2/22/2013 - Jackson, Miss.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education William J. Bennett will deliver keynote address

The 26th Annual HEADWAE program has been scheduled for February 26, 2013. Outstanding students and faculty members from 34 Mississippi public and private universities and colleges will receive special recognition from the Mississippi Legislature during this annual event.

HEADWAE is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and was established by legislative resolution to honor individual academic achievement and the overall contribution of the state’s public and private institutions of higher learning.

The honorees will begin the day with a visit to the State Capitol where they will be welcomed and recognized by the Senate and House of Representatives and given a tour of the Capitol. The awards luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, 200 East Amite Street in Jackson.

“I know that leaders, like you, have worked tirelessly to make a positive impact on our educational system. It is this tenacity that continues to propel the Great State of Mississippi forward,” said Reeves. “The key ingredient to any successes our institutions of higher learning have enjoyed is because of quality students and quality faculty members. We applaud your service and sincerely appreciate your dedication.”

Former United States Secretary of Education William J. Bennett will deliver the keynote address at the event. Dr. Bennett is one of America’s most important, influential and respected voices on cultural, political and education issues. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he studied philosophy at Williams College (B.A.) and the University of Texas (Ph.D.) and earned a law degree (J.D.) from Harvard. He is the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute.

Dr. Bennett has held two White House cabinet positions. He served as Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and was the nation’s first Drug Czar under the first President Bush. He has taught at Boston University, the University of Texas and Harvard and is the author of more than 24 books, including two New York Times number one best sellers. Dr. Bennett’s latest book, entitled is College Worth It?, will be released in may. His three-volume set of the history of the United States, America: The Last Best Hope, has been widely praised.

He and his wife, Elayne, reside in North Carolina and are the parents of two sons. View a biography of Dr. William J. Bennett.

Corporate sponsors for the HEADWAE program include: Atmos Energy, Jackson; AT&T, Jackson; BancorpSouth, Tupelo; BankPlus, Jackson; Chevron Products, Pascagoula; ERGON, Flowood; Entergy, Jackson; Georgia-Pacific (KOCH Companies), Baton Rouge, LA; Huntington-Ingalls, Pascagoula; JBHM Education Group, Jackson; Mississippi National Guard, Jackson; Mississippi Power Company, Gulfport; Nissan-Canton; Puckett Machinery, Jackson; Sanderson Farms, Laurel; Trustmark Bank, Jackson; and Valley Services, Inc., Flowood.

View a list of 2012-13 HEADWAE honorees.

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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