Weekly Bulletin

Alcorn State University Confers Degrees Upon One of the Largest Graduating Classes in the Institution’s 137-Year History

A graduating class of 710 students across approximately four dozen academic disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate levels listened as United States Representative John Lewis (D-GA) delivered this year’s Commencement address on the institution’s main campus in Lorman, Mississippi, on Saturday, May 10.

Dr. George E. Ross presided over his first commencement ceremony as president of Alcorn State University. His opening remarks were the following: “Welcome to the spring Commencement at Alcorn State University. Today, we are celebrating the 137^th commencement in our 137 year history. I am delighted to be here for this important occasion and glad that each of you – family, friends, faculty, university staff, and especially our newest graduates – is here to join us. I consider it a special privilege to stand here today as Alcorn State’s seventeenth president. Alcorn State University, indeed, is a special place.”

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.

Degrees were awarded on the associate, baccalaureate and master’s levels. Additionally, several students from the Department of Military Science received commissions as Alcorn alumnus Colonel Paul Willis, Director of Army Instruction of Jackson Public Schools, presided over their ceremony.

Mr. James McDonald, president of the ASU National Alumni Association, inducted the graduating class into the alumni association and presented the Alcornite of the Year, Percy O. Norwood, Jr. Captain Norwood is past president of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Chapter of the Alcorn State University Alumni Association. Captain Norwood retired from the United States Coast Guard in 2000, after almost 30 years of outstanding and dedicated service.

The Golden Diplomas were awarded to 42 graduates who graduated 50 years ago from the university.

The keynote speaker John Lewis was the recipient of the Honorary Doctorate Degree.

Morgan Rainey, a graduate from Joliet, Illinois, received the Award for Excellence because of her academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities and special recognitions. It is the highest honor a student can receive when graduating on the baccalaureate level.

	Weekly Bulletin Online	From the Office of University Relations
	Volume 30 Issue 12	May 14, 2008
Inside: Campus News Spotlight on Excellence Communiversity News Calendar of Events Job Announcements Archive Alcorn Home	This Week's Top Headlines... Alcorn State University Confers Degrees Upon One of the Largest Graduating Classes in the Institution’s 137-Year History A graduating class of 710 students across approximately four dozen academic disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate levels listened as United States Representative John Lewis (D-GA) delivered this year’s Commencement address on the institution’s main campus in Lorman, Mississippi, on Saturday, May 10. Dr. George E. Ross presided over his first commencement ceremony as president of Alcorn State University. His opening remarks were the following: “Welcome to the spring Commencement at Alcorn State University. Today, we are celebrating the 137^th commencement in our 137 year history. I am delighted to be here for this important occasion and glad that each of you – family, friends, faculty, university staff, and especially our newest graduates – is here to join us. I consider it a special privilege to stand here today as Alcorn State’s seventeenth president. Alcorn State University, indeed, is a special place.” 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. Degrees were awarded on the associate, baccalaureate and master’s levels. Additionally, several students from the Department of Military Science received commissions as Alcorn alumnus Colonel Paul Willis, Director of Army Instruction of Jackson Public Schools, presided over their ceremony. Mr. James McDonald, president of the ASU National Alumni Association, inducted the graduating class into the alumni association and presented the Alcornite of the Year, Percy O. Norwood, Jr. Captain Norwood is past president of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Chapter of the Alcorn State University Alumni Association. Captain Norwood retired from the United States Coast Guard in 2000, after almost 30 years of outstanding and dedicated service. The Golden Diplomas were awarded to 42 graduates who graduated 50 years ago from the university. The keynote speaker John Lewis was the recipient of the Honorary Doctorate Degree. Morgan Rainey, a graduate from Joliet, Illinois, received the Award for Excellence because of her academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities and special recognitions. It is the highest honor a student can receive when graduating on the baccalaureate level.
University Relations Staff Lljuna Grennell Weir, Interim Director Elena Dobrynina, Staff Writer/International Student Recruiter
Mail: P.O. Box 389, Alcorn State, MS 39096-7500 ~ Phone: (601) 877-6130 ~ Email: elenad@alcorn.edu ~ Office: WWACB, Suite 511 ~