 95 years as the primary

events venue. Over time, Lee housed, among others,

offices of the President, Vice President for Student Affairs,

Registrar, and Graduate School. Student Affairs and the

departments of English and Foreign Languages continue

there today.

11. Magruder Hall. 1938. Georgian Revival.

Magruder was one of two student residences built

after the Old Main Dormitory quadrangle was completed.

Named for English professor Billy Magruder, it became

the first women’s residence as they enrolled in greater

numbers after World War II. When newer women’s halls

were added in the 1960s, Magruder became an office

building and now houses the Department of Psychology.

12. George Hall. 1902. Colonial Revival.

A National Register of Historic Places designation,

George Hall was the College Infirmary and center of cam-

pus medical care for more than 60 years. When the 1918

world influenza pandemic caused several campus deaths,

student workers built caskets in the basement to transport

the remains home. George now houses the Office of

University Relations.

H i s t o r i c p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t a t M S U

12 13 14


15

13. Young Men’s Christian Association Building.1914. Italianate.

From the first classes in 1880, A&M maintained a

strict daily routine that included 7:45 a.m. chapel exercis-

es. By 1912, student programs of various denominations

began work to erect a facility where religious contacts

could continue. Private donations and a Rockefeller

Foundation grant were combined to build the YMCA for

all those not excused due to religious beliefs. Still “The

Y” and home to the campus post office, it also is a

Mississippi Landmark.

14. The Cafeteria/Perry Cafeteria. 1922. LateGothic Revival.

With its open length and sweeping Gothic revival

arches, this Mississippi Landmark is among the most

impressive campus structures. During the 1920s, ’30s

and ’40s, it also accommodated many dances featuring

nationally prominent Big Bands. In 1997, it was named

for George D. Perry, a 1919 graduate, successful business-

man and major university benefactor.

15. Chapel of Memories. 1965.

The chapel is a memorial to Old Main, the original

campus dormitory that housed thousands of students

until destroyed by a 1959 fire. President Ben Hilbun

conceived the idea of a tribute featuring the recovered

Old Main bricks. A much-used facility especially popular

for weddings, the chapel shares grounds with a carillon

tower also made from bricks of the massive quadrangle

residence hall.

16. Lloyd-Ricks Building. 1929. JacobethanRevival.

As agricultural activities expanded in the 1920s,

Montgomery Hall no longer could accommodate both

the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative

Extension Service. The need for space resulted in what

now is Lloyd-Ricks-West—first called the Experiment

Station Building. It was joined a decade later by a “twin”

building for the extension service. With a small connec-

tor linking “old” and new sections, it was renamed for

former directors E.R. Lloyd and J.R. Ricks. Still the

experiment station’s home, it also is a Mississippi

Landmark.

17. Montgomery Hall. 1903. Beaux Arts.

Built as the Science Building, Montgomery first

housed agricultural academic programs and those of the

biological and physical sciences. Before moving to

Harned Hall, the College Library was housed in the

apse—the rounded portion at the rear. The building

honors Col. W.B. Montgomery, a prominent Oktibbeha

County farmer and businessman who led in having the

1878 Mississippi Legislature establish a land-grant college

near Starkville. (He was the great-grandfather of the late

U.S. Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, a distinguished

alumnus whose statue is situated just east of the build-

ing.) Added to the National Register of Historic Places

in 1975, it houses the offices of Admission and

Scholarships, Career Center and Student Support

Services.

15 16 17


16

t h e r i g h t p l a c e a t t h e r i g h t t i m e

By Shannon T. SimpsonPhotos courtesy of NASA

Stennis Space Center director and MSU graduateRichard Gilbrech is excited about his generation’sshot at the moon.

When Arkansas farmer R.C. Gilbrech let his 7-year-

old son watch a late-night newscast in 1969, he might

not have realized the passion he ignited would guide

his son’s education and define his career.

“To see Neil Armstrong put his foot on the

moon,” said Dr. Richard Gilbrech, “that really fired

my imagination and focused my attention.”

Like so many of his generation, the young Rick

Gilbrech was captivated by the vision of a man walk-

ing on another heavenly body, by the thought of

Armstrong planting his footprints in dust

untouched by humans—and he was seized by the

hope he’d one day explore other worlds, too. He

wanted to be an astronaut.

Gilbrech


17

Instead, the 1984 Mississippi State graduate now serves

as director of NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in

Hancock County, helping others in America’s space agency

achieve their exploration dreams.

Gilbrech said he chose Mississippi State for several

important and pragmatic reasons. The aerospace engineer-

ing department within the school’s Bagley College of

Engineering was a hard-to-find option among regional

institutions. MSU was closer to home and offered him

scholarships, an important consideration in a family of 10

children. A family connection, in fact, sealed the choice.

Gilbrech’s stepbrother, Brad Gentry (also class of 1984),

had already been enrolled for a year when Rick arrived.

“I knew I would get a first-rate engineering education

at State,” Gilbrech said. “And I did. On the other side of

the coin, the relationships I formed there have been as key

to my success as that top-notch technical education.”

In his role as SSC director, he manages all of NASA’s

rocket propulsion test capabilities, including facilities in

Alabama, New Mexico and Ohio. He also is responsible for

the day-to-day operations of the center, providing policy,

planning and management for implementing the missions

of NASA directorates, such as earth science applications.

Gilbrech also oversees management of the center’s physical

properties, many leased to the 30-plus federal, state, aca-

demic, and private tenant organizations and high-tech com-

panies that call SSC home.

Prior to NASA naming Gilbrech director of SSC in

February 2006, he served as deputy director of NASA’s

Langley Research Center in Virginia. The nation’s first civil-

ian aeronautics laboratory and home to some of the world’s

largest wind tunnel test facilities, Langley conducts aviation

and space research for aerospace, atmospheric sciences and

technology commercialization.

Gilbrech talked about the highlights of his first year at

SSC.

“We’ve come a long way post-Katrina, but there’s still a

lot to do,” he said. “We still have 108 employees in FEMA

trailers (as of mid-January 2007). There were originally

more than 1,000 of the 4,500 employees at Stennis who

lost their homes during Katrina. We’ve made it through

most of the repair projects. Our focus now is on mitigation

and preparation. We’re extremely thankful we had no major

storm threats in 2006.

“I sat on the console of the firing room with lots of

NASA leaders during the three space shuttle missions of

2006. It’s been great to be an active part of the launch

process, to see those engines tested at Stennis carry our

astronauts safely into orbit. That’s a good feeling.”

In November 2006, Gilbrech took part in a ceremony

marking the official beginning of new work at the center’s

rocket engine test complex. The A-1 Test Stand is being

converted from space

shuttle main engine test-

ing to test the J-2X

engine that will power

the upper stage of

NASA’s next-genera-

tion crew launch

vehicle, Ares I, and

the Earth departure

stage of the new

cargo launch vehi-

cle, Ares V. Those

spacecraft will

help America ful-

fill its vision for

space explo-

ration: to

return to the

moon by

2020, then

travel to

“To see Neil Armstrongput his foot on the moon,that really fired myimagination and focusedmy attention.”

-Gilbrech


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t h e r i g h t p l a c e a t t h e r i g h t t i m e

STENNIS DEPUTY DIRECTOR‘EXCITED TO BE HOME’

Gene Goldman, a 1977 graduate of MSUand native of Russell, was named deputy centerdirector at NASA’sStennis Space Center inOctober 2006. He sup-ports Center DirectorRick Gilbrech in coordi-nating all of NASA’srocket propulsion testcapabilities andStennis’ roles in NASA’sapplied science pro-grams, in addition tomanaging the center.Stennis Space Center isAmerica’s largest rocket engine test complexwhere all space shuttle main engines are tested.

Goldman began his career with NASA in 1990at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Ala., as a project engineer for the space shuttlesystems integration office and advanced toeventually become the manager of the SpaceShuttle Main Engine Project at MSFC. As projectmanager, he was responsible for the manage-ment of design, production and operation of thespace shuttle main engines—a $300 million proj-ect with more than 1,000 employees in Alabama,Florida, Mississippi, and California.

“I am excited to be back in my home stateas part of Stennis Space Center, and am lookingforward to the exciting and challenging workahead,” said Goldman.

After earning a bachelor of science degreein civil engineering from MSU, Goldman startedwork as an engineering manager for theTennessee Valley Authority in Athens, Ala. Helater became a project engineer/manager forGulf States Utilities in Baton Rouge, La., beforemoving back to the TVA as project engineer inHartsville, Tenn.

Goldman’s wife, the former JenniferSwearengen of Natchez, is a 1979 MSU graduate.

Mars and beyond.

“It’s a historic time. We’ll be back into testing moon rock-

ets again. This is our generation’s Apollo,” Gilbrech said.

Testing NASA’s rocket engines has been SSC’s main line of

business since it was established in the 1960s. Since 1975, the

center has tested and proven flight-worthy every engine for

NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. A catch-phrase used to say

“every Apollo and space shuttle astronaut has ridden into space

on engines tested at Stennis Space Center.”

As NASA moves ahead with plans to retire the space shut-

tle by 2010, SSC will conduct two testing programs side by

side: the shuttle’s main engines and the J-2X engines for the

future vehicles. The adage, true in the Apollo era, will hold true

for the future.

Gilbrech said one of his goals for the center’s future will be

to more fully utilize the potential of Mississippi’s colleges and

universities, particularly by forming more research collabora-

tions. Among the state’s education treasure troves, he cited

MSU’s Augustus “Gus” Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, an

internationally recognized center of expertise in low-speed aero-

dynamics, aeronautical structural composites and rapid proto-

typing.

Gilbrech’s own student tour of the Raspet Lab with aero-

space engineering professor Dr. Keith Koenig “was a turning

point for me. (Koenig) got me on the path to go to Cal Tech. It

really set me on a course for my post-graduate degrees.

“As a teenager, I used to work as a flagman for the crop

dusters around my family’s farm,” Gilbrech said. “Around those

aircraft, I knew I really had the bug to fly, to go into space. I

originally wanted to be a military fighter pilot.”

