Mississippi State University

Mississippi State will celebrate the investiture of Dr. Mark E. Keenum as its 19th president on Friday, October 16, and we hope that you will mark the date on your calendar and plan to be part of this significant occasion.

The investiture ceremony will take place at noon in Bettersworth Auditorium of Lee Hall and will include the traditional academic processional with participation by MSU faculty and representatives of other institutions. Other participants will include students, staff, alumni, and distinguished special guests.

Related investiture events include a prayer service in the Chapel of Memories at 7:30 a.m., followed by a public reception in the Foster Ballroom of Colvard Student Union from 9-11 a.m.

In keeping with President Keenum's wishes, the investiture and associated activities will be modest in scale and expense and will be used as an opportunity to highlight the academic mission of the university and increase scholarship opportunities for our students. It is Dr. Keenum's desire to celebrate the university as a whole and reaffirm its mission and vision for the future.

An investiture committee, which I am honored to chair, has been hard at work to plan and prepare for this important event. With the assistance of the University Television Center and Information Technology Services, we will stream the major events live on the Internet [www.msstate.edu], as well as provide live coverage in Colvard Student Union and Hunter Henry Center for any overflow attendance.

To answer questions or provide additional information, a web site and two phone numbers have been established:

www.msstate.edu/web/keenum/
1-877-344-MARK (6275)
1-662-325-MARK (6275)

We hope that you can make plans to help us celebrate "A New Chapter of Service" as Dr. Mark E. Keenum formally is inaugurated as the 19th president of our great university.

Sincerely,

Amy Tuck
Investiture Committee Chair