Alcorn State University News April 16, 2015 Presidential Inaugural events April 16-17 The inauguration of Alcorn State University's 19th President Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr. is just around the corner. The inaugural events will kick off Thursday, April 16 with the Family First Luncheon at Alcorn's Graduate Business Building in Natchez, Miss. at 11 a.m. Percy O. Norwood Jr. will be the keynote speaker for the event. Norwood retired from the United States Coast Guard in 2000 with the rank of Captain after nearly 30 years of service. Later that evening, the Presidential Scholarship Gala will take place in the Vicksburg Convention Center at 8 p.m. in Vicksburg, Miss. Vicksburg's Mayor George Flaggs Jr. will be the speaker for the event. Mayor Flaggs took the oath of office June 30, 2013. In a six-person race, Mayor Flaggs took 51 % of the votes to win the Democratic Primary. One month later, mayor Flaggs won the general election with 72% of the votes. The events will continue Friday, April 17 with a Breakfast Prayer Service at the historic Oakland Memorial Chapel on Alcorn's Lorman campus at 9 a.m. Coahoma Community College President Dr. Valmadge T. Towner will be the speaker. As the school's fifth president, Towner serves as the college's chief academic officer and superintendent of education for Coahoma Agricultural High School. Inaugural events will offer the Alcorn community a full range of opportunities to warmly welcome President Rankins as our 19th president. Events will conclude with the investiture ceremony at 2 p.m. in the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex where President Rankins will be formally invested with the presidential instruments of office. For pricing or RSVP information, contact inaugural@alcorn.edu<mailto:inaugural@alcorn.edu> or 601-877-6111 SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.