Mississippi College Welcomes Class of 1975 to 50-Year Club
Members of the class were reunited at the Homecoming weekend induction.
On Friday, October 24, Mississippi College honored graduates of the Class of 1975 with an induction into the 50-Year Club. The dinner was held during homecoming weekend to celebrate their contributions and legacies. Alumni had the opportunity to reunite and reminisce about their time at MC.
The induction dinner took place in Alumni Hall. Among those in attendance was Dr. Blake Thompson, president of Mississippi College. The university president spoke of the great fifty-year milestone achieved by the Class of 1975. During the event, the graduates were honored individually, with Dr. Thompson announcing each graduate and awarding them a medal.
Jake Donald, director of Alumni and Family Engagement at MC, attended the event, announcing that this class would be the first to receive medals with a new 50-Year Club emblem. “For decades and decades, we have honored what we call the ‘golden class,’ or the ‘golden anniversary,’ which is the 50-year mark of graduating from Mississippi College,” Donald said. “That’s a huge milestone for our graduates, and I like to be able to celebrate our alums in very special ways, whether it’s careers, families, or milestones in their lives.”
Alumni were also given a chance to speak at the event and to share their memories. Susan Tappan, a 1975 graduate, spoke to her classmates about her fond MC memories and reflected on life throughout her time at the university.
At the dinner, Mississippi College memorabilia was displayed, allowing alumni to step back in time.
Gary Rice, another 1975 graduate, and his wife, Connie Wicks Rice, shared the story of how they met at MC and what the school means to them. “We used to cheer on the quad together,” Connie Rice said. “It was wonderful because we were partners, and they had bylaws where you could not be married and be cheerleaders. That year, it changed for us. We married each other.”
Gary Rice majored in business, and Connie Rice majored in education. “I taught for thirty years,” Connie Rice said. “I loved every minute of it, but I give all the glory to God first, then Mississippi College.”
Lee Dukes, another graduate of the Class of 1975, talked about how he created lifelong friendships with classmates and teammates that continue to this day. While at MC, Dukes was a member of both the cross-country and track teams, as well as a beau of Kissimmee Social Tribe.
“We created friendships at Mississippi College with classmates and especially teammates that have persevered through the years. We still get together, we still celebrate each other, we still support one another. When we have hard times or good times, we’re there for each other,” Dukes said. “I think that’s unique because we moved all over the country and still, we stay in touch. So, I think that Mississippi College was a place where that could happen naturally, and it stuck.”