Commemorative edition Friday, November 11, 2016
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MISSISSIPPIAN THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SERVING OLE MISS AND OXFORD SINCE 1911
Volume 105, No. 59
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PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 11 NOVEMBER 2016
EDITORIAL STAFF: CLARA TURNAGE
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ADVERTISING CREATIVE DESIGNERS Grace Baird Ellen Spies
ISSN 1077-8667
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 4 ... Meet Sharon Vitter, the first lady of Ole Miss
Page 8 ...
Get to know your chancellor Quick facts
The chancellor’s favorites
New Orleans native Graduated from Notre Dame in 1977 Got his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1980 Three children - Jillian, Scott and Audrey Has served at Brown University, Duke University, Purdue University, Texas A&M and the University of Kansas
Color: dark blue Songs: “I can’t stop loving you” by Ray Charles, “He stopped loving her today” by George Jones Holiday: Christmas Starbucks drink: latte Book: “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole Movie: The Music Man Most influential professor: Don Knuth, computer science professor at Stanford
Growing up Vitter: Jillian, Scott and Audrey
Page 11 ... A vision for our university: Chancellor Vitter speaks
Page 13 ... The road to Vitter: a look at past chancellors
Page 16 ... Investiture: the view from the crowd
The Division of Administration and Finance Accounting Airport Budget Office Bursar Contractual Services Controller Emergency Management Services Facilities Management - Operations and Services Facilities Planning
Golf Course Human Resources and Payroll Laboratory Services Landscape Services Office of Sustainability Office of Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Parking and Transportation Procurement Services
congratulates Chancellor Vitter
on his inauguration as the seventeenth Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
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The
of Ole Miss LANA FERGUSON
O
dmmanaging@gmail.com
PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT
xford is a little different from the town in eastern Kansas where Sharon Vitter grew up, just an hour away from the University of Kansas. She remembers living on a farm and family vacations being if it rained on a Thursday, her dad would pack the family up in the car, and they’d drive to his aunt’s house in Colorado. After graduating high school, Sharon moved the hour way to attend the University of Kansas, graduating with a pharmacy degree in
Patterson School of Accountancy
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Faculty, Staff and Students congratulate Dr. Vitter on his Investiture as the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
Congratulates Dr. Jeffrey Vitter on becoming the 17th Ole Miss Chancellor
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1978. She worked at a hospital in Kansas City for about six months, while taking the state board exam and receiving her license when a friend made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. “I had a friend moving to California,” she said. “I hadn’t been west of the Rocky Mountains or east of Kansas City, so you know, young people take adventures, so I moved to the Bay Area.” She moved to California in early 1979 and worked at another hospital until she passed the California board test, got her license and landed a job at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Stanford was where Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter was finishing his Ph.D and where the Vitters would meet. “I don’t know if we can say that,” Sharon laughed softly, covering her smile with her hand, laughing a little louder. “We met in a bar.” Happiness fills her eyes when she tells the story of how they first met. “This was before cellphones and texts,” she said. “There was a Chinese restaurant in Menlo Park; it was a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, so if you ordered takeout, you would show up, place your order, and they’d send you across the street to the British Bankers Club, which was a bar-restaurant to wait, then you’d wait 15-20 minutes to get your food.” After a 12-hour shift at the hospital, Sharon had gone to the British Bankers Club to meet up with some fellow nurses. As fate and circum-
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SEE FIRST LADY PAGE 7
Congratulations!
Welcome Chancellor Vitter We thank you for your vision and support of our programs Communication Sciences & Disorders • Health, Exercise Science and Sport & Recreation Administration Legal Studies • Nutrition & Hospitality Management • Social Work • Institute of Child Nutrition JHS Vanguard Center at Oxford • Center for Speech and Hearing Research Center for Health and Sports Performance • Center for Health Behavior Research
The School of Applied Sciences • 662-915-7900
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The School of Education
congratulates
the seventeenth Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
Dr. Jeffrey S. Vitter education.olemiss.edu 30054
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Chi Omega Congratulates
Chancellor
Vitter
Thank you so much!
