Contact: Allison Matthews
President Mark E. Keenum presented former signage marking Joe Baddley Drive to members of the Baddley family. They include (l-r) Jean Baddley Cox, Connie Baddley, and Joan Baddley Ishee.
Photo by: Beth Wynn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A special Tuesday [Dec. 17] ceremony at Mississippi State involved the formal re-marking of a campus roadway that honors late university alumnus Joe Baddley.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Amy Tuck, vice president for campus services, were joined at the morning program by numerous Baddley family members and friends.
A testimonial to the 1951 education graduate's love for and work on behalf of the university, the event took place at the A.B. McKay Food Research and Enology Laboratory that adjoins Joe Baddley Drive in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.
Baddley had a long career as a teacher, coach and principal in the state's public school system. After retiring, the Water Valley High School graduate and World War II veteran went on to serve for 12 years in Jackson as a valued assistant to Lt. Gov. Brad Dye.
Keenum said it was during Baddley's tenure with Dye in the 1980s that he got to know the former educator. "He was working with officials from the (MSU) president on down, making things better for the university and, for that matter, the state of Mississippi," Keenum said.
Keenum praised Baddley's well-developed skills in dealing with others, as well as for his influential advocacy on behalf of his alma mater.
Also speaking was MSU alumnus and former state senator Bob Montgomery of Canton, who praised Baddley, Dye and their legislative contemporaries for always being focused on the best interests of Mississippi's junior and senior institutions of higher learning.
Tuck said the rededication of Joe Baddley Drive honored a man who always encouraged and supported others in whatever positive endeavors they were engaged.
"The visibility of Joe Baddley Drive will always serve as a tangible reminder to MSU's appreciation for all he did for our university," Tuck said.
For more information about Mississippi State University, visit www.msstate.edu.