When the need for corrective lenses scuttled that plan,

Gilbrech decided if he couldn’t make the astronaut corps as a

pilot, he’d “go up” as a scientist. To do that, he had to do well at

Mississippi State, get a Ph.D. at a top-ranked school, then go to

work for NASA. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in

aeronautics from California Institute of Technology with a

minor in planetary science.

NASA hired Gilbrech to fill a position at SSC in 1991. It

was during his first stint at South Mississippi’s space center that

he told then-center director Roy Estess, “I want your job some-

day.” Estess, also an MSU alum, served as SSC director from

1989 to 2002.

Gilbrech never lost his passion for flying, but any dream of

space travel was finally quashed in 1995. He was only one med-

Goldman


19

ical exam away from his first solo flight and a pilot’s license

when doctors discovered he had a heart murmur.

“Everything I did up to that point was driving toward

the goal of becoming an astronaut,” Gilbrech said. “It all

came to a grinding halt. But everything happens for a rea-

son. Opportunities have since opened up that I wouldn’t

have had—to contribute to where NASA is going, to help

craft the Constellation Program (the blueprint for carrying

Americans back to the moon), taking part in the flight of

the space shuttle. In the end, it was really a blessing.”

Since then, Gilbrech has served as Stennis National

Aerospace Plane project manager; SSC’s X-33 (a precursor

to NASA’s new J-2X engine) project manager; chief of the

Propulsion Test Engineering Division within SSC’s

Propulsion Test Directorate; technical assistant to the space

shuttle program manager at Johnson Space Center,

Houston; SSC’s deputy direc-

tor of propulsion testing;

manager of SSC’s Propulsion

Integration Office, and final-

ly to NASA’s Langley

Research Center in Virginia,

where he ultimately served

as deputy center director

until his reassignment to

SSC as center director.

In February 2007,

Gilbrech was among 10

tapped by MSU to be a

Distinguished Fellow of

the Bagley College of

Engineering, recogniz-

ing graduates who

have made significant

contributions to

their fields.

“I feel uniquely qualified to be here,” Gilbrech said. “I

know SSC, I know NASA, I know engine testing, and I

know the people in the program. I really do feel like I’m in

the right place at the right time.”

“Everything I did up tothat point was drivingtoward the goal ofbecoming an astronaut.”

-Gilbrech

Gilbrech (back row, fourth from right) was a member of the cheerleadingsquad while at MSU.

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A university honor code recently adopted by MississippiState is designed to institutionalize a campus culture of

integrity and personal responsibility,according to President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong.

“This is a big step forward in empha-sizing the value Mississippi State placeson academic and individual honesty,” hesaid, adding that the new policy hasbeen under development for the past twoyears.

Under the leadership of Bill Kibler,vice president for student affairs, acampus-wide committee of faculty,students and staff developed a detailedstructure defining academic misconduct.

Sanctions for dishonesty and an academic integrity inter-vention program also were established by the group.

“It is a comprehensive approach that has been endorsedby the MSU Faculty Senate, Student Association andadministrative leadership,” Kibler said. “This was a teameffort, and the results are very consistent with ouruniversity’s emphasis on leadership and character.”

Formally approved by Foglesong earlier this year, thecode reads: “As a Mississippi State University student I willconduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I willnot lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of thosewho do.”

Kibler said faculty members will be asked to include thecode with every class syllabus.

He added: “We also will post Honor Council rules andprocedures on the council’s MSU Web site. In addition, wewill ask student and faculty members to serve on the HonorCouncil, which will provide training and programs onacademic integrity.”

Former Student Association president JR Love said theHonor Code “is a great illustration of what our university isknown for among our students. We have a student body fullof character, integrity, and, most importantly, honor.”

Foreign languages professor Robert E. Wolverton Sr.,president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate, observedthat a central feature of the code is that “it is a uniformsystem that treats everyone fairly.”

“Overall, it will heighten awareness among faculty andstudents of the importance of academic honesty,”Wolverton said. “We are looking forward to helpingimplement the policies so that they become a good workingdocument.”

MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong was in Washington,D.C., as part of his official duties with a presidentially appointedcommission where he presented some MSU memorabilia toanother president—George W. Bush.

New MSU honor code emphasizes student integrityUnder terms of the new code, acts of academic misconduct

are defined as:—Use of any unauthorized materials, including notes, study

aids or information from unapproved collaboration;—Falsification of research materials or data;—Multiple submissions of the same work, or representing

group work as one’s own;—Plagiarism, including using another’s work, as well as

failure to appropriately credit sources;—Complicity in knowingly helping someone else commit

academic dishonesty; and—Violations of departmental or college rules regarding

academic misconduct.Cases of academic misconduct may be referred to the

Honor Council or, in some cases, handled by the individualfaculty member. Sanctions for incidents deemed academicmisconduct may range from a grade of “XF,” which signifiesfailure because of dishonesty, or, in some cases, probation orremoval from the university.

An XF grade may be replaced by an F if a student success-fully completes an academic integrity intervention program.

“This policy has been well reasoned and has receivedfeedback from faculty and students,” Kibler said. “It reaffirmsour university’s commitment to the highest standards ofacademic conduct.”

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Following a national search, Mississippi State’s interimvice president for research and economic development isbeing named permanently to the position.

Kirk Schulz, formerly dean of theuniversity’s James Worth Bagley Collegeof Engineering, has served since Januaryin an interim capacity. His appointmentwas approved by the Board of Trustees ofState Institutions of Higher Learning.

“We are confident that we have foundthe right person to lead Mississippi State’srobust research program to the next level,”said President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong.“In the few months that he has directed ourresearch and economic developmentefforts, Kirk has already made an impact,and we are building momentum.”

Named last year a Fellow of the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science, Schulz came to MSU in2001 as the holder of the Swalm School of ChemicalEngineering’s Earnest W. Deavenport Jr. Chair.

“I am proud of the outstanding department heads, newnational fellows, and new endowed chairs and professor-ships that occurred during my tenure as dean,” Schulz said.“In my new position, I am looking forward to working withall our faculty, staff and students to grow our researchprograms.”

Schulz named research andeconomic development VP

Schulz

Mississippi State is being recognized again byKiplinger magazine as one of the top 100 “best values”among the nation’s public colleges and universities.

Ranked at 87, the 129-year-old land-grant university isone of two state institutions listed by the personal financemagazine, which each year provides the ranking based onits assessment of more than 500 schools. MississippiUniversity for Women also is rated in the report.

Selected schools are “noteworthy for their combina-tion of top-flight academics and affordable costs,” thepublication’s editors said.

In compiling its “best values,” Kiplinger’s considersacademic measures that include freshman retention rates,student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduationrates. Measures of cost include total and average costs, aswell as average percentage of need met by financial aid.

The 60-year-old monthly publication places greateremphasis on academic quality, noting that “we werelooking for schools that were academically strong as wellas affordable,” the editors explained in their introductionto the report.

“We’re proud that Mississippi State continues to offeran outstanding return on investment and a great educationfor our students,” said MSU President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong.

MSU continues ‘best value’listing by Kiplinger’s magazine

MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong (far right) washonored by Congress for efforts to promote leadership andpersonal development among youths age 14-23. Taking part inthe recent Congressional Awards Program ceremony inWashington, D.C., were (from left) Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Chip Pickering, R-Miss., and Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss.Blackburn is an MSU alumna.

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JEFCOAT WINNERSPolitical science Professor Diane Wall(center, left) and academic coordina-tor Elaine Reed (center, right) of theCollege of Arts and Sciences received2007 Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence inAdvising Awards. Flanked by awardnamesake Jefcoat and wife Bette, thetwo veteran employees also received$5,000 stipends made possible byalumnus Hunter Henry.

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According to a new survey, 81 percent of adults in theUnited States agree adolescents are more likely to smoke ifthey watch actors smoke in movies. Also, 70 percentsupport a new R-rating for any movies with on-screentobacco imagery, unless the film clearly demonstrates thedangers of smoking.

The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control is anannual poll of public attitudes about tobacco controlpolicies. The American Medical Association Alliance, the26,000-member grassroots arm of the AMA, joined re-searchers from Mississippi State University’s SocialScience Research Center in February to make the announce-ment during the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference inWashington, D.C.

According to the report, public concern over the issue oftobacco imagery on screen has grown substantially over thepast year:

• Support for an “R”-rating for movies with tobacco thatfail to portray its health risks jumped nearly 12 percentagepoints between 2005 and 2006.

• Two-thirds of adults want movie theaters to show anti-tobacco spots before any film with tobacco images, up morethan 5 percentage points from the yearbefore.

• More than 60 percent of adultswant tobacco branding out of allmovie scenes, a rise of nearly 7percentage points from the previousyear.

AMA Alliance members havelaunched a national, grassroots,parent-to-parent campaign to cleartobacco imagery from future moviesrated G, PG and PG-13 by calling onthe Motion Picture Association ofAmerican and movie studios toimplement voluntary solutions toreduce youth’s exposure to moviesmoking.

“There is an overwhelming andconsistent body of evidence thatshows a clear link between smoking inmovies and youth starting to smoke,”said Robert McMillen, associateresearch professor at MSU’s Social

Adults support R-rating for films showing tobaccoScience Research Center and lead author of the report. “Thisnational survey demonstrates substantial public and parentalsupport for voluntary policychanges by Hollywood toreduce this toll, including R-rating for almost all futuretobacco scenes.”

In 2005, one-in-six top-grossing U.S. movies showed ormentioned an actual tobaccobrand. Two out of three U.S.live action movies featuredtobacco in 2006, including 68percent of PG-13 films.

The Social Climate Surveyof Tobacco Control is an annual poll of public attitudestoward tobacco policies. The 2006 survey of 1,800 adultsnationwide has a margin of error of plus 2.3 percent. Resultsfor the on-screen tobacco questions are available atwww.ssrc.msstate.edu/socialclimate.

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MSU gets boost to improve career, tech education

MSU offices share advancementhonors in Southeast competition

Five university outreach units of Mississippi State are major winners in aregional competition of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Educa-tion.