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The Division of Student Affairs congratulates
the Seventeenth Chancellor of the University of Mississippi,
Dr. Jeffrey S. Vitter
We are honored to serve under Chancellor Vitter’s leadership. 30042
The College of Liberal Arts congratulates the Seventeenth Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, Dr. Jeffrey S. Vitter DEPARTMENTS: Aerospace Art & Art History Biology Chemistry & Biochemistry Classics Economics English Arch Dalrymple III Dept. of History Mathematics Military Science Modern Languages Music Naval Science Philosophy & Religion Physics & Astronomy Political Science Psychology Public Policy Leadership Sociology & Anthropology Theatre Arts Writing & Rhetoric
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS: African American Studies Cinema Digital Media Studies East Asian Studies Environmental Studies Gender Studies International Studies Liberal Studies Medieval Studies Neuroscience Society & Health Southern Studies
CENTERS/INSTITUTES: Center for Archaeological Research Center for Civil War Research Clinical-Disaster Research Center Health Professions Advising Office McLean Institute for Public Service & Community Engagement Mississippi Geographic Alliance Center for Population Studies Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies Social Science Research Laboratory Center for the Study of Southern Culture Southern Documentary Project Southern Foodways Alliance William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation
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FIRST LADY
continued from page 4 stances would have it, as she was moving to leave, Sharon met Jeff. “We visited for maybe five or 10 minutes and I was like, ‘I’m going to take my friend home,’ and he goes, ‘Can I get your name?’ I said ‘Sharon Weaver.’ He goes, ‘Can I get your phone number?’ I said, ‘I’m in the book’ and left.” The next week, her phone rang, and Jeff was on the other end. “I was pretty impressed that he tracked me down,” Sharon said. “So, we went out for dinner to a Chinese restaurant but a different one so we could sit-down and eat.” The two began dating in May 1980. After Jeff finished his dissertation, he moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and taught at Brown University, visiting California over holidays and breaks. “We dated long-distance for about a year-and-a-half. So, we decided we weren’t getting any younger, so either decide to make a commitment and get married or go our separate ways,” Sharon said. “So, we got engaged and were married in August of 1982.” The wedding was in Sharon’s hometown in the church where her parents were married. They began their married life in Providence and spent more than a decade there. Since, the Vitters have been in many college towns. They’ve been to the University of North Carolina, Purdue University, Texas A&M and the University of Kansas before coming to Ole Miss. “After being away for 31 years, it was full circle to get to go home,” Sharon said. “It was a good time for me to be there for family and different things going on. It worked out well.” Jeff is from New Orleans, so Sharon said they have been visiting the South for more than 30 years. She loves the milder climate with the short winters while still having the change of season. She said the Midwest and South are similar in how welcoming and nice the people are. Sharon said she couldn’t imagine not living in a university town. “University towns are special places,” Sharon said. “They all have their own vibe. There’s just a great aliveness
NewsWatch
to university life that I really enjoy. Just being around young people gives you a positive opinion of the future of the country and what the future will bring.” Working with all of Ole Miss’ alumni and students has been her favorite part of Oxford. She said being chancellor or first lady isn’t about Jeff or her but rather the respect people have for the university and its figure head. She said she feels a great responsibility to do what is best for Ole Miss and to make sure her actions are always positive. “I feel like I am representing the university, so I want to be a good steward, and I think Jeff feels the same way,” Sharon said. “With that there’s so many opportunities to meet great alumni that come back and visit or keep in touch with the university. It’s very inspiring and rewarding to know that these people love Ole Miss as much as Jeff and I have come to.” Jeffrey and Sharon Vitter pose for a photo on their wedding day in August 1982.
The Ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma would like to congratulate Chancellor Vitter on his Inauguration
COURTESY: SHARON VITTER
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Congratulations
Dr. Vitter We look forward to working together to advance the transformative power of higher education.
Monday - Friday 5 pm Channel 99 Rebroadcast at 10 pm 30177 30134
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Growing up a Vitter:
PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT
Audrey (right), and Jillian (left) sit on the back porch of the Chancellor’s House before the Auburn game.
CLARA TURNAGE
dmeditor@gmail.com
T
o the campus, Jeffrey Vitter is the university’s chancellor, a renowned computer scientist and leader, but to Jillian and Audrey, he’s just “Dad.” “Seeing people recognize our dad is slightly weird, but it’s really exciting at the same time,” Audrey said on the
back porch of the chancellor’s house before the Auburn football game. “I think we all knew it was his dream. When he came and visited and saw how much Ole Miss meant to the students and the faculty and community, I think it was really exciting for him, and he really fell in love with this place.” Since they were young, Jillian and Audrey said their father has been an advocate
of education. “I can remember him taking us to school in the morning and asking us math questions in the car,” Audrey said. Vitter would ask them brainteasers and tell them riddles, always challenging them to grow and to question things. “They’ve always focused on curiosity and education,” Jillian said. “Talking about
cool things that we’re learning about at the table, it was a good environment for encouraging us to pursue whatever we’re interested in.” The Vitters moved often while growing up; they lived in several states as Jeff’s jobs took them from Rhode Island to North Carolina to Indiana to Texas and to Kansas. Jillian and Audrey said this made their family grow close. “We have lots of fun mem-
ories of family trips,” Jillian said. “We got to go to some cool places. He’d be at work, and we’d all tag along. In the evenings, we’d all explore. It was good family time.” The sisters, sitting on the porch side by side with their similar shades of red hair, smile and play off of one another as they talk about their father.
