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Thursday, November 7, 2024

Dr. Marcus Jones invested as Northwestern State's 20th president

NATCHITOCHES  – The Northwestern State University family and the Natchitoches  community marked a day of celebration as Dr. Marcus Jones was formally  installed as the university’s 20th president Friday, Sept.  9.  The formal investiture took place in A.A. Fredericks Auditorium  beginning with a procession of faculty and staff in full academic  regalia, part of a ceremony steeped in tradition and nostalgia.  

 

Jones  was named Northwestern State’s president in November 2021, having  served as interim president since the retirement of Dr. Chris Maggio in  July 2021.  

 

Honored  guests included Gov. John Bel Edwards, Dr. Kim Hunter Reed,  commissioner of Higher Education, Louisiana Board of Regents, and  dignitaries from throughout the region representing government, academia  and professional fields.  Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr.,  Student Government Association President Bailey Willis of Opelousas,  Faculty Senate President Dr. John Dunn and Leah Sherman Middlebrook,  president of the NSU Alumni Association, offered words of welcome.  

 

Edwards  congratulated Jones, acknowledging the historic significance of Jones  serving as Northwestern State’s first Black president.

 

“Earning  his undergraduate degree at Northwestern, his master’s degree at  Grambling, and his law degree at Southern, Dr. Jones is a testament to  Louisiana’s public higher education institutions. Dr. Jones has served  the NSU community for many years, and I have no doubt he will continue  to succeed in his new role,” Edwards said.

 

Reed  said Jones’ investiture is “the culmination of a lifetime of work for  an individual who is thoughtful, engaged and committed to student  success.”  

 

The  formal symbolic installation took place when SGA President Willis, Dr.  Jim Henderson, former NSU president and current president of the  University of Louisiana System, and Lola Dunahoe of Natchitoches, board  member for the University of Louisiana System, invested Jones into  office with the academic regalia of the NSU president, a gift from the  students of NSU, and the presidential chain, which bears the names of  all Northwestern State University presidents.

 

Jones,  a native of Winnfield and one of 20 children, spoke of his parent’s  work ethic and the importance they placed on education.

 

“Primarily  because of my parents, I, too, recognize that education is  transformative and is connected to our students’ social and economic  mobility and potential,” Jones said. “Based on that lifelong viewpoint,  my presidency will be focused on doing everything within my power to  provide out students with opportunities to succeed in their work and  careers and enjoy meaningful and productive lives.

 

Jones pledged to remove barriers for individuals who aspire to build better lives through education.

 

             “My overarching ambition as president is to enable and empower the  university to continue to enrich the souls and spirits of students who  will stand at the forefront of innovation, problem-solving and  servant-leadership, who will address our future social, environmental  and economic challenges and will respond to our global world with  empathy, adaptability and kindness,” he continued.

 

Jones  acknowledged the history of Northwestern State, which was founded as  the Louisiana’s State Normal School, specifically for the training of  teachers, in 1884 on a tract of land that is the oldest continually  occupied site for higher education in Louisiana.  Sixty students  enrolled in the first class and three of them graduated two years later.  After 10 years, Normal sent 148 teachers into classrooms around the  state. Today Northwestern State bolsters the economy and workforce by  providing more than 2,000 qualified graduates annually in multiple  fields to businesses, industries, institutions and other entities  worldwide.

 

In  1965, NSU admitted its first seven Black students, including Doris Ann  Roque-Robinson and Bishop James Johnson, the only surviving of the  seven, who were present and recognized during the investiture.  

 

“Northwestern  has embraced change and conquered challenges throughout its nearly 14  decades, which helped fortify and prepare the university for the  monumental obstacles of recent times,” Jones said.

 

SGA President Willis said she is excited to serve with Jones and remarked on his accessibility.

 

"I  will never forget when I was a Freshman Connector, and he came to one  of our sessions to connect with the students on a personal level,”  Willis said. “While at this Freshman Connection session, he went through  the entire process and even joined a color group in which he competed  with other students during follies. Dr. Jones opened up his house to us  to get to know other organizations and connect with the various  populations. He has been on campus for a short time; however, he is  already changing the course of NSU for the better.”