CASE is the country’s leading educational-support organization for profes-sionals working in alumni relations, communications and development.

Staff members in the Office of University Relations received two CASE GrandAwards, the highest honors, at the organization’s recent District III annualconference in Nashville, Tenn.

Their entries and four others from MSU receiving 2007 Awards of Excellencewere among more than 1,100 submitted this year from educational institutions innine Southern states stretching from the South Atlantic Coast to the MississippiRiver.

District III Grand Award winners included:—Photographer Megan Bean, for the portrait series of client families served

by MSU’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability; and—Publications coordinator Becky Smith, who shared the honor with the

Division of Student Affairs’ Office of Admissions and Scholarships for a studentrecruitment package of print materials.

Four awards of excellence, the next highest levels of recognition, went to:—University Relations assistant director Erika Celeste, for production of

“High Notes,” a series of radio programs and announcements;—The MSU Alumni Association and Office of Admissions and Scholarships,

for sponsoring and organizing a series of entering freshman send-off parties inadvance of the 2006 fall semester;

—The MSU Foundation, for improvements in the design of annual reports; and—MSU Foundation and University Television Center, for a series of television

spots promoting the ongoing “State of the Future” fundraising campaign.CASE national offices are located in Washington, D.C. In all, the organization

serves more than 47,000 professionals on the staffs of member institutions.

A major outreach arm of MississippiState is receiving nearly $5 million todevelop a unified program for scoringand reporting statewide career andtechnical education assessments.

Based at the Research and Curricu-lum Unit, the new Mississippi Assess-ment Center will be led by CindyMorgan, along with principal investi-gators Denise Sibley and StephanieKing. The RCU is a part of theuniversity’s Office of Research andEconomic Development.

The Mississippi Department ofEducation will provide the fundingthrough the 2016 school year, saidMorgan, the RCU’s coordinator ofassessment and accountability.

Since 2001, the RCU has beencontracted to research and developthe state’s career and technicalassessments. During this time,however, responsibilities for printing,disseminating, scoring, and reportingwere contracted separately to South-

ern Illinois University, Morgan ex-plained.

“Awarding the contract to one centerfor the complete process will increaseefficiency and provide higher qualityassistance to Mississippi’s career andtechnical centers,” Morgan said. “Sincefew states have their own standardized,career and technical assessmentsaligned to a statewide curriculumframework, we are extremely proud tonow have the entire process consoli-dated literally under one roof.”

MSU President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong and head football coachSylvester Croom were amonguniversity representatives takingpart in the first “Road Dawgs Tour”in May.

Both appeared at most of the eightvisits to cities in Mississippi andAlabama. They were joined by othersfrom the athletic department, as wellas the MSU Alumni Association,Bulldog Club and admissions andscholarships office.

While in each locale, they werejoined by prospective students,business leaders, and alumni andfriends of the university in a varietyof activities.

“The purpose of the ‘RoadDawgs’ is to take MSU to localareas,” said Jimmy Abraham, associ-ate vice president for developmentand alumni. “We want our greatuniversity to reach so many people,so what better way than to takeMississippi State to them?”

ROAD DAWGSROAD DAWGSTOUR 2007TOUR 2007

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newsCAMPUSVeteran, Purple Heart recipient named Truman Scholar

An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteranwho received a Purple Heart andCombat Action Ribbon for Middle Eastservice is Mississippi State’s 16thTruman Scholar.

Aaron R. Rice of Sumrall, a juniorpolitical science major, was named inMarch by the Washington, D.C.-basedHarry S. Truman Scholarship Founda-tion. Selected from approximately 600applicants, he is among 65 to earn thecompetitive national award thatrecognizes and rewards a desire toenter public service.

Truman Scholars receive up to$30,000 to pursue graduate degrees inpublic service fields. In return, theymust commit to work in any of those

Rice

fields for three of seven years aftercompleting their degrees.

“This is one of the highest and mostcompetitive honors acknowledgingboth ability and the desire to make aprofessional commitment to service,”said President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong. “Aaron has demonstratedhis leadership at Mississippi State, andwe’re confident that the TrumanScholarship will be instrumental inhelping him fulfill his dream ofcontributing to public policy.”

A 2002 Oak Grove High Schoolgraduate, Rice said he plans to attendlaw school and specialize in adminis-trative law and public policy. “Mygoal is to become a public servant inMississippi,” he added.

Rice, who entered MSU as afreshman in 2002, interrupted hisstudies to join the U.S. Marine Corps.As a lance corporal, he was deployedin 2005 to Iraq’s AlAnbar Province,where the Humveein which he was apassenger wasstruck by a landmine early into histour. The loss of thelower part of his leftleg led to months ofrehabilitation at theNational NavalMedical Center inBethesda, Md., and at Walter ReedArmy Medical Center in Washington,D.C.

Now active with the use of prosthe-sis, Rice says the experience “forcedme to grow up. He continued: “Mymilitary service, my resulting injuries,and the fact that I’m married havegiven me a more mature outlook.”

How We See Ourselves:

www.msstate.edu/web/survey/

Faculty, Staff and Student Views

of MSU, a survey conducted

by the Social Science Research

Center is available at

Having earlier been named the preferred candidate for the university’sdevelopment and alumni vice presidency, university alumnus John Rush

officially assumed the position in April.“Over the last few weeks, John has met with a wide variety of

campus and alumni constituencies, and all have given himextremely positive feedback,” said President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong. “We believe his knowledge of Mississippi State, hisexperience and his energy are a winning combination for thisposition.”

Rush, who has played a major role in the university’s $400million State of the Future fundraising effort, was selected byFoglesong following a national search headed by Bill Kibler,vice president for student affairs. Kibler led a committee offaculty, staff, alumni, and students who identified candidatesforwarded for consideration.

A Leakesville native, Rush received a bachelor’s degree inpolitical science in 1994 and a master’s in public policy and administration in2002.

Rush has held a variety of successively responsible fundraising positions atMSU since 1997. His most recent position was director of major gifts for theMSU Foundation.

Rush named development, alumni vp

Rush

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Until recently, Scott Willard ofMississippi State considered himself abovine reproductive physiologist, notan entrepreneur selling artworkgenerated from thermal imaging or aprovider of services and devices tofellow scientists.

An animal and dairy sciencesdepartment researcher at the univer-sity, he now is adding businessman tothe professional hats he wears.

Willard recently establishedRAMS—an acronym for RemoteAnimal Monitoring Solutions—acompany offering a variety of servicesand products to the livestock industry,as well as other research scientists andlarge animal managers.

Team launching commercial operation from researchThe enterprise originated from his

research at the land-grant institution.His business partner is AnnaChromiak, manager for anotherresearch program in animal and dairyscience.

In addition to providing thermalimaging to help fit saddles on horsesand the remote monitoring of live-stock via the marketing and distribu-tion of research devices (some ofwhich are produced under contractwith an international company),RAMS also creates artwork fromthermal images generated fromresearch that also can be used fordiagnostic applications.

Through six years of MSU researchwith the Mississippi Agricultural and

Forestry ExperimentStation, Willard hascreated and modifiedvarious devicesbased on the needs ofhis work. As ascientist, he hasn’tbeen alone in need-ing better devices tomonitor livestockwithout having tophysically handle theanimals.

He said theimpetus to create acompany based onhis research camefrom thelongstanding Missis-sippi State efforts tocreate “spin-off”companies based oncampus-basedresearch. To that end,RAMS was selectedto receive a $22,500grant from theuniversity’s Thad

Cochran Endowment for Entrepre-neurship, which seeks to help poten-tial entrepreneurs spark economicgrowth in the region and state.

RAMS is among the three compa-nies to, so far, receive an endowmentgrant. The support is designed to helpcover start-up costs associated withforming a new enterprise.

TCEE director Gerald Nelson saidRAMS fits the profile for what theprogram seeks to do: make the univer-sity a breeding ground for the entre-preneurial spirit that will create jobsand additional entrepreneurial experi-ences for students, faculty, alumni,and others.

“The TCEE is all about creating aculture of entrepreneurship on thecampus of Mississippi State,” Nelsonsaid.

Scott Willard

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S T A T E Y O U R P R I D E

Three Mississippi State seniors arerecipients of the university’s G.V.“Sonny” Montgomery LeadershipAward.

The annual $5,000 scholarshipswere presented in mid-April by repre-sentatives of the Meridian-basedMontgomery Foundation and MSUPresident Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong.

Selected for the inaugural scholar-ships are Joshua S. Burnett of Saucier,Aaron R. Rice of Sumrall and Christo-pher S. Walker of Newton.

Montgomery, a 15-term U.S. repre-sentative from Meridian, was a 1944Mississippi State graduate. He died in2006.

A senior Mississippi State adminis-trator was named a Fellow of theAmerican Institute for Medical andBiological Engineering.

Jackson native Jerry Gilbert wasinducted in March during theorganization’s annual meeting at theNational Academy of Sciences inWashington, D.C. The high honorrecognizes those in the top 2 percent ofthe profession.

Gilbert has served since 2004 as theuniversity’s associate provost andassociate vice president for academicaffairs.

A former state Department ofFinance and Administration officialbegan work in January as MississippiState’s new director of procurementsand contracts.

Donald G. Buffum is theuniversity’s top manager for procure-ment policies, procedures and objec-tives. His MSU appointment wasapproved by the state College Board.

A former head of Mississippi’smarine resources department now isco-director of the recently createdNorthern Gulf Institute.

Glade Woods’ appointment to theStennis Space Center-based instituterecently was approved by the Board ofTrustees of State Institutions of HigherLearning. He led the MississippiDepartment of Marine Resources1994-2000.

Woods holds an electrical engineer-ing degree from MSU and a master’s inengineering administration from theUniversity of Utah.

Four wildlife and fisheries sciencegraduate students in the College ofForest Resources are top winners inrecent regional research competitions.

Heather J. Theel of Aurora, Ill.,Nathaniel C. “Nate” Hodgins of SiouxCity, Iowa, and Amy B. Spencer ofColumbus, Ohio, were among sevencompeting at the annual meeting andtechnical conference of the Missis-sippi American Fisheries Society.Others involved in the Vicksburgprogram represented the universitiesof Southern Mississippi and Louisianaat Monroe.

