The MSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women presented former Mississippi first lady Patricia Owens Fordice with an Outstanding Mississippi Woman award during a ceremony Wednesday.
Current Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour presented the award to Fordice.
“It is really an honor to receive the award,” Fordice said.
The President’s Commission, in conjunction with AmSouth Bank, also presented 10 other awards during the 2005 Outstanding Women Awards in the John Grisham room at the Mitchell Memorial Library.
“The President’s Commission is an important part of what makes MSU a great institution,” MSU President Charles Lee said.
The outstanding women were Melissa Mixon, Connie Lester, Susan Seal, Tammy Coleman, Mary Brooks, Cindy Wasson, Holli Hitt, Jennifer Dearman and Sherrie Wiygul.
The women were recognized in nine categories that included outstanding executive/administrative/managerial woman, outstanding faculty woman, outstanding professional non-faculty woman, outstanding secretarial/clerical woman, outstanding service/maintenance woman, outstanding technical/paraprofessional woman, outstanding undergraduate woman, outstanding graduate woman and outstanding community woman.
Those who attended the ceremony included faculty, staff, friends and family of the winners. Lee and his wife, Pat, and Sammy Slaughter of AmSouth Bank also attended.
The purpose of the Outstanding Women Awards is to give honor to faculty, staff and outstanding community and student women. Nominations are accepted from any faculty or staff on campus. Then an independent panel selects the winners.
“Every year that I have coordinated the event it has been difficult to choose the winners,” Lillian Wade, the President’s Commission president said.
“The President’s Commission on the Status of Women advises the President of the University on issues affecting the status and role of women on campus. They also coordinate events focusing on women. In the fall, the commission and Lee planned a reception for Coach Croom’s wife and mother,” Wade said.
Barbour described Fordice as “the epitome of a first lady, a person of refinement and grace.”
Fordice has dedicated her life to service. She has worked with the board of Friends of the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi’s School of the Arts, the International Ballet Competition and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and is currently a member of Belhaven College’s Board of Trustees.
Her service to the community does not stop there. She also serves as Ambassador for the Ageless Heroes Award program sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi. She is host of a weekly talk radio program, and co-hosts a weekly television show, “Woman to Woman,” shown statewide.
She has also been recognized for her work with St. Petersburg, Russia by being knighted by the Russian Order of St. John of Jerusalem and given the title Dame of Grace.