Dr. Acholonu Conferred a Third
Chieftaincy in Nigeria
Alex D.W. Acholonu, Professor
of Biology at Alcorn State University, recently returned from
Nigeria where he was conferred a third chieftaincy title as
Omereoha by the traditonal ruler(king) in his home Owerri, Imo
State, Nigeria. This was bestowed on him in recognition of his
professional accomplishments and "contributions to the
development of humanity and communities".
Alcorn State University Set to Confer Degrees upon another One
of the Largest Graduating Classes in the Institution’s
136-Year History
U.S. Representative
Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman of the House Homeland Security
Committee to Deliver Alcorn’s Commencement 2007 Address to an
Anticipated 625 Students on May 12
An anticipated graduating
class of 625 students across approximately four dozen academic
disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate levels will
listen as United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson, who
represents Mississippi’s Second Congressional District in the
United States House of Representatives, delivers this year’s
Commencement address on the institution’s main campus in
Lorman, Mississippi, on Saturday, May 12, beginning at 8:30
a.m.
This year’s class continues
to make Alcorn history in that the institution has
consistently graduated larger and larger classes over the
years - a direct reflection of one of the institution’s core
principles of not only recruiting top students from around the
nation and world, but ensuring that they ultimately graduate
as well. Another piece of Alcorn history this year will be the
presence of Congressman Thompson himself, who by virtue of the
results of last November’s mid-term elections has ascended to
the chairmanship of one of the most powerful committees in all
of Congress.
This year’s Commencement
speaker, Congressman Thompson, is no stranger to Alcorn. He
has visited the campus on numerous occasions and in the past
has served as Grand Marshal of Alcorn’s Homecoming parade.
Throughout, he has remained a very vocal advocate across
Mississippi and on Capitol Hill promoting the interests and
continued growth of historically black colleges and
universities, including Alcorn. In 1975, he filed a lawsuit to
increase funding at Mississippi’s historically black
universities. With Congressman Thompson as lead plaintiff, the
case was settled in 2004 for an unprecedented $503 million.
Congressman Thompson is now serving his eighth term in
Congress and his third term on the Homeland Security
Committee. Mississippi’s Second District stretches from Tunica
in the north to Jefferson County in the south and all points
in-between, creating a rare blend of agricultural economies
and bustling city life.
“Congressman Thompson has always been an ardent and
uncompromising champion for Alcorn State University and the
institution’s ongoing quest to serve as the higher education
institution of choice in the region,” said W. Christopher
Cason, Alcorn State University Director of University
Relations. “He is the kind of role model with whom the
administration wants to have share ideas and thoughts with our
students. Not only is his life characterized by various
successes, it is also a life committed to service both near
and abroad.”
Congressman Thompson has spent his entire adult life giving a
voice to the voiceless. With 39 years of continuous public
service, he is the longest-serving African-American elected
official in the state of Mississippi. His reputation as a
no-nonsense problem solver has earned him the trust of his
constituents and the respect of his colleagues in Washington,
D.C. In 2000, Congressman Thompson’s legislation creating the
National Center for Minority Health and Health Care
Disparities became law.
Long considered a leading voice on civil rights, equal
education and healthcare reform, Congressman Thompson has
helped to make a real difference in the lives of his
constituents. He served on the Agriculture, Budget and Small
Business Committees before assuming the top Democratic
position on Homeland Security in 2005.
During his tenure as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security
Committee, Congressman Thompson secured millions of dollars in
post-Katrina contracts for small and minority businesses in
Mississippi to assist in the rebuilding efforts of the ravaged
Gulf Coast. In addition, after experiencing firsthand FEMA’s
struggles in handling the response to Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, Congressman Thompson became the driving force behind the
restructuring of the agency. In conjunction with the Senate,
Congressman Thompson successfully created a new and improved
FEMA, one with the ability to respond quickly and effectively
to any terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Drawing on his 26 years of experience as a volunteer
firefighter in Hinds County, Congressman Thompson understands
that our nation’s law enforcement and first responders are our
first line of defense in times of emergency. With that in
mind, he has constantly fought to ensure they are fully
equipped with the resources and tools they need to effectively
respond to any and all emergencies.
After successfully serving as Ranking Member for the past two
years, his colleagues promoted Congressman Thompson to serve
as the first ever Democratic Chairman of the Homeland Security
Committee.
Born in Bolton, he attended Hinds County public schools before
earning degrees from Tougaloo College and Jackson State
University. After serving as alderman and mayor in his
hometown for 12 years, Congressman Thompson served as Hinds
County Supervisor for 13 years before being elected to
Congress in 1993. With six district offices - Bolton,
Greenville, Greenwood, Jackson, Marks and Mound Bayou -
Congressman Thompson is committed to empowering those who gave
him an opportunity to represent the Second Congressional
District of Mississippi.
Congressman Thompson is a lifelong member of the Asbury United
Methodist Church in Bolton Mississippi. He has been married to
his college sweetheart, London Johnson of Mound Bayou,
Mississippi, for 39 years. The couple has one daughter
BendaLonne, one granddaughter, Jeanna and one grandson, Thomas
Gordon. The Congressman enjoys hunting, gardening, reading and
music.
The 136th Annual Commencement of Alcorn State
University takes place on Saturday, May 12, 2007, beginning at
8:30 a.m. in the Jack Spinks Stadium on the institution’s main
campus, which is located at 1000 ASU Drive in Lorman,
Mississippi. For more information, contact the institution’s
Office of University Relations at (601) 877-6131.