In a separate event at Destin, Fla.,Tyler S. Harris of Louisville took firstplace in the visual display competi-tion. He was among nine studentscompeting at the concurrent annualmeetings of the Southeastern BatDiversity Network and Colloquium on

Conservation of Mammals in theSoutheastern United States.

Theel received the first-placeaward, Hodgins finished in secondplace for his report, and Spencer wonthird place for presentation andsecond place in the people’s choicecategory.

A Mississippi State businesscollege leader is being named aFellow of the Marketing ManagementAssociation.

Brian Engelland, head of theuniversity’s department of marketing,quantitative analysis and businesslaw, was the 20th member of theinternational organization to receivethe high honor. The associate wasrecognized in late March for hisconsistent scholarly research andcontinuing service to the profession.He earned a bachelor’s degree inindustrial engineering from PurdueUniversity in 1969 and a master’s inbusiness administration from theUniversity of Cincinnati in 1971. Hisdoctorate was completed at SouthernIllinois University in 1993.

An Indiana university administra-tor is the new dean of MississippiState’s College of Business andIndustry.

Lynne Richardson, dean of theMiller College of Business at BallState University in Muncie, willbegin work at MSU Aug. 1. Herappointment was approved earlier bythe Board of Trustees of State Institu-tions of Higher Learning.

Richardson received a master’sdegree in business administration in

He holds a bachelor’s degree inbusiness administration from theUniversity of Washington in Seattle,and also completed a master’s in thesame field from Mississippi College.

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newsCAMPUS

S T A T E Y O U R P R I D E

1983 and a doctorate in marketing in1989, both from the University ofAlabama at Birmingham. Herbachelor’s in marketing was completedin 1980 from the University ofMontevallo (Ala.).

A senior Mississippi State aquacul-ture scientist is receiving a majorhonor from an international profes-sional society.

Louis R. D’Abramo was presentedwith a meritorious award recognizingoutstanding leadership and dedicatedservice to the National ShellfisheriesAssociation, at its annual meeting inSan Antonio, Texas, this spring.

A specialist in crustacean and fishaquaculture and nutritional ecology,D’Abramo is a professor in theuniversity’s wildlife and fisheriesdepartment and a scientist in thecampus-based Mississippi Agriculturaland Forestry Experiment Station.

He received a bachelor’s degreefrom Assumption College in Worcester,Mass., and a master’s and doctoratefrom Yale University.

Heidie Lindsey is being recognizedfor outstanding professional service bythe Southeastern InterfraternityConference.

Lindsey, associate director of theuniversity’s Colvard Student Union, isthe regional organization’s selectionfor the 2007 Tom Shoemaker Adviserof the Year Award. A staff membersince 2001, she currently overseesprogramming, governance and leader-ship development for MSU’s 28national fraternities and sororities.

Lindsey, a former regional officerfor Delta Gamma social sorority, is a

An award-winning classical guitar-ist and faculty member is receiving a2007-08 Fulbright Scholar Award.

Michael Patilla, an assistant profes-sor of music, will teach guitar over afour-month period at the NationalAutonomous University inTegucigalpa, Honduras, the capital cityof the Central American republic.While there, he also will reviewsubmissions by native composers for apublished edition of the music and alater compact disc recording.

Patilla earned a doctorate from theprestigious Eastman School of Musicat the University of Rochester.

At MSU, he has established themusic department’s growing guitarprogram and directs the campus GuitarEnsemble.

A leader of the Mississippi StateAlumni Association is the new re-gional head of an internationaleducational support organization.

Associate director Libba B.Andrews of Starkville recently waschosen for a two-year term as chair ofDistrict III of the Council for theAdvancement and Support of Educa-tion. A Columbus native, she is a 1983MSU communication graduate.

CASE, headquartered in Washing-ton, D.C., is the country’s leadingorganization for education profession-als working in the areas of alumnirelations, communications anddevelopment.

A higher education professional atMississippi State is the Black HistoryMonth Educator of the Year forMississippi.

Mary Alexander, assistant to thepresident, received the honor inFebruary during a monthly meeting ofthe Board of Trustees of State Institu-tions of Higher Learning. She is alsoan instructor in the department ofinstructional systems, leadership andworkforce development.

Walter N. Taylor, assistant dean forMSU’s College of Agriculture and LifeSciences and a professor of agricul-tural information science and educa-tion in the School of Human Sciences,also was recognized as one of eightIHL honorees.

psychology graduate of the Universityof Central Florida. She also holds amaster’s degree in higher educationadministration from Florida StateUniversity.

MSU awarded honorary degrees totwo well-known state residents whohave made significant contributions intheir fields at spring commencementceremonies in May.

Myrna Colley-Lee of Charlestonand Dr. William G. Riley of Meridianreceived honorary doctorates increative arts and science, respectively.

Colley-Lee is a nationally ac-claimed theatrical costume designerwho joined with others to establish thenational SonEdna Foundation Inc.,which works to support writers inachieving their creative goals.

Riley is a lifelong LauderdaleCounty resident who has made majorcontributions as both a physician andphilanthropist. Along with brotherRichard Riley, he led in creating theRiley Foundation from proceeds of thehospital’s sale.

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ALUMNInews

I would like to thank the MSUAlumni Association Board of Directors

for choosing me asnational president for2006-07. It has been awonderful year.

This year, we addedtwo new chapters, onein East Texas and one inCharlotte, N.C. There isa possibility of twomore in the very nearfuture. Several newprograms have been

added.The alumni tent at the new Junction

was a tremendous success. I also wasable to attend the football gametailgates at UAB, Georgia and Ala-bama. What fun to get alumni togetherat these pre-game events! There alsowas a great gathering of Bulldogsbefore the NIT semi-final game in NewYork.

The MSU birthday party was a hugesuccess. Having lunch with students,faculty, staff, friends, alumni, andfuture students was great fun. Theentertainment, having the FamousMaroon Band members there, andbirthday cake and MSU ice cream—what a great day!

The university has made greatstrides on many fronts during the pastyear. The new Cullis Wade Depot withits Barnes & Noble Bookstore, twonew residence halls, The Junctiongathering space, and the new band/choral rehearsal facility are just a fewexamples of the outstanding progresstaking place on campus.

It has been so rewarding to be ableto work with Alumni AssociationExecutive Director Jimmy Abrahamand President “Doc” Foglesong.Jimmy has done a wonderful job ofbringing our association to the front.We have more alumni and friendsinterested in what we do. “Doc” and Ihave been on many trips together. Ihave shared views with him and he is

eager to listen. He and his wife Maryare wonderful people.

I also wish to thank my boss, SteveTaylor (a former national president),my co-workers at BankFirst FinancialServices, and my wonderful husband,Mike, all of whom have been support-ive in so many ways.

I’ve been in awe of previous alumnipresidents. To have had this honorbestowed upon me was beyond mywildest dreams. I have had a greatyear! I have met some of the bestpeople in the world. Having this

opportunity has made me a betterDawg—if that’s possible!

I would encourage all students tofind out about the alumni associationbefore they graduate. Wherever theygo, there will be Bulldogs. What a greatresource for meeting new people,making contacts for employment andstaying in touch with old friends!

GO DAWGS!

Betty Latimer Black, ’742006-07 National PresidentMSU Alumni Association

David W. Jones of Jackson became national president of the MSU AlumniAssociation July 1. A 1981 accounting graduate and first vice president and ISauditor manager for Trustmark National Bank, he previously was first vicepresident for the association.

David succeeds Betty Latimer Black of Starkville, a 1974 music educationgraduate. Black now holds the title of immediate past president.

Other newly elected 2007-08 officers are:Andrew D. Hunt of Hattiesburg, national first vice president. A 1970

graduate, he is owner of Hunt Insurance Agency. He previously served assecond vice president for the association.

Charles Cascio of Cleveland, national second vice president. A 1979industrial engineering graduate, he is the business development manager atBaxter Healthcare Corp. He previously served on the association’s executivecommittee.

S. Keith Winfield of Starkville, national treasurer. A 1970 business graduate,he is a partner of Watkins, Ward and Stafford accounting firm.

The new slate of officers will serve the university’s more than 100,000alumni through June 2008.

Alumni Association installs new officers

A letter from Betty Black

National officers for 2007-08 are (l-r): Charles Cascio,second vice president; DavidW. Jones, president; S. KeithWinfield, treasurer; AndrewD. Hunt, first vice president;and Betty Latimer Black,immediate past president.

Black

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ALUMNInews

The newest members of the Alumni Delegates are: (front row, from left) Lauren Cobb,Starkville; Carrie Hancock, Tupelo; Lynn Mullen, Winona; Laura McBeath, Brandon; Jeral Self,Madison; (second row, from left) Jessica Litton, Meridian; Suzanne Nichols, Lubbock, Texas;Chloe Gooden, Hoover, Ala.; Carrie Radke, Murray, Ky.; Mary Margaret Cockroft,Kosciusko; (third row, from left) Brett Jeter, Brandon; Travis Woods, Brandon; Hayes Single-ton, Hattiesburg; Blake Jeter, Brandon; Jason Burge, Gulfport; (fourth row, from left) JohnMark McIntosh, Norcross, Ga.; Adam Shields, Columbus; Peyton Hill, Ripley; Joel Russell,Ridgeland; and Lee Weiskopf, Columbia.

The Alumni Association recently selected 20 students as the newestmembers of the Alumni Delegates program. With the addition of the newmembers, the Alumni Association now has 44 students serving as delegates.This special student group works closely with the association to better serveMSU students, alumni and friends.

“Over 230 students applied to the program this spring,” said LibbaAndrews, associate director of the association. “They were an incrediblegroup of very impressive Mississippi State students.”

The applicants went through a rigorous selection process that involved anapplication process, group interviews and one-on-one interviews. “The 20students we selected through the process are great. They’re excited aboutbeing part of the group, and we’re excited about having them, as well,” saidAndrews.

