Mississippi State University’s Lloyd-Ricks building is nearing the end of renovations and soon will be officially dedicated as the Lloyd-Ricks-Watson building.
Gregory Bohach, vice president of the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, said the addition of Watson to the name of the building was proposed by the Mississippi legislature.
“In 2008, the legislature mandated changing the building name to Lloyd-Ricks-Watson Building,” Bohach said. “The senate bill was signed by the governor in March of the same year before being approved by the IHL board.”
Bohach said Vance Watson, who held positions including interim president and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during his 42 years at the university, is having his name added to the building as recognition from state legislatures. Watson retired from MSU in 2008.
Edward Lloyd, Jr. and James Ricks, the sources of the current name of the building, both served as experiment station directors and extension service directors when MSU was known as Mississippi A&M.
Bohach said the official dedication of the building will be held when all renovations are finished; the renovations to the building, which began in the summer  of last year, will restore the building to its former glory.
“The building is a historic landmark so we are not making any huge changes,” Bohach said. “We were allowed to use double-pained glass in the windows; though, and with over 400 windows in the building, hopefully that will help reduce energy costs.”
Robert Williams, project director vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, said this is the first renovation the Lloyd-Ricks building has undergone.
“These are the first major renovations to be done to the building since the addition of the east wing was completed in 1939,” he said.
Williams said the renovations to the building are nearing completion; classes in the building should begin in the spring semester. Faculty offices will be used immediately upon completion.
“Right now we are just finishing up some work on the roof and landscaping,” Williams said.
Gary Jackson, interim associate vice president, said the Lloyd-Ricks-Watson building will house offices for the School of Human Sciences as well as the Department of Agricultural Economics. Jackson said classrooms in the basement of the building will be equipped with tools for distance learning.
“Two of the classrooms will be able to broadcast live two-way audio and video feeds to university extension centers like the ones in Biloxi, Raymond and Stoneville,” Jackson said. “It’s a very high-tech building.”
Williams said the building will have at least five classrooms, two of which will be able to seat over 100 students. The basement of the building will also house a 30-station computer lab and classrooms, while the higher floors will be faculty offices.
Jackson said the faculty he has spoken to are excited about returning to the building.
He said he is happy the Lloyd-Ricks building received the 8.8 million-dollar renovation, and the building has special meaning to him.
“I had classes in Lloyd-Ricks as a student,” Jackson said. “Later, I worked in the building as part of the faculty, and eventually, I was even the building administrator for close to 10 years. It’s my favorite building on campus.”
He said the building is currently under inspection, but he expects the dedication date to be fast approaching.