MSU-Meridian Graduates 113 During Fall Commencement

MERIDIAN, Miss.—One hundred and thirteen individuals from 35 Mississippi towns and several locations in Alabama received early Christmas presents-their diplomas-from Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus during the fall commencement ceremony held Friday, December 14, at the MSU Riley Center.

The 11 a.m. ceremony began with a processional of the MSU presidential party, faculty and degree candidates. The Rev. Dano Rainer, Youth Minister at Faith Baptist Church, delivered the invocation, after which the 186th Air Refueling Wing Color Guard had the honor of presenting colors, while the national anthem was sung by Gloria Christian, an MSU Alumna. As president of the MSU-Meridian Student Association, Renee Edwards bid farewell wishes on behalf of the student body.

The commencement address was delivered by Mr. Denton Farr, vice president of Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian. A native of Meridian, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Mississippi State University and holds two master's degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham-a Master of Science in Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration.

Farr holds the distinction as a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, the organization's highest honor. He was recently listed in the East Mississippi Business Journal's "Top 20 under 40" and previously received the Early Healthcare Executive of the Year award from the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is active in his community, where he serves on the Board of Directors for a number of organizations and is a Little League Baseball coach. Farr and his wife have two children.

The ceremony was marked by several "first-time events." Dr. Ray Denton, of Meridian, became the first graduate to be awarded a doctorate during an MSU-Meridian commencement ceremony; Miriam Wilson, an employee of the Pearl River Resort, was the first MSU-Meridian student to graduate with a concentration in Resort and Convention under the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program; and, Greg Cato, of New Hebron, was the first MSU-Meridian graduate of the Distance MBA program offered through Mississippi State University's Graduate Studies in Business, an office in the College of Business and Industry, in partnership with MSU-Meridian and the Mississippi National Guard.

Also of note-two sisters, Lena Patterson (47 yrs.) and Kathy Scott (44 yrs.), of Meridian, graduated together. Patterson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, while Scott received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

Among the graduates, 21 received bachelor's degrees from the Division of Arts and Sciences, 35 earned bachelor's or master's degrees in the Division of Business and Industry, 56 completed bachelor's, master's, or specialist's degrees in the Division of Education, and one Doctor of Education degree was awarded. Honors were bestowed upon three Summa Cum Laude, one Magna Cum Laude, and four Cum Laude graduates.