The Alumni Delegates program is an organization whose members serveas liaisons between Mississippi State students and alumni. Their purpose isto improve the understanding of the role of the Alumni Association byeducating and involving students in activities and events of the association.

New Alumni Delegates selected

Dr. M. Darren Hudson, associate professor inthe Department of Agricultural Economics, isthe 2007 recipient of the Excellence inUndergraduate Teaching Award, presented bythe MSU Alumni Association. Hudson, a1997 doctoral graduate of Texas TechUniversity, joined the MSU faculty in 1998.He currently serves as coordinator for themaster’s of agribusiness program. In 2004,he received the Overall Teaching Award andGraduate Teaching Award from the Collegeof Agriculture and Life Sciences.Congratulating him is Dr. Jimmy Abraham,associate vice president for development andalumni and executive director of the MSUAlumni Association.

Hudson receivesteaching award

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Alumni celebrate milestones at. . .

CLASS OF 1942

CLASS OF 1947

Members of the Mississippi State graduating

classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, and

1967 returned to campus in March to hold

reunions in conjunction with

Super Bulldog Weekend activities.

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MSU CLASS REUNIONS

CLASS OF 1952

CLASS OF 1957

More than 115 alumni, spouses and guests

participated in the reunions, which are sponsored

annually by the MSU Alumni Association.

CLASS OF 1962

CLASS OF 1967

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ALUMNInews

When MSU alumnus Dean Wingoand his wife Lauran of Collierville,Tenn., signed up for a Latin Americanvacation through the MSU TravelingBulldogs program, they expected tohave a great time. What they didn’texpect was a reunion with collegefriends. They soon found, however,that two of Dean’s former MSUclassmates—Henry and Jane Vickfrom Marietta, Ga.—were also alongfor the vacation.

Dean received a bachelor’s degreefrom MSU in 1970 and a master’s ofbusiness administration from theuniversity in 1970. Both Henry Vickand his wife Jane are 1967 graduatesof Mississippi State.

“Dean had known them back incollege in the ‘60s, and the guys werefraternity brothers,” said Lauran, whoreceived a bachelor’s degree from

MississippiUniversity forWomen in 1970.“We thoroughlyenjoyed ourreunion andhave since seenthem in Atlantaand e-mail backand forthoften.”

The Wingosand Vicks, along with approximately40 other college-affiliated travelers,ventured to the Galapagos Islands inFebruary 2007 with the TravelingBulldogs, a travel program availablethrough the MSU Alumni Associationthat makes first-class internationaltravel available to MSU alumni atdiscounted rates.

“When the chance came to go onthis trip, Henry and I didn’t thinkabout it more than 15 minutes,” Janesaid. “The chance was just too goodto pass up. You grow up hearing aboutthese islands, but never do you

Classmates reunite through Traveling Bulldogs programimagine that you might actually getthere.”

The Galapagos Islands are made upof several volcanic islands west ofEcuador, a country in northwesternSouth America. To preserve the nativewildlife species for which the islandsare famed, almost 98 percent of theislands’ land area is classified as anational park and the surrounding43,000 square miles of ocean aredeclared a marine reserve, second insize only to Australia’s Great BarrierReef. Noteworthy species include theisland’s iguanas, Galapagos tortoises,blue-footed booby, vampire finches,and sea cucumbers.

“Every day we went to a differentisland and every island had differenttypes of wildlife,” Lauran said. “Youcould practically touch the animalsand the photo opportunities wereamazing.”

“I came away with an entirelydifferent understanding of the is-lands—how they came to be, how theyhave survived,” Jane added. “Thewhole experience was just superb.”

After seven days in the islands, theWingos chose to continue the tour withan add-on visit to Machu Picchu, awell-preserved, pre-Columbian Incaruin located on a mountain ridge inPeru. Forgotten for centuries, the areawas brought back to internationalattention in 1911, and is now thecountry’s most popular tourist attrac-tion. More than 400,000 people visitthe site each year.

“It was incredible to see thatsomething so elaborate could havebeen built and hidden to the worlduntil about 100 years ago,” Lauransaid.

For the Wingos, their first trip to thispart of the globe was truly memorable.“We chose this trip because it was aneasy way to get to two remote areas wewanted to visit, and it was well worth

it,” Lauran said. “We were so im-pressed by the efficiency of the tourguide. We never had to wait to checkin our hotels or get boarding passes—somehow the tour guide would alwayshave them in hand.”

This was the second TravelingBulldogs trip for the Vicks, who saythey will happily sign up again thenext time they can fit it into theirschedule. “Both were absolutelyfantastic,” Jane said. “I wouldencourage anyone to try one of thetrips.”

Upcoming travel destinationsinclude a visit to Scotland in Augustand a tour of the Greek Isles inOctober.

For more information about thetravel program, contact LibbaAndrews, associate director of theAlumni Association, [email protected] or 662-325-7000, or visitwww.alumni.msstate.edu.

A blue-footed booby—a rarebird native to the GalapagosIslands.

Henry Vick enjoys the company of an iguana.

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ALUMNInews

Student’s name SS#

Address

City, State, ZIP

Phone E-mail

High school or community college Graduation date

GPA ACT/SAT Gender

Academic interest

Your name MSU class year

Relation to prospective student

Your phone Your e-mail

We’re looking for a few good BulldogsDo you know a potential Mississippi State student who may not be aware of the opportunities our greatuniversity has to offer? If so, please complete as much of this form as possible and mail to Office ofAdmissions and Scholarships, P.O. Box 6334, Mississippi State, MS 39762, or fax to 662-325-1MSU. Youcan make a positive difference for a high school or community college student by introducing him or herto your alma mater.

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newsALUMNIClass pin and pendant offer alternative to class ring

In addition to thetraditional class ring, theAlumni Association nowis offering a class pin orpendant for ladies.

The official pin andpendant were designedrecently with the inputof MSU alumni andcurrent students. Itfeatures the MississippiState University seal,surrounded by alternatinggarnets and cubic zirconias. As an option, diamonds areavailable in place of the cubic zirconias. The price of the pinor pendant starts at $415.

The class pin and pendant, like the official class ring, areoffered exclusively by Balfour and the MSU Alumni

Association. All students andalumni are encouraged topurchase and proudly wear an

official MSU class ring, pin orpendant to show the world—wherever you go—thatMississippi State University isyour institution of choice.

For specificquestions regardingthe new pin andpendant, contact

Libba Andrews,associate director

of the association,at 662-325-3479 or

[email protected].

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FOUNDATIONnews

When Mississippi State agronomistGlover Triplett looks across a plantedfield overflowing with weeds, he seesmuch more than meets the average eye.He truly appreciates the surfaceterrain, as well as what lies beneath.

Triplett has never been a proponentof traditional farming with neatlyplowed rows, referring to the practiceas “recreational tillage.” A native ofNoxubee County, he saw firsthand theeffects of farming when its long-termimpact on the land is not considered.

When Triplett, along with a researchpartner at Ohio State University,introduced the innovative idea of zerotillage in corn and soybeans more than45 years ago, quite a few peoplelaughed at his “ugly farming,” includ-ing his wife, Imogene.

Instead of using a plow to loosenthe soil and form rows, no-till farminguses equipment to plant seeds intoalmost undisturbed soil and cropresidue. The use of herbicides for weedcontrol and other management tech-niques replace plowing during thegrowing season.

Today no-tillage and minimum-tillage farming are globally acceptedproduction practices that have revolu-tionized agriculture in the UnitedStates and also provided agriculturalopportunities in countries where soilsand climate conditions may make cropproduction difficult to practiceotherwise. Studies have shown count-less benefits of no-tillage, includingless work for farmers, more profit anderosion control.

“Well over 100 million acresworldwide are now planted in no-tillage,” Triplett proudly acknowl-edges.

Seeing no-tillage, a more environ-mentally friendly method of farming,become an accepted practice was

Tripletts create endowed chair in agriculturemeaningful forTriplett, but con-tinuing the researchhe began is perhapseven more so.

Triplett certainlyunderstands theimportance ofresearch conductedat universities. Heenjoyed a distin-guished career atOhio State’s Agri-cultural Researchand DevelopmentCenter. Since 1983,he has continued hisgroundbreakingresearch as a facultymember at Missis-sippi State, excel-ling in the areas ofno-tillage andforage crop re-search.

In order tocontinue his life’swork of researchand development,Triplett and his wifehave established thefirst fully endowed faculty position inMississippi State’s College of Agri-culture and Life Sciences with asignificant outright gift.

The Dr. Glover B. Triplett EndowedChair in Agronomy within the depart-ment of plant and soil sciences willprovide leadership in agronomyeducation and research, as well asoutreach to industry.

“The endowment will enableMississippi State to attract and retainnationally recognized faculty whoexcel in the areas of agronomicresearch and cropping systems,” said

Vance Watson, vice president foragriculture, forestry and veterinarymedicine.

“Available funds from the endow-ment may be used to supplement theuniversity salary and research expen-ditures of the chair holder as well asprovide for graduate assistantships,”added Watson, who also serves as deanof the college.

“The endowed chair funded by Dr.and Mrs. Triplett’s contribution will beinvaluable in furthering farming-systems research in Mississippi,” saidMichael Collins, head of the depart-ment of plant and soil sciences. “Thisendowed position will allow us to

Imogene and Glover Triplett

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FOUNDATIONnews

The Dr. Glover B. Triplett Endowed Chair in Agronomywithin the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

will provide leadership in agronomy education and research,as well as outreach to industry.

continue the kind of cutting-edgeresearch for which Dr. Triplett himselfis so well known,” he added.

Triplett’s research contributions toagriculture have impacted the lives ofpeople all over the world and leaving alegacy behind is important to him.

When the Triplettsbegan talking aboutoptions for their estate,setting up an endowedposition at MississippiState was a perfect fitfor them.

“We are gettingolder and decided it was time to makethese plans,” Imogene said. “I toldGlover he would enjoy meeting thefirst holder of the chair and exchang-ing ideas with him, so it needed to bedone in our lifetime,” she recalled.