 

Willis  lauded Jones’ efforts in securing capital outlay funds and partnering  with donors to improve campus infrastructure and his initiatives in  reaching international students to create a more diverse atmosphere at  NSU.

 

“He  is proactive in adhering to the suggestions SGA provides in helping  improve our campus and is always eager to help NSU become even more for  the students than it already is,” Willis said.  “I look forward to  collaborating with and seeing all of the great things he will do for NSU  in the future. "

 

Jones  holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from  Northwestern State, a master’s in international business and trade from  Grambling State University and a law degree from Southern University Law  Center where he was managing editor of the Southern Law Review. He also  studied international business and finance at the University of  Plymouth in Plymouth, England.

Jones  has an extensive academic, business and legal background, having served  as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the  University of Louisiana System for the past year, where oversaw the  areas of business finance, internal/external audit function, EEO and IT  for the System and handled matters of system level importance on behalf  of the UL System president.  He also oversaw management of budgets,  administration, policies and procedures and international relations and  acted as the legal liaison for the System.

 

Jones  was NSU’s executive vice president for university and business affairs  from 2017-2020 where he was a key administrator in the planning,  operation and management of the University.  He has been a member of  Northwestern’s faculty since 1994 as an instructor of business,  assistant professor of business law and international business,  associate professor of business law and international business and has  held the Ben D. Johnson Endowed Professorship since 1999.  

 

Following the formal ceremony, Jones greeted well-wishers at a community reception in the Friedman Student Union Ballroom.

 

Prior  to Friday’s investiture, Jones, a patron of the arts, was honored with a  Thursday evening reception that featured selected watercolor paintings  by artist Edgar Cano that depict iconic scenes of the university and  acknowledge it’s 138-year history. Cano is a native of Vera Cruz,  Mexico, who earned a master’s degree at Northwestern. While serving as  vice president of University Affairs and leading the forefront of  recruiting international students to the university, Jones was  instrumental in recruiting Cano to Natchitoches. Cano recently joined  the faculty in NSU’s Department of Fine and Graphic Art.

 

Following  Thursday’s reception, NSU’s Wind Symphony honored Jones as it presented  its first concert of the year featuring the premiere of  a work commissioned by the faculty, staff and students of the Mrs. H.D.  Dear, Sr. And Alice E. Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts at  Northwestern State in celebration of Jones’ investiture.

 

The  title of the work, “The Journey: where our paths may go” was  recommended by the students in agreement with Jones. The work was  presented as a processional and included elements of the institutions  from which Jones earned degrees, the Grambling State Fight Song, the  Southern University Alma Mater and Northwestern State University Alma  Mater. The work was also used as the faculty processional during the  President’s Friday morning investiture, along with choral selections by  the NSU Chamber Choir.  

 

Friday  morning events began with a Patriot Day Tribute hosted by the Student  Government Association at the flagpole between Caspari Hall and the  Student Services Center with flags lowered to half-staff in memory of  those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.    

 

Jones Investiture 1:

 

Northwestern State University’s 20th president, Dr. Marcus Jones, standing center, was formally installed  during an investiture ceremony Friday, Sept. 9.  The ceremony, steeped  in tradition, included dignitaries representing government, academia and  professional fields from around the state.

 

Jones Investiture 2:

 

NSU  Student Government Association President Bailey Willis, Provost Dr.  Greg Handel (partially hidden) and Dr. Jim Henderson, president of the  University of Louisiana System, invested NSU’s 20th president, Dr. Marcus Jones, into office with the presentation academic  regalia, a gift from the students of NSU. At far left is Lola Dunahoe  of Natchitoches, ULS board member.  

 

Jones Investiture 3:

 

Dr. Marcus Jones was named president of NSU in November 2021 and was formally invested to the office Friday, Sept. 9.  Jones  holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from  Northwestern State, a master’s in international business and trade from  Grambling State University and a law degree from Southern University Law  Center.  

Dr. Marcus Jones invested as Northwestern State's 20th president

Original source can be found here. 

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