SEE DAUGHTERS PAGE 15
The Meek School of Journalism & New Media
welcomes and congratulates Dr. Jeffrey S. Vitter
“Die Luft der Freiheit weht.”
MEEK SCHOOL
JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA
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Jillian, Scott and Audrey SLADE RAND
thedmnews@gmail.com
J
effrey Scott Vitter Jr. wants to be an astronaut. Ole Miss Chancellor Jeff Vitter’s 28-year-old son is in his third year of a doctoral program in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas. When NASA opened up public applications for its astronaut program in December 2015, the former U.S. Army ranger said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity, but NASA hasn’t gotten back to him yet. In the meantime, Scott is studying water and energy relations in urban settings. “Right now, I work with smart electricity and smart water meter projects,” he said. “Trying to come up with different recommendations for city planners to plan those systems in a better way.” Scott graduated from Notre Dame in 2010, just like his dad did 40 years earlier. The father and son even lived in the same dorm. “My dad brainwashed me as a Notre Dame fan since a very young age,” he said. The chancellor’s son said his time deployed with the Rangers partly inspired him to follow an
engineering path. Scott was on active duty as an engineer officer from 2010 to 2014, primarily stationed at Ft. Brag and Fayetteville. He spent all of 2013 in Afghanistan, where he said his patrol cleared improvised explosive devices along Army routes. Scott said he was fascinated by the country’s energy situation and lack of water infrastructure. “The Army was awesome. It took me right out of high school and helped me grow up pretty quick and helped make me a better person,” he said. Scott was 17 when he decided to join the Army. He said the decision caught his parents by surprise, but they were behind him. “They’re always challenging me to make sure that what I’m doing is what I actually want to do and supporting me,” he said. Scott said his parents have done a nice job offering him advice without trying to steer him one direction. He said even though his dad is passionate about education, he never pushed him to work in academia. Chancellor Vitter has worked in educational administration for decades, but his son said Ole Miss’ job offer spurred him.
SEE SON PAGE 15
PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT
Chancellor Vitter and his son Scott pose for a photo in the Circle after the investiture.
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Family, faculty, friends and students gathered in the Gertrude Ford Center for Jeffrey Vitter’s investiture. He was inaugurated Thursday evening as the University of Mississippi’s 17th chancellor. Photos by: Cameron Brooks, Ariel Cobbert and Cady Herring
Investing in our future
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 11 NOVEMBER 2016 | PAGE 11
PHOTO BY: CAMERON BROOKS
LANA FERGUSON
dmmanaging@gmail.com
“Dr. Vitter, do you accept this charge?” “Hell yeah. Damn right,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter responded, a smile on his face. For the 17th time in the 168 years since the University of Mississippi was founded, a chancellor was inaugurated. Vitter’s first day in the office was spent in New Orleans celebrating a Sugar Bowl win in red and blue confetti. In the year since moving to Oxford and taking on the chancellor position, Vitter has been tugged on by both the university’s past and future, trying to find a happy medium between the two. Through his Flagship Forum initiative, he has worked to hear ideas from the Ole Miss community on how to improve the university. Three hundred and fourteen days have passed. Last night, Douglas Rouse, president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Education, placed the
University Medallion around Vitter’s neck, officially inaugurating him as chancellor. The ceremony opened with one of Vitter’s favorite songs, “Clarinet Marmalade.” The jazz music flowed into the crowd, giving a taste of his New Orleans hometown roots. More than 1,000 seats in the Gertrude C. Ford Center were filled with federal, state and local government officials, delegates from more than 50 higher education institutions, elite alumni and current staff and students from the Ole Miss family. Vitter sat onstage next to former Chancellor Robert Khayat, the predecessor to former Chancellor Dan Jones, who was not in attendance. His wife Sharon, and children Jillian, Scott and Audrey, and Vitter’s siblings sat on the front row. “I am privileged to be your partner in building a vibrant Mississippi through higher education,” Vitter said. He thanked the Ole Miss family for welcoming his family