Triplett agreed wholeheartedly.Simply put, he said, “I chose anendowed position because I wanted tohelp someone else do what they love.

“The climate for research todayappears to me to be largely driven bygrants which often mandate a faculty

member’s research direction,” Triplettobserved. “This way, the chair willgive someone the latitude to researchas they deem beneficial,” he explained.

To create the endowment, theTripletts donated a 1,063-acre tract oftimberland in the Fairport community

of Noxubee County to the MSUFoundation. Proceeds from the sale ofthe property will fund the position.

Triplett’s connections with MSU rundeep. He attended MSU, earning hisbachelor’s degree in 1951 and hismaster’s in 1955. He received adoctorate in agronomy from MichiganState University in 1959.

Imogene attended Mississippi State,but jokingly says she only had time toreceive a “Ph.T.,” which stands for“putting him through school.”

The Tripletts have supported theuniversity for a number of years.Imogene established the Imogene C.Triplett Endowed Scholarship inornamental horticulture and retailfloristry management for Mississippiresidents. The couple also established

the Dr. Glover B. TriplettEndowed Fund for CropResearch, which providesfunds specifically for thedepartment of plant and soilsciences. Today, the Ohio researchplots begun by Triplett and

Dave Van Doren are the longestcontinuous no-till research plots in theworld. The OSU site has been namedthe Triplett-Van Doren No-TillageExperimental Plots in their honor. As acredit to the life’s work of Triplett, theplots are still yielding results byallowing farmers to maintain long-term productivity of cropped soil andallowing researchers to explore carbonsequestration in response to concernover global warming.

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Campus romance becomes part of Maroon Mile

FOUNDATIONnews

When Mississippi State alumnusJason Noffsinger decided to make atruly memorable proposal to hisgirlfriend, he wanted it to last forever.

The proposal, which reads “SunnyThornton, Will You Marry Me?” is nowset in stone on MSU’s historic DrillField, making it part of theuniversity’s newest brick project, theMaroon Mile.

Through a gift to the MSU AnnualFund, names and special messages,like Jason’s proposal, may become apart of the Maroon Mile—a campaignto pave the sidewalks and walkways ofthe historic Drill Field and otherparade grounds with individualizedbrick pavers that, when laid end-to-end, would stretch one mile or more.

Jason graduated from MississippiState in 2005 with a degree in microbi-ology and currently is enrolled in anaccelerated nursing program as he

trains to become a nurseanesthetist. A Starkvillenative, he appreciates thenostalgia connected withthe Drill Field andcampus.

Both Jason and Sunnyare thrilled that a part oftheir relationship willperpetually be entwinedwith their alma mater.

“The brick will bethere forever so ourgrandchildren will see itone day,” said Sunny, aBrandon native, whograduated in May with adegree in elementaryeducation.

Sunny and Jason will wed inDecember. Their love story is just oneof the many touching accounts boundto surface as pieces of the MaroonMile are put into place.

“The Maroon Mile is a uniqueopportunity for alumni and friends toleave a lasting impression on theiralma mater and become a part ofMississippi State history,” said MikeMcPherson, director of the annualgiving program.

The project is a way for persons tomemorialize a loved one or a friend,recognize parents or pay tribute to aninfluential faculty member, he said.

Gifts designated to the MaroonMile will benefit the Division ofStudent Affairs, which works to enrichthe total Mississippi State studentexperience through student services,organizations and activities.

“We want to encourage a newtradition at the university,” said BrettAldridge, development officer for thedivision. “Newly classified MSUseniors and their parents will be givenan opportunity annually to purchase acommemorative brick for a special

price, which makes a perfect gradua-tion gift and rewards a job well done.”

The bricks sold in the next fewyears will be part of the Drill Fieldwalkways and could eventuallyextend to other areas, linking theuniversity by name after name ofalumni and friends who are willing togive just a small amount for a lastinglegacy. The university’s master planfor campus currently calls for newwalkways in numerous areas.

“A gift designated for the purchaseof a brick will qualify as a ‘first’ giftto the university through the MSUAnnual Fund for persons who havenever given before,” emphasizedMcPherson. “Our goal is to lay thebricks in the first quarter of eachcalendar year and encourage personsattending Super Bulldog Weekend todrop by and see their brick.”

As with gifts of any amount, thepurchase of a Maroon Mile brick willactivate a donor’s membership in theMSU Alumni Association and willcount toward the university’s ongoingState of the Future campaign.

Maroon Mile Brick Paver OptionsDonors may purchase a four-by-eight-inchbrick with a $500 gift and engrave it witha three line message of up to 14 charactersper line. Currently enrolled students andrecent graduates (within the last 12 months)may secure a brick at a reduced price of$250. For a larger donation, individuals orgroups may purchase a 28-by-16-inchpaver which can be engraved with a four-line message of up to 16 characters perline. Alumni, parents and friends interestedin purchasing a brick may contact theMSU Annual Fund at 662-325-2466 orvia e-mail [email protected] .

Jason Noffsinger and his fiancée, Sunny Thornton, with theirMaroon Mile marker.

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FOUNDATIONnewsGift honors lifetime contributions of Bill Taylor

Interim business dean DanHollingsworth, left, andMSU President Robert H.“Doc” Foglesong, secondfrom right, with members ofthe W. A. “Bill” Taylor Jr.family—his daughter, TeresaTaylor Ktsanes with her sonMatthew, wife MitziTaylor, and son Lex Taylor.

Generations of business students atMississippi State will benefit from the

influence of WilliamA. “Bill” Taylor Jr.,longtime chairman ofthe board of theLouisville-basedTaylor Group ofCompanies.

As a fitting honorof his life’s work, theTaylor Groupannounced in Marchthe creation of theW.A. “Bill” Taylor Jr.

Excellence Fund at Mississippi Statewith a generous $1 million giftthrough its charitable foundation.

“We at the Taylor Group of Compa-nies hope that this financial supportwill encourage others to give and bydoing so help prepare young peoplefrom all walks of life to live, learn andcontribute greatly to our state and ournation’s futures,” said group presidentWilliam A. “Lex” Taylor III.

In appreciation for the support,Mississippi State is naming a newauditorium in its renovated andexpanded business complex for Taylor.The 300-seat W.A. Taylor Jr. Audito-rium in McCool Hall has been de-signed to serve large college classes,as well as visiting speakers or pro-grams hosted by any campus entity.The Taylor Excellence Fund willprovide funds for maintenance of theauditorium and technology upgradesthroughout the business complex.

“Bill Taylor is an American successstory,” said Lex Taylor. “We hopeevery student who goes through thedoors of this auditorium will be thenext American success story.”

The exterior pillars of the TaylorMachine Works building in Louisvilledisplay three words—faith, vision andwork—cornerstones of all that BillTaylor and his business exemplify.The values were handed down fromhis late father, William AlexanderTaylor Sr., the founder of the companywho started the business in a smallmachine shop.

Today, Taylor Machine Works, oneof five family owned and operatedcompanies which comprise the TaylorGroup Inc., remains at the heart of theorganization that is synonymous withBill Taylor. During the past 80 years,the company, with its signature “BigRed” equipment, has evolved into thelargest privately held manufacturer ofheavy industrial lift trucks inAmerica. The Taylor organizationnow provides state-of-the-art engi-neering and manufacturing resourcesfor material handling worldwide.

Bill Taylor attended MississippiState and over the years has been anadvocate of the institution, serving invarious advisory capacities andsupporting MSU. His sons Lex andRobert are graduates of the college.Daughter Teresa Taylor Ktsanesattended the university, as well.

“There’s a new energy in thebusiness school. It’s on the verge ofbreaking out to the next level, and alarge part of this success will be dueto supporters like the Taylor family,”said MSU President Robert H. “Doc”Foglesong.

Earnings from the Taylor endow-ment may also be used to supportvisiting distinguished scholars,symposiums and conferences, facultyresearch programs, and professionaldevelopment activities, as well asstudent scholarships and assistant-ships.

Taylor

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The following individuals, corporations and foundations have made commitments of morethan $50,000 from December 1, 2006, through May 31, 2007, for State of the Future: TheMississippi State Campaign.

STATE OF THE FUTURE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TOPS $374 MILLION

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The State of the Future campaignhas raised more than $374 million,placing it a full year ahead of theprojected pace needed to reach $400million by December 2008.

As of May 31, campaign countingtotaled $374,032,010 as gifts fromalumni and friends continued to pourinto the MSU Foundation.

“Our supporters have taken us tolevels never before expected andtheir generosity has impacted nearlyevery aspect of Mississippi State,”

said John Rush, vice president fordevelopment and alumni.

Already in State of the Future, over $62million has been received for endowedscholarships and fellowships, over $29million has been raised for endowedfaculty positions, and just over $40million has been earmarked for new andrenovated facilities and campusenhancements. In addition, almost $47million has been used to enhanceeducational and other programs,including the Shackouls Honors College,the Thad Cochran Endowment for

Entrepreneurship, and the developmentof learning communities.

“Gifts from our donors are making adifference,” Rush said. “There isn’t anarea on campus that hasn’t beenpositively touched by one or many ofour generous supporters.” All privategifts to Mississippi State through Dec.31, 2008, including those to athletics, areconsidered State of the Futurecontributions.

For more information on State of theFuture, contact Rush at 662-325-9306 orvisit www.msufoundation.com.

Autodesk Inc.; BancorpSouth; Viola G. Bardsley;

John Bentinck-Smith Trust; Mr. and Mrs. William

B. Berry; Mr. Peter E. Blum; The Boeing

Foundation; Tom Bradshaw; The Annie E. CaseyFoundation; Citicorp; Dr. and Mrs. William M.

Cobb; Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crook; James A.

Davis Estate; The Day Foundation; Drs. Michael

and Wanda Dean; Dr. and Mrs. James L.

Flanagan; Mr. and Mrs. Warren Garrard; Mrs.

Linda M. Garrett; Guild Hardy Associates Architects,

PA; Harrell Contracting Group, LLC; Mr. Michael L.

Havard; The Humane Society of the United States; Mr.

