The 176th Commencement of Rhodes College will be held Saturday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. in the Hubert F. Fisher Memorial Garden on campus. Tickets are required for seating, and the program will also stream live at www.rhodes.edu. This is the largest graduating class in the college’s history.
Some 541 candidates are expected to be awarded degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Accounting, and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Equity. The candidates represent 41 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and eight non-U.S. countries.
Rhodes College President Jennifer M. Collins will preside over the ceremony, and honorary degrees will be awarded to Dr. James R. Downing and Dr. Luther D. Ivory. Downing is CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Ivory retired in 2018 from Rhodes as an associate professor of religious studies and director of the African American Studies Program.
Annual awards to be presented at Commencement include the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given to two graduating seniors and one non-student who have given selflessly to others and the college; the Distinguished Service Medal, bestowed upon an individual who exemplifies selfless service; and the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Award, given to the graduating senior who exemplifies the highest qualities of scholarship, achievement, creativity, and commitment to the liberal arts and sciences.