with open arms. “Though they are too numerous to name, I would like to acknowledge the many mentors, collaborators and friends whose support has made it possible for me to stand before you today,” Vitter said. “I’m especially grateful to the IHL Board and to my siblings, family and friends, who not only encouraged Sharon and me to move to the South but to move to the best possible place in the South, right here at Ole Miss.” Vitter said he was sorry his parents were not in the audience because they were the ones that instilled in him and his siblings the importance of higher education and the importance of using education to help people. Tears filled Vitter’s eyes and he began choking up as he spoke about his parents and how proud he was of his family. The crowed applauded, giving Vitter a chance to collect himself. “And of all the things I say today, none will be more heartfelt than the statement that I would not be here today if it were not for Sharon,” he said. He said for the past 34 years, Sharon has been his life partner, chief advisor and champion. “Anyone who has met Sharon knows she was the real reason I was hired,” he joked. Speakers before Vitter also raved over Sharon and all she is doing to help the university and Vitter. Next, Vitter moved to look to the future. He said higher education creates opportunity as well as ideas and innovations that drive economy and society forward. “There is nothing more important PHOTO BY: CAMERON BROOKS to the future of
our society than higher education,” Vitter said. “It is the great enabler that helps people lift themselves up above their circumstances and disadvantages.” He said higher education is the most powerful tool there is to change the world. “Success of this magnitude is a shared a shared legacy left to us by the thousands faculty, staff, students, alumni, government leaders and friends who have invested their time, talents and resources in this university.” He said when he arrived on campus more than 300 days ago, the dialogue about great-
“
pressing issues as Mississippi’s flagship university. “Underneath our persona as a great public international research university beats the heart of who we are,” Vitter said. “At our core, Ole Miss is a family. It is in our DNA to enable every student, from the least prepared to the most prepared, to thrive and succeed.” He said the power of higher education touches people everyday. He said without alumni who have invested themselves back into Ole Miss, the university would not be where it is and would not be able to dream of where it could be.
Underneath our persona as a great public international research university beats the heart of who we are. At our core, Ole Miss is a family.” - CHANCELLOR JEFFREY VITTER
ness and the hallmarks of a flagship university. “When I arrived at Ole Miss 314 days ago, not that I’m counting,” Vitter said. “We began a dialogue about greatness and the hallmarks of a flagship university.” Vitter wants Ole Miss to go from great to greater and he continued that dialogue through his Flagship Forum, which were events across the campus and town he conducted during his first 100 days as chancellor. He said this 10-month conversation can fuel imagination for a bright and exciting future. “While great institutions share many things in common, none is more primary than the relentless drive to be ever greater,” he said. Vitter said academic excellence is the foundation for everything else. Along with academic excellence, the university brags the highest rate of enrollment it has ever had, bigger and better programs, the best retention rate in the state and taking on the responsibility of addressing the state’s most
“We are standing atop a peak in our history, and from where we now stand, we can see that there are higher peaks,” Vitter said. “In becoming what we are, we have created greater capacity for what can be.” He said the conversation must shift from what makes Ole Miss a great university to what it can do to become greater. Vitter said the roadmap to this focusing on the four themes that emerged during the Flagship Forum were: academic excellence, building healthy and vibrant communities, athletics excellence, and the enabler of them all, people, places and resources. Expanding the international presence on campus and teaching students to prosper in a global society was another goal he set. “No one person or discipline has the full breadth of knowledge capable of solving the world’s grand challenges,” Vitter said. He announced the Flagship
SEE FUTURE PAGE 19
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Former chancellors of the University of Mississippi
George F. Holmes 1848-1849
Augustus Baldwin Longstreet 1849-1856
Frederick A.P. Barnard 1856-1861
John Newton Waddel 1865-1874
Alexander P. Stewart 1874-1886
Edward Mayes 1886-1892
Robert Burwell Fulton 1892-1906
Andrew A. Kincannon 1907-1914
Joseph Neely Powers 1914-1924, 1930-1932
Alfred Hume 1924-1930, 1932-1935, 1942-1943
Alfred Benjamin Butts 1935-1946
John Davis Williams 1946-1968
Porter Lee Fortune Jr. 1968-1984
Gerald Turner 1984-1995
Robert C. Khayat 1995-2009
Daniel W. Jones 2009-2015 PHOTOS COURTESY: olemiss.edu
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The ladies of Phi Mu