Louis A. Hurst Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. James C. Johnson; W.K.Kellogg Foundation; Kelly G. Cook Sr. Foundation, Inc.;

Ms. Marcia P. Lane; G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery

Foundation; Ann J. Moore; Mr. and Mrs. Frank L.

Moore; The Riley Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. James J.

Rouse; Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Rula; Joe Frank

Sanderson Foundation; Scenic Homes Inc.; Mr. and

Mrs. Leo W. Seal Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Shackouls;

Rufus W. Shivers Estate; Southern Cattle Co.; The

Taylor Group Inc.; Dr. and Mrs. Glover B. Triplett Jr.;

Trowbridge Farms; Mr. and Mrs. Allan H. Tucker Jr.; Mr.

and Mrs. Thomas H. Walker ; Dr. Clinton E. Wallace;Mrs. Joe Ann W. Ward; Paul L. Wells Estate; and Mr.

and Mrs. Turner A. Wingo.

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FOUNDATIONnews

MSU Foundation names new

Members of the MississippiState University Foundationboard of directors are making adifference across the nation intheir roles as leaders in businessand industry and through their

service to the university.Foundation board president and

MSU accounting alumnus Richard C.Adkerson is certainly no exception. InMarch, Adkerson was on hand to ring

Crane Dowdle

Easley Henry

Hurst Montgomery

Roberts

MSU Foundation Board President Richard C. Adkerson (center) rang the closing bell onthe New York Stock Exchange in March. Adkerson is the CEO and director of FreeportMcMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., the world’s largest publicly traded copper company.

the closing bell on the New York StockExchange. The occasion marked anoteworthy acquisition by his com-pany, Phoenix, Ariz. based Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. Byattaining Phelps Dodge Inc., FCXcreated the world’s largest publiclytraded copper company. Adkerson isthe chief executive officer and adirector of Freeport-McMoRan and

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also serves as co-chairman ofthe board of McMoRanExploration Co.

Other MSU Foundationboard officers for 2007 areJames J. Rouse of Houston,Texas, a retired vice presi-dent of ExxonMobil Corp.,who serves as vice presidentfor the board, and Hunter W.Henry Jr., a San Marcos,Texas, resident and retiredpresident of Dow ChemicalUSA who serves as treasurer. Theremaining officers are John P. Rush,MSU’s recently named vice presidentfor development and alumni, who willserve as CEO, and David D. Easley,chief financial officer for the MSUFoundation.

The MSU Foundation also hasselected new and returning membersfor its board of directors. Incomingmembers who reside in Mississippiinclude: Johnny Crane of Fulton, CEOof F.L. Crane and Sons Inc.; John N.“Nutie” Dowdle of Columbus, CEO ofDowdle Enterprises; C.R. “Bob”Montgomery of Canton, a partner withMontgomery McGraw Collins andRand PLLC; Michael W. Sanders ofCleveland, president and CEO ofJimmy Sanders Inc.; Floyd D. Wade Jr.of Newton, owner of Wade Properties;and Joe Ann Ward of Jackson, who isowner of Briarwood Enterprises.

Taylor

Wade Ward White

officers and board members

Other members whose terms beganJan. 1 include: Louis A. Hurst Jr., aretired senior administrator of FDICwho resides in Houston, Texas; MaryDiane Roberts of Louisville, Ky., aretired professor of business at IndianaState University East in Richmond,Ind. who still teaches on a part-timebasis; ZonaDale L. Taylor ofCollierville, Tenn., an independentmanagement/business consultant whois retired from Glaxo Smith Kline

Healthcare; and James T. “Tom” Whiteof Dallas, Texas, who is president ofH.C. Price Co. Board members areelected to serve three-year terms.

Under the guidance of its 46-member board, the MSU Foundationnow administers the institution’sacademic fundraising activities andendowment funds, which currentlystand at nearly $250 million.

Rouse SandersRush

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C.P. FORTNER JR. of Eupora,attorney and former mayor of Eupora,has been elected president of the boardof directors of Natchez Trace ElectricPower Association.

BOBBY MARTIN of Ripley,chairman and president of The PeoplesBank, is the Boy Scouts of AmericaYocona Area Council’s 2007Distinguished Citizen.

SELBY PARKER of Clinton, acounseling psychologist, has publishedhis third novel, Scopophilia. It and histwo previous books, The Camel Boy andThe Man from Bandera, are availableonline from major book distributors.

JIM GORDON of Houston, retiredbusinessman, has been elected secretaryof the board of directors of NatchezTrace Electric Power Association.

SHELDON WEBSTER ofBirmingham, Ala., chairman of BKRBorland Benefield CPAs, has publishedhis fourth novel, House of Deception,available at AuthorHouse.com.

WILLIAM M. MCPHAIL (M.B.A.’69) of Burke, Va., has retired from theUnited States GovernmentAccountability Office after nearly 37years of service as a senior analyst withthe congressional investigating agency.

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MICHAEL D. GILPIN of Hattiesburghas retired as a brigadier general withthe Mississippi Army National Guardafter more than 38 years of service. Heis a Vietnam War veteran and graduateof the Air War College and U.S. ArmyWar College.

WENDELL COUCH has received theHospitality Loss Prevention LifetimeAchievement Award at the annualHospitality Law Conference. He isrecently retired as senior vice presidentfor global risk management forInterContinental Hotels Group.

CHARLIE V. SANDERS ofSenatobia recently achieved Life Boardof Director status with the NationalAssociation of Home Builders. He waspresident of the Home BuildersAssociation of Mississippi in 2000.

JIMMY BALL of Calhoun City,owner of Ball Building Supply, has beenelected vice president of the board ofdirectors of Natchez Trace ElectricPower Association.

JIMMY MCCULLY (M.S. ’75) ofStarkville, a research professor andcoordinator of agriculture education andspecial initiatives in the Research andCurriculum Unit at MSU, has receivedthe National Association of AgriculturalEducators’ Outstanding Service CitationAward.

Henry O. Welch of Columbus hasbeen named chairman of the U.S.Poultry and Egg Association.

SARAH STERDIVANT SMITH(M.ED. ’74, PH.D. ’05), an assistantprofessor of educational leadership atJackson State University, recentlypresented a research paper, “TheChanging Face of EducationalLeadership in Mississippi,” at the OxfordRound Table at Oxford University,England. She was the only presenterfrom Mississippi at the prestigiousforum. Smith’s husband Melvin andsons Demetrius and Cedric are allgraduates of MSU, and her youngest sonAnthony is scheduled to graduate fromthe university next year.

ROBERT P. TAYLOR (PH.D. ’83) ofNorthport, Ala., a professor ofmechanical engineering at the Universityof Alabama, has been elected a Fellow ofthe American Society of MechanicalEngineers. Before joining the faculty atAlabama, he was a mechanicalengineering professor at MississippiState.

JOHN MCKIE of Madison has beennamed a partner and executive vicepresident at GodwinGroup, one of theSouth’s largest and oldest advertisingagencies.

JAMSHED QAMAR of San Jose,Calif., has been named vice president ofcustomer engineering services forChipX, a leader in the development andmanufacturing of differentiatedapplication-specific integrated circuitsolutions.

BECKY ESSIG MURPHY has beennamed vice president of sales coveringthe seven-state Southwest region forSirius Computer Solutions.

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BEN PACE (M.P.A. ’84) of Madisonhas been promoted to vice president offinance for Cellular South, the nation’slargest privately held wireless provider.

GRAY SWOOPE (M.B.A.’91) ofJackson has been named by Gov. HaleyBarbour to serve as executive director ofthe Mississippi Development Authority.

STEPHEN L. FARR of Nashville,Tenn., has been named co-managingdirector of the national healthcarepractice for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.He also is a division senior vicepresident for the company.

JIM RICHMOND of Madison hasbeen promoted to director of corporatecommunications for Cellular South.

JOHN EDWARDS (M.S. ’93), apartner in the litigation section of theTexas-based Jackson Walker law firm,has been named a Rising Star for 2006.Rising Stars are attorneys who havebeen in practice less than 10 years, andare chosen for the honor by “SuperLawyers” who have observed their levelof professional skill.

JOHN M. HAIRSTON of Gulfporthas been named chief executive officerof Hancock Holding Company, theparent company of Hancock Bank.Hairston also serves as the company’schief operations officer.

WILLIAM L. STOPPEL (M.A. ’89),chief of the Personnel, Policy andReadiness Division of the ArmyNational Guard in Arlington, Va., hasbeen promoted to the rank of colonel ina ceremony at the Pentagon.

CECELIA BOWDEN of Starkvillehas illustrated a children’s book, DandyLion: The Adventure Begins, written byMarcia Bryan of West Point. The twocurrently are collaborating on a secondproject.

CAROLINE BUFFINGTON PUGHof Tupelo has joined Robinson &Associates advertising and marketingfirm as a copywriter and coordinator ofaccount services.

GEORGE E. BAIRD IV, co-founderof Baird and Brunson LandManagement Group in Collierville,Tenn., has been named ProfessionalFarm Manager of the Year, an awardsponsored by Syngenta, the AmericanSociety of Farm Managers and RuralAppraisers, and AgProfessionalmagazine. Baird and his partner manageabout 40,000 acres for more than 70clients.

WILLIAM KIRKPATRICK ofLeesburg, Va., has been named regionalmanager for IP core routing and opticalnetworking for the Sprint-Nextelaccount by Cisco Systems.

JAMES ALBERT of Buffalo, N.Y., aveterinarian, has been elected to theboard of the Niagara Frontier VeterinarySociety.

BRETT HATTEN of Brandon hasbeen promoted to director of quality andproduct management for Cellular South.

AMY MARQUEZ has been namedexecutive director of the MississippiArthritis Foundation.

MATTHEW MITCHELL has beennamed women’s basketball coach at theUniversity of Kentucky. He previouslywas head basketball coach at MoreheadState University.

C. MITCHELL ADRIAN has beennamed dean of the College of Business atMcNeese State University in LakeCharles, La.

JAMES D. DAVIS JR. has beenpromoted to associate with the Jaster-Quintanilla engineering firm. Hepreviously was manager of the civildepartment for JQ/Dallas.

