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Date 4-11-06
Contact David Tisdale 601.266.4499
Hattiesburg—The
University of Southern Mississippi is honoring one of Mississippi’s
most distinguished statesmen and a longtime friend of the university
by naming its new, state-of-the-art University Center in honor of
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Oct.
28.
“Sen. Cochran
has been a great friend to Southern Miss, and we feel this is a
fitting tribute to someone who has worked tirelessly for this university
as well as for higher education in Mississippi,” said Southern Miss
President Shelby Thames. “His recent work to secure legislation
helping students and those in the Gulf South affected by Hurricane
Katrina is another great example of true statesmanship. We’re lucky
to have him representing Mississippi in Washington.”
Southern Miss
President Emeritus Aubrey K. Lucas also praised Cochran for his
contributions to the university. “His unwavering support of the
National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment
for the Arts has benefited this university significantly through
the years,” Lucas said. “His appreciation of the role of research
in a university has also provided substantial funding at Southern
Miss for food and nutrition, the sciences, the innovation and commercialization
center and other areas. This recognition of Senator Cochran is long
overdue.”
The $34 million
project, which is an expansion of the Southern Miss R.C Cook Student
Union, began four years ago and adds 270,000 square feet of additional
space to the present facility. The four-story structure will be
home to Barnes & Noble, an elaborate dining facility, conference
rooms and a ballroom. The Cochran Center is expected to open this
summer.
Southern Miss
officials expect the facility to be a model student center to enhance
the student experience at the university. “It will heighten our
ability to recruit students and to engage our student body as active
members of the university community,” said Dr. Joe Paul, vice president
for Student Affairs at Southern Miss.
“I’m excited
about the center being named for Sen. Cochran,” Paul said. “He’s
done so much for Southern Miss, not just in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina, but for as long as he’s been in Congress. He was integral
in taking our polymer science program to the next level and has
helped us in countless other ways.”
Southern Miss
student leaders Gene Gouaux of Thibodaux, La., and Jonathan Krebs
of Hattiesburg both agree with Paul that the new university center
will have a positive impact on student life.
“It really helps
us out in so many aspects, especially from a recruiting standpoint,”
said Gouaux, the current Southern Miss Student Government Association
president. “It’s a great facility with places to eat and plenty
of space – it’s going to be a great gathering place with plenty
of meeting areas for student organizations.”
“Anytime we
can do things that make life on campus more favorable, we improve
the educational experience for students. It will serve the needs
of students here for many years to come,” said Krebs, a former SGA
president.
Cochran was
born Dec. 7, 1937, in Pontotoc. He is a graduate of Byram High School
in Raymond, where he was class valedictorian and varsity lettermen
in several sports. He attended the University of Mississippi, where
he earned his undergraduate degree and, after a stint in the U.S.
Navy, returned to the university to earn his law degree.
He was awarded
a Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellowship and studied jurisprudence
and international law for a year at Trinity College, University
of Dublin, Ireland. He also won the Hillary Term Moot Court competition
sponsored by the Dublin Law Society.
After serving
in the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi’s fourth district,
Cochran was elected to the United States Senate in 1978, becoming
the 1st Republican in more than a century to win a statewide election
in Mississippi. He was re-elected in 1984 with over 60 percent of
the votes cast; in 1990 he was unopposed; and in 1996 he was re-elected
to a fourth term in the Senate with over 70 percent of the votes.
His margin of victory in the 2002 election was 85 percent.
Cochran is currently
serving as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is a
member of the Rules Committee. He has also served as chairman of
the Senate Republican Conference; the Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry Committee; and the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.
His legislative record includes the sponsorship of the National
Missile Defense Act of 1999, the Campaign Finance Reform Act, as
well as key provisions of several farm bills.
Cochran has
also written legislation supporting education programs such as teacher
training, vocational education, libraries, and educational television.
Numerous university-based research projects have been funded with
Cochran's assistance, including the Polymer Science Center at Southern
Miss. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Kentucky Wesleyan
College, Mississippi College, Blue Mountain College, and the University
of Richmond. He is a Member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian
Institution and the Board of the Museum of American History.
“I think that
it’s quite fitting and appropriate that the new university center
be named in honor of Sen. Cochran,” said Danny Mitchell, president
of the Southern Miss Alumni Association. “Students, faculty, staff,
Southern Miss alumni and Mississippians for generations to come
should be aware of the legacy of Sen. Cochran and his role in assuring
not only the success of our great university, but the success of
an important region of our state as well.”
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