Today the mantle of leadership will be officially draped over the shoulders of Mississippi State University President J. Charles Lee.
Lee will become MSU’s 17th president at an investiture ceremony to be held at Humphrey Coliseum at 1 p.m.
There will be several speakers at the event, including Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, as well as several university affiliates and close friends of Lee. The event is open to the public.
MSU will also celebrate its 125th anniversary tonight, with a Gala Ball held in the coliseum. The event will be black-tie-optional, and is being given by the university’s MSU Foundation. The university mailed over 7,000 invitations to the event.
In November of 2001, Lee was appointed as interim president of the university. After a yearlong search for a permanent president, the Institute for Higher Learning board of trustees named him Lee to the position.
Lee said he did not anticipate becoming president when he began planning his future years ago.
“When I was freshman or sophomore in college, I didn’t plan to be the president of a university. I didn’t really know what I would be doing when I got to this stage in my life,” he said.
Lee said he looks forward to the challenges he will face, while fulfilling his position.
“Anybody would probably have some anxiety about this type of job. The offset of my anxiety is the support of my wife, my children, and the thousands of people who care about the future of this university, including students, faculty and alumni, to name a few,” Lee said. “It’s remarkable how many people have been touched by this university.”
Lee estimates around 800 people will be present at this afternoon ceremony. Around 1,200 are expected at the Gala Ball.
The conclusion of the investiture activities will be Monday, with the first MSU Distinguished Lecture. Two nationally recognized scientist in the field of genetics, Clare M. Fraser and J. Craig Venter, both of Rockville, Md., will speak on the “Healing to Evolution: Harnessing the Genome,” along with “Our Genomic Future.”
Fraser is president and director of The Institute for Genomic Research; and Venter is president and director of the Center for Advancement of Genomics and Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives.
Venter received Time magazine’s “Scientist of the Year” recognition for his role in breaking the human genetic code.
Presentations will begin in Parker Ballroom in the Henry Hunter Center. Between the two lectures, a reception will be held in honor of the scientist at the nearby atrium.
Associate provost George Rent, co-chairman of the investiture committee describes the events as a celebration of the institute and our heritage.
“Its purpose is to make us look back at all we’ve accomplished and to look forward into the future at what all we can accomplish,” Rent said.
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