JOHN ROUNSAVILLE (M.A.B.M.’98) of Madison has been appointed statedirector for the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Rural Development byPresident George Bush. He is formerpolicy adviser to Gov. Haley Barbourand deputy chief of staff to CongressmanChip Pickering, R-Miss.

DERECK RUSH of Chandler, Texas,has been named head football coach atJohn Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas.The school has a premier 5A footballprogram.

JAMIE H. JENKINS of Nashville,Tenn., has been appointed state executivedirector for Tennessee by the U.S.Department of Agriculture Farm ServiceAgency.

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announcementsBIRTH

Garrett Amias Dobson, Sept. 14,2006, to AMY M. PARKER-DOBSON(’00) and DUANE F. DOBSON (’94).

Harvey Chandler Drane, Dec. 29,2006, to THOMAS WALTON DRANEJR. (’02) and wife Sandy of Carthage.

Eleanor Elizabeth Garrett, Dec. 4,2006, to CLINT GARRETT (’00) andwife Robyn of Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Cale Benjamin Huffman, Nov. 10,2006, to AARON M. HUFFMAN (’05)and wife Chrissy of Orlando, Fla.

Elias Alexander McFadden III, March11, 2007, to ROBERT GEORGEMCFADDEN (’04) and wife Amanda ofPetal.

Alexandria Roth McGee, Jan. 29,2006, to STEPHANIE EATON MCGEE(’98) and WADE MCGEE (’98) ofCollierville, Tenn.

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KILPATRICK has been promoted toassistant vice president at Trustmarkin Jackson.

JOSH DALY (M.B.A. ’04) ofGrenada is in his third year of medicalschool at the New York College of

Podiatric Medicine and is serving asclass president.

JUSTIN STARLING of Mount Olivehas been awarded a full-tuitionscholarship to the Mississippi CollegeSchool of Law. The award goes each

year to the outstanding applicant fromselect colleges known for their rigorousundergraduate pre-law programs.

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Luke Demere Modenbach, Jan. 24,2007, to MARK MODENBACH (’02)and LAURYN LANDRYMODENBACH (’02).

Lillian Claire Montgomery, July 12,2006, to EMILY KOERBERMONTGOMERY (’00) and husbandGray of Hattiesburg.

Braden Ross Park, June 27, 2006, toCHRISTY ALBRIGHT PARK (’95) andhusband JungHyun of Woodstock, Ga.

Anders Ward Peterson, Jan. 21, 2006,to RICHARD W. PETERSON JR. (’99)and wife Jodi of Anderson, S.C.

Anna Kathleen Roberson, Feb. 7,2007, to SUZANNA FARRELLROBERSON (’97) and MICHAELROBERSON (’96) of Lakeland, Fla.

Ann Garvin Rush, May 2, 2007, toJOHN P. RUSH (’94, ’02) and wifeJennifer of Starkville.

Summer Lynn Smiley, Jan. 4, 2007, toCHARLIE SMILEY (’92) and wifeSherri of Canton, Ga.

Ellen Frances Tagert, Sept. 5, 2006, toMIKE TAGERT (’98) and MARY LOVETAGERT (’06).

William Walker Tate, Nov. 1, 2006, toKEVIN MICHAEL TATE (’94) and wifeAmy of Tupelo.

Ruby Wallace Walton, Jan. 15, 2007,to JAY WALTON (’95) andSTEPHANIE WALLACE WALTON(’95) of Nashville, Tenn.

Please send class news items to Allen Snow,P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 or e-mail to [email protected].

INmemoriam

JAMES RANDOLPH HARRIS(’37)—92, Cary; retired assistant chiefengineer for G.M. & O. Railroad, Jan.25, 2005.

EARL HOLLAND (’38)—93,Canton; retired business owner, April 10,2007.

JACK DAVIS COOK SR. (’39)—93,Starkville; retired vice president ofSecurity State Bank, longtime treasurerof the MSU Alumni Association andWorld War II veteran, Feb. 18, 2007.

THOMAS W. MOORE (’39)—88, St.Helena, Calif.; retired president of the

ABC television network and ofTicketron, vineyard owner, and WorldWar II veteran, March 31, 2007.

DAVID NAUGHER (’40)—89,Pontotoc; founder and manager ofNaugher Dairy Farm and World War IIveteran, Feb. 8, 2007.

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INmemoriam

Please send obituaries to Allen Snow, P.O.Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325or e-mail to [email protected].

HARRY CARLTON BELL JR.(’41)—87, Starkville; retired districtmanager for the Mississippi State TaxCommission, Dec. 25, 2006.

JAMES HAL MOORE SR. (’41)—Pope; retired farmer, businessman andWorld War II veteran, Feb. 14, 2007.

THOMAS HAL PHILLIPS (’43)—84, Corinth; acclaimed novelist, screen-writer and World War II veteran, April 3,2007.

JOSEPH VALLEY DAWSEY JR.(’48)—84, Vicksburg; retired engineerfor U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,lieutenant colonel in U.S. Army Reserve,and World War II veteran, Jan. 14, 2007.

CHARLES KENNETH HARRELL(’49)—Jackson; retired fromChevronTexaco Corp., Dec. 16, 2006.

D.L. TRIGGS JR. (’49)—83, Jackson;retired state executive director of theAgricultural Stabilization and Conserva-tion Service, U.S. Department ofAgriculture, and World War II veteran,March 4, 2007.

ADDISON HARTWELL WYNN(’49)—88, ; retired soil scientist for theSoil Conservation Service and WorldWar II veteran, Feb. 26, 2007.

JAMES A. EVANS JR. (’50)—Covington, La.; retired engineer andWorld War II veteran, Dec. 27, 2006.

HAROLD MALLORYSTRINGFELLOW (’50)—79, Lucedale;owner and operator of StringfellowEquipment Co., Feb. 28, 2007.

RICHARD LEE MILLER (’52)—81,Jackson; retired comptroller and vicepresident for Miller Transporters Inc. andWorld War II veteran, Feb. 7, 2007.

TOMMY BARR BRUMFIELD(’55)—75, Walker’s Bridge; retiredprobation/parole officer for the Missis-sippi Department of Corrections andKorean War veteran, March 18, 2007.

GUY JONES JR. (’56)—73,Carrollton; owner of Guy Jones Con-struction Co., Jan. 8, 2007.

JACK M. KENDALL (’60)—Huntsville, Ala.; vice president ofKendall Moulding & Frames, Feb. 15,2007.

FRANK WOODRUFF SHROP-SHIRE (’60)—74, Clinton; retired U.S.Forest Service specialist, retired districtforester for the Mississippi ForestryCommission, and Korean War veteran,Dec. 22, 2006.

WAYNE ANTHONY MANUEL SR.(’61)—68, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.;retired chief accountant for BlumenthalPrint Works, Jan. 22, 2007.

WILLIAM LARRY WEBB (’61)—69, Hazlehurst; retired from poultryindustry in Mississippi and Alabama,May 18, 2006.

NATHAN L. GULLY (’62)—85,Carthage; retired forester for theMississippi Forestry Commission, Dec.31, 2006.

GRAVIS WILTON ALEXANDERJR. (’64)—66, Silsbee, Texas; founderof Alexander Forest Service Products,Feb. 7, 2007.

C.O. HERCHENHAHN (’64)—64,Houston, Texas; pastor of Spring WoodsBaptist Church, Dec. 4, 2006.

MICKEY PUTMAN (’64)—64,Fayetteville, Tenn.; partner in Putmanand Hancock CPAs, Dec. 22, 2006.

DONALD R. WILKES (’66)—Huntsville, Ala.; founder of AZ Tech-nology, an aerospace coatings and opticscompany, July 8, 2006.

PHYLLIS ANN CORRERO HAR-RIS (’71)—63, Brandon; homemakerand home construction management,Jan. 1, 2007.

DONALD ALLEN CRAIN (’73)—55, Holly Springs; finance industry salesconsultant, Dec. 6, 2006.

H. LEON MCKEE (’73)—55,Meridian; president and manager ofMolpus Forest Products, Dec. 16, 2006.

MARGIE HOOD (’74)—54,Duncan; insurance representative, Jan.9, 2007.

PHILIP HENRY ERWIN (’75)—58,Rayne, La.; longtime employee ofTexaco Oil Co. and Vietnam Warveteran, April 6, 2007.

JOHN LARRY FRY (’75)—54,Round Rock, Texas; retired educationspecialist, high school principal,teacher, and coach, March 28, 2007.

JOHN PERKINS LANCASTER(’98)—31, Jackson; sales representativefor the Mississippi Association of SelfEmployed, Dec. 30, 2006.

Ariel Brown Brasher (student)—19,Oakland; freshman at MississippiState, Feb. 16, 2007.

James McLean Bell (attended)—79,Austin, Texas; independent car dealerand businessman, March 17, 2007.

Kincheon Varner Combs (at-tended)—77, Gulfport; former mayor ofGulfport, retired Air Force brigadiergeneral , and Korean War veteran,Feb. 13, 2007.

William E. “Gene” Manning(attended)—77, Hernando; retiredinsurance agent/owner and formerstate representative, Jan. 2, 2007.

Dean Ricketts (attended)—83,Amory; retired Amory Garment Co.employee and World War II veteran,Dec. 2, 2006.

Nell Slade Shoemaker (attended)—78, Hattiesburg; registered nurse andbusinesswoman, Jan. 5, 2007.

Ellouise Rutledge Good (formeremployee)—80, Starkville; retiredsecretary in the Extension horticulturedepartment, Nov. 22, 2006.

Post Office Box AAMississippi State, MS 39762-5526

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Organization

U.S. Postage PAID

Jackson, Mississippi 39201

Permit #134

Discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sec,national origin, age, disability, or veteran’s status is aviolation of federal and state law and MSU policy andwill not be tolerated. Discrimination based uponsexual orientation or group affiliation is a violation ofMSU policy and will not be tolerated.

Documents

Mississippi State Alumnus Summer 2007