would like to congratulate our new chancellor,
Dr. Jeffrey Vitter
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The Ladies of Kappa Delta would like to formally congratulate Chancellor Vitter on his inauguration as the 17th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi. 30041
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THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 11 NOVEMBER 2016 | PAGE 15
DAUGHTERS
continued from page 8 Audrey: “As people will learn, my dad loves food.” Jillian: “That’s an understatement.” Audrey: “That’s a drastic understatement. When I was really little, Jillian would let me bake cookies, and that was a really great honor. So, it was mostly us bonding in the kitchen. I’ll rephrase: we could only bake cookies when Papa wasn’t home.” Jillian: “Otherwise he would eat them as fast as we baked them.” Audrey: “We would take the cookies and hide them in objects and then hide them around the house.” Jillian: “We’d take those oatmeal cylinders and put the cookies in bags and put the bags in the oatmeal cylinder and put it in the freezer. So it looked like oatmeal. But he was crafty. He would find them.” All three siblings, Jillian, Audrey and Vitter’s son, Scott, went to Notre Dame. Audrey said though their father never pressured them to go to his alma mater, it was a place they associated with their childhood. Now the children are grown and out of the house, but they say the family is still close. Jillian is now working halfstaff at a fellowship in New Orleans after just finishing her residency last June. She said New Orleans is nice because it’s only a short drive from Oxford and her family, but she doesn’t know if that’s where she’ll be long-term. After spending a year in France teaching English, she said it’s hard to stay in one place too long. Audrey is working out of Wisconsin now, but as an internal consultant for General Electric, she has traveled to France, Budapest, Hungary and Brazil for work. “She lives out of one check bag and one carry on,” Jillian said of Audrey. Because Audrey is on the go so often, she considers the chancellor’s house to be her home, too. “This is my home,” Audrey said. “I keep all of my other clothes here.” Audrey said coming home to Ole Miss is always exciting because her parents stay so busy. “Being on campus is weird now that I’m out of school; I feel old. But at the same time, it’s fun to see the excitement of Ole Miss people,” she said. Jillian and Audrey have known for a long time that leading a university was one of their father’s goals. “I think we all knew it was his dream … something he aspired to,” Audrey said. “When he came and visited and saw how much Ole Miss meant to the students and the faculty and community, I
think it was really exciting for him, and he really fell in love with this place.” Audrey said she thinks her father will bring the same values he instilled in them to the university and help it to grow. “Growing up, our dad always told us to be curious. I think our dad will help Ole Miss ignite their curiosity, to bring innovative cures and ways of thinking and solving business needs,” Audrey said. “He’s a great supporter. He knows that everyone has great ideas and wants to make sure they’re heard.” “He’s a great advocate, too,” Jillian said. “Once he identifies a need, he does whatever he can to find a solution and move things forward.” Ultimately, however, Audrey said they just want their parents to be happy here. “If he and our mom are happy, then we’re happy, too.”
SON
continued from page 9 “He saw that as an exciting opportunity to come to a great place and to build something out in a big way,” Scott said. He said his parents and two sisters spent a game day in the Grove last year and have been hooked on Ole Miss ever since. Scott has visited Oxford four times already, including a weekend last spring where he got to watch Ole Miss baseball sweep Arkansas. “And we went to the Ole Miss Alabama game this year,” he said. “Great first half.” Scott understands the pain of being a second-half Rebels fan. He said his dad is looking forward to a big basketball season, and even has a few smooth moves of his own. “If you ever get a chance to play one-on-one pick up hoops, he’s got a pretty nice running PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT hook shot down the lane. I don’t Audrey, Scott and Jillian Vitter are recognized during Chancellor Vitter’s investiture in know if he’s as physical as he the Gertrude Ford Center Thursday evening. used to be, but he could ball.”
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The Student Alumni Council
congratulates Dr. Vitter on his inauguration and thanks him for the support and leadership he gives the Ole Miss family. 30145
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Vitter’s inauguration:
jazzy, emotional, inspiring MCKENNA WIERMAN
thedmfeatres@gmail.com
The Gertrude Ford center was filled for Chancellor Vitter‘s investiture ceremony.
PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT
Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter’s investiture kicked off with a rousing jazz number, “Clarinet Marmalade,” performed by the University of Mississippi Faculty Jazz Septet, that got the whole audience foot-tapping and happy. Wayne Gray, director of health professions at the university’s biology department, said he enjoyed the music. “The jazz was great. It was the highlight of the evening,” Grey said. “He picked some good music.” Gray said he thought the investiture was a wonderful ceremony and that he is very glad to have Vitter’s leadership to promote the university. Gray was one of many university delegates and faculty from Ole Miss as well as numerous college, university and learning so-
cieties across the nation. Other guests attending included university students, U.S. Sens. W. Thad Cochran and Roger F. Wicker, Lt. Gov. J. Tate Reeves, Speaker of the House Philip A. Gunn and Mayor Pat Patterson. Chancellor Vitter’s wife, children, siblings and family friend Morgan Freeman were all seated in the front row. Aside from the jazz, guests seemed particularly entertained by Vitter’s speech, which inspired and motivated listeners. He mainly spoke about his hopes for the future of the university but also talked about how grateful he was for the support of his family, especially his wife, Sharon. “I would not be here today if it were not for Sharon,” Vitter said, getting emotional. He went on to talk about
SEE CROWD PAGE 19
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STAFF COUNCIL Congratulations, Chancellor Vitter, on your appointment and inauguration. The University staff looks forward to a bright and successful future under your leadership. 30039
The ladies of
Delta Gamma DG
would like to congratulate Chancellor Vitter as the Ole Miss Chancellor 30037
IFC, Panhellenic & NPHC Congratulate Chancellor Vitter on his Inauguration! 30132
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The Ole Miss Experience
Vitter @ Virtu
al Reality
The School of Engineering congratulates
Dr. Jeffrey Vitter 17th Chancellor of the University and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science
“The Power of Higher Education to Transform Lives, Communities, and the World”
Dr. Jeffrey Vitter
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FUTURE
CROWD
continued from page 11
continued from page 16 what it has meant for him and his family to have been welcomed into the Ole Miss and Oxford community, adding, “Ole Miss is a family.” Alumnus Larry Martindale, who attended the event, said he was very impressed by the investiture. “This investiture was fabulous,” Martindale said. “Just fabulous. I really liked his speech; it was very energizing.” Martindale said he wishes the best for Vitter and hopes he continues to keep his vision alive for the university. “Stay focused,” he suggested to the chancellor. “Stay focused.” Katelyn Franklin, a freshman mechanical engineering major, also attended the investiture. “I might only get to see one chancellor’s investiture while I’m here, so I wanted to come see it,” Franklin said. “I thought it was really special and unique. I was really excited to be witness to something that historic.” As a student, Franklin said Vitter’s speech got her looking forward to the rest of her
Constellation, which is an initiative that will be clusters of faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners to address challenges that will be better solved using a collaboration of multiple viewpoints and perspectives. Joint degree programs will be established across disciplines and campuses, engage in strategic growth of graduate programs and create partnerships revolving around innovation and entrepreneurship. “Imagine what we can do when we intersect the arts and sciences, the humanities and technology, to reveal the nexus of where true innovation lies,” he said. Vitter continued to challenge the audience to “imagine what we can do.” He spoke about all of the possibilities of a greater and brighter future if the university invested in its students and continued working toward greatness together as a community. “Sharon and I came here PHOTO BY: ARIEL COBBERT because of the people, because Everyone in the crowd claps to welcome Jeffrey Vitter to the investiture ceremony at of all of you,” he said. “The the Ford Center at the University of Mississippi, Thursday. audacious record of success that the University of Mississippi has achieved is because you imagtime at Ole Miss. where we’re going to go in the ined what could be and made it “I thought his speech was next four years.” so.” really inspiring,” she said. “It He said the greatest asset definitely made me excited to the university has is its people, be a student here and to see
including its talented staff, and announced the endowment of professorships and providing more opportunities for engaged scholarship and creative achievement. They will also work to support the development, retention and engagement of the staff. “I believe that excellence and diversity go hand-in-hand,” he said. “Diversity makes us stronger as a community.” He said the university will model and actualize the UM Creed, sustaining and welcoming atmosphere. “We will serve as a guide to the nation in learning from our past and creating a vibrant, positive future,” he said. The university’s endowment currently sits at $600 million, Vitter set the goal to more than $1 billion. Vitter’s final point circled back to the them of “The Power of Higher Education to Transform Lives, Communities and World.” “Ole Miss has transformed lives, including mine and, I know, many of yours,” he said. “Just imagine what more we can do.” He said Ole Miss has a destiny as a flagship university to desire more, give more, be more and leave more behind. “Just imagine what we will do,” he said. “Just imagine.”
DIVERSITY AFFAIRS congratulates
Dr. Jeffrey Vitter
on his inauguration as Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
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