Contact: Bill Wagnon
An eternal flame monument honoring all Mississippi State University supporters will be unveiled on campus Sept. 27.
The red granite obelisk will be located in front of Allen Hall, the main administration building. Ceremonies will begin at 3:30 p.m., unless there is a change in the 6 p.m. kickoff time for the Mississippi State-University of South Carolina football game at Scott Field.
If the game's starting time is moved to accommodate television, the ceremony will begin two-and-a-half hours prior to kickoff.
The flame--a visual symbol of The Campaign for Mississippi State--is a tribute to every financial supporter of the university during its 120-year history, including those who made contributions to the recently completed major gifts campaign. More than $143 million was pledged or contributed during the five-year campaign that ended June 30.
Also honoring campaign donors is the Walk of Honor on the historic Drill Field, where the last of more than 6,400 bricks will be laid in the coming weeks. Stretching from the statue of the university's first president, Stephen D. Lee, to the flagpole, the bricks contain the names of donors--or, in tribute, their loved ones--whose campaign contributions totaled $500 or more.
"There was a tremendous response from our alumni, friends, faculty, and staff to the Walk of Honor project," said Billy C. Ward, vice president for institutional advancement. "This is a new tradition we've started at Mississippi State, one we feel will serve as a constant reminder of the success of The Campaign for Mississippi State."