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Governor selects Mississippi College President to serve on state Humanities Council board

Mississippi College President Blake Thompson plans to host the Mississippi Humanities Council February 2025 meeting on the Mississippi College campus.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves recently appointed Mississippi College President Blake Thompson to the Board of the for a period concurrent with the governor’s second term of office.

The MHC Board is composed of 22 members, five of whom are appointed by the Governor and the remainder elected by the Board.

A private, nonprofit corporation funded by Congress through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the MHC provides public programs in traditional liberal arts disciplines to serve nonprofit groups in Mississippi. The humanities are the study of history, literature, religion, languages, philosophy and culture.

The MHC’s mission is to create opportunities for Mississippians to learn about themselves and the larger world and enrich communities through civil conversations about the state’s history and culture.

During Thompson’s seven years as president of MC, the private institution has experienced renewed enrollment growth, announced an academic scholarship program unmatched in the state, introduced innovative programs of study and enhanced the historic campus. In 2019, Thompson established the University Honors College and expanded international programs by launching the Edward McMillan Center for Education Abroad.

Under Thompson’s leadership, the Gore Arts Complex was opened in 2023, supporting one of the leading arts education programs in the Southeast and housing the newly created Institute for Southern Storytelling.

He has also served as president of the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities for the past four years and is serving a one-year term as president of the Mississippi Association of Colleges.

Thompson plans to host the Mississippi Humanities Council February 2025 meeting on the Mississippi College campus.

A native of Rienzi, Thompson is a three-time graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, where he was recognized as 2021 Alumnus of the Year and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He also holds an executive master’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Business.