RAYMOND – ’s yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday continued Aug. 10 with a special program honoring those who’ve shown exemplary passion for the college.

Honorees, family, friends and others totaled nearly 1,000 people in Cain-Cochran Hall on the Raymond Campus for the event, dubbed “100 People Passionate about .” A mix of addresses and multimedia presentations showed how the college has evolved from an agricultural high school to a thriving institutions with cutting-edge facilities.

Gov. Phil Bryant

The project started when the extended college family and alumni were asked to nominate people who are “passionate” about Hinds. Over the course of six months, from July to December 2016, a total of 658 people were nominated. From the 658 people nominated, a series of committees finally narrowed the nominations down to 100 people.

County Justice Court Judge Jimmy Morton, a member of the Centennial committee, emceed the program.

“At its core, this college has always been about people serving people,” Morton said. “We believe the story of is best told through the lives of the individuals deeply committed to the mission of the college.”

Among the 100 honored was Gov. Phil Bryant, introduced by President Dr. Clyde Muse. Bryant spoke for several minutes about what the college means to him personally and about being the first in his family, including three children, to earn a college degree.

“We cannot underestimate the effect the school has not only had on us, but the thousands and thousands of parents, wives, husbands who greet that simply joy of their loved one receiving a degree from ,” Bryant said.

Beverly Fatherree, a retired longtime English instructor at Hinds, and Jim Smith, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court and past Alumnus of the Year at Hinds, both among the 100, reflected on the school’s impact on their lives, particularly when they were students.

“I loved it from the beginning, living first in Westside Dorm, which isn’t here anymore, and then in Davis, which is,” Fatherree said, citing as mentors Anne Hardy and Peggy Brent, both also English instructors on the list of 100 honorees. “They both encouraged and supported me in my plan to become an English teacher when I grew up.”

Beverly Fatherree

It didn’t take long, Smith said, to figure out “coming to Hinds, next to my salvation and my marriage, was probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”

“The foundation I received helped me immensely and continues to help me to this very day,” Smith said.

“The theme for our celebration has been 100 Years of Community Inspired Service,” said Jackie Granberry, executive director of the Foundation, told event-goers. “To those of you being honored, you truly have been the foundation of this college. is all about service. And you have served the college and our communities well. You have set the bar high for all of us.”

Many of the 100 People are natives of the college’s district of Hinds, Rankin, Warren, Claiborne and Copiah counties, and about half of the 100 still live in the area. About three-fourths of them were employees at some point in their career, although presidents of the college were not among those considered for the list. Among employees, Lola Allen was in the first graduating class in 1923 and was then was employed at for 43 years until 1966.

Jim Smith

In a handful of cases, couples are being honored together. Family members of those who are deceased are asked to represent their loved one but all will be honored. For more information about the Centennial, see 100.hindscc.edu.

 

From left, Adam Jenkins, Johnny Crisler, Bobby Cooper, Linden Haynes, Dr. George Barnes, state Rep. Greg Holloway representing the late Walter Washington, Charles Bell and Cleon McKnight (/April Garon)

 

From left, Donald Oakes, Jane Lauderdale Flowers, Joe Loviza (/April Garon)

 

 

 

From left, state Sen. Dean Kirby, Mike Vinson, Larry Swales, Lynn Weathersby, Dr. Clyde Muse, Tom Burnham, Gov. Phil Bryant, Jimmy C. Smith, Jim Smith, Wayne Stonecypher, Tom Weathersby, Irl Dean Rhodes, Noelle Wynne, representing George Wynne. (/April Garon)

From left, Dr. Libby Mahaffey, Bobbie Anderson, Mary Ann Sones (/April Garon)

 

 

The 100 People Passionate about are as follows:

Jerry Agent

A.A. Alexander

Lola Allen

Bobbie Anderson

Lou Anne Askew

Billie Banes

Sharp Banks

George Barnes

Anna Cowden Bee

Emma and T.T. Beemon

Charles Bell

Walter Bivins

Peggy Brent

Sue and Fred Brooks

Gov. Phillip Bryant

Bill Buckner

Tom Burnham

Robert Cannada

Emma Grace and

W.H. Cochran

Bobby Cooper

Rosia and Johnny Crisler

Lamar Currie

H.H. “Shine” Davis

Katherine and A.L. Denton

Bob Dunaway

David Durham

Beverly and Ben Fatherree

Pat Flaherty

Jane Flowers

D.G. “Sonny” Fountain

Howell Gage

Walter Gibbes

Albert Gore

Durwood Graham

Jackie Mangum Granberry

F.M. Greaves

Anne Hardy

Jim El and Jobie Harris

Colleen Hartfield

Mike Hataway

Linden Haynes

Troy Henderson

Mildred Herrin

Dan Hogan

Warren Hood

Adam Jenkins

Roger Jones

Ted Kendall III

Dean Kirby

Ann and Bob Laster

Earl Leggett

Dean Liles

Bell Lindsey

Joe Loviza

Con Maloney

Ray Marshall

Lee Mayo

W.M. McKenzie

Cleon McKnight

Joe Moss

Bob Mullins

Vashti Muse

Mary Etta Naftel

Clifford Nelson

Carla Nicks

Bill Oakes

Donald Oakes

J.B. Patrick

Nell Ann Pickett

Polly and Mike Rabalais

Geneva and Leslie Reeves

Joe Renfroe

Irl Dean Rhodes

Troy Ricks

Virginia and Marvin Riggs

Henry Riser

Grady Sheffield

Tom Shepherd

O.H. Simmons

Jim Smith

Jimmy C. Smith

Mary Ann Sones

Lurline Stewart

Wayne Stonecypher

Dale Sullivan

Larry Swales

E.E. “Tad” Thrash

Jack Treloar

Michael Vinson

Alice and Charles Walker

Gary Walker

René T. Warren

Walter Washington

Lynn Weathersby

Tom Weathersby

Gov. John Bell Williams

Liles Williams

R.E. “Ed” Woolley

George Wynne

David Yewell

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