Paul, Holloway to be Presented HUB Award Nov. 17

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 01:37pm | By: David Tisdale

Two men with long records of service to the city of Hattiesburg and their beloved alma mater, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), have earned what’s considered the highest honor bestowed by the local community - the HUB Award.

USM President Dr. Joe Paul and USM Dean of Students Emeritus Dr. Eddie Holloway will be presented with the recognition during the HUB Award banquet, set to begin at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at Hattiesburg’s Lake Terrace Convention Center. The HUB Award dates to 1979, when Hattiesburg community leaders honored USM alumnus and former Hattiesburg mayor Bobby Chain, who at the time served as president of the board of trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL).

The award was then permanently established to annually honor other outstanding citizens in the community. Proceeds from the event support academic scholarships for students at USM and William Carey University, as managed by the Pinebelt Foundation.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to express to these two people, who have done so much for our community, that they are important to us, that we appreciate them, and we want them to know it,” said USM President Emeritus Dr. Aubrey Lucas, a member of the HUB Award committee.

Dr. Joe Paul

Dr. Paul was named president of his alma mater Oct. 24 by the IHL after serving in the role on an interim basis since July of this year. He previously spent 40 years at the university as a student affairs administrator before becoming its vice president for student affairs in 1993; before assuming that post, he was assistant director of student activities, assistant vice president and dean of student development. He was also a faculty member in USM’s College of Education and Psychology (now College of Education and Human Sciences).

Following retirement from the university in 2015 as Vice President of Student Affairs Emeritus, he held part time positions with The USM Foundation as a fund raiser (2015-2016), as Citizen Service Coordinator for the city of Hattiesburg (2017-2020), as an executive coach for the Horne Business Advisor Group (2016-2020), and as an executive coach and strategic advisor for the Blue Hen Consulting Agency.

Dr. Paul holds a Ph.D. in Administration of Higher Education from the University of Alabama and was named the University’s Most Outstanding Doctoral Student in the field in 1985. The Bay St. Louis, Mississippi native earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and political science from USM in 1975, graduating magna cum laude from its Honors College, and then received a master’s degree in communication and management from USM in 1978.  He was inducted into the USM Alumni Hall of Fame in 2000.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled to receive the HUB Award, and especially pleased that my longtime colleague and friend, Dr. Eddie Holloway, will also be receiving the award this year,” Dr. Paul said. “The Hub City and Southern Miss are dear to my heart, and any small service I have provided to these communities has come back to me and my family tenfold. This is just a special place to live, work and raise a family.”

Dr. Eddie Holloway

A native of Hattiesburg, Dr. Holloway served his hometown in city government as the first of two African Americans elected to its City Council in 1985, representing Ward 2, along with stints as president and vice president of the council. His 40-year career at USM included service as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students; previously, he worked as a counselor in USM’s University Counseling Center and as an instructor of psychology. He authored both the university’s Honor and Academic Integrity Codes and served as chairman of its Crisis Response Team; an enthusiastic advocate of school spirit, Dr. Holloway was instrumental in reviving USM’s homecoming parade in 2010 after a nearly 40-year absence. Prior to his tenure at USM, he was a counselor at William Carey College (now William Carey University) and worked with the Forrest County Youth Court and Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources. He is the founder and CEO of Holloway and Associates, a leadership and personal development consultant service.

A 2004 inductee of the USM Alumni Association Hall of Fame, Dr. Holloway earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and personnel management; master’s degrees in community counseling and public health; and a doctorate in educational administration, all from USM. He is a member of the Hattiesburg Public Schools Hall of Fame as a 1970 graduate of L.J. Rowan High School.

Growing up in segregated Mississippi, Dr. Holloway was an eyewitness to and participant in the Civil Rights Movement and Freedom Summer activities that swept the nation. He shares these experiences in multiple presentations, panel discussions and interviews for schools, churches, and other organizations throughout the country, as well as those based on his education and professional experience as a consultant and in-service trainer. He served as a principal in designing a training package for a 10-state training program in substance abuse and race relations for elementary school teachers, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

“I thank all those who play a part in the HUB Award,” said Dr. Holloway. “I’m honored to be selected, to be listed among the past awardees, and especially to be recognized alongside my friend Dr. Joe Paul. I share this recognition along with my family and friends, and in the spirit of the award, I pledge my continued support in uplift of our community in any way I can.”

For more information or to reserve tickets to the HUB Award banquet, contact the Pinebelt Foundation at 601.583.6180.