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| Delta State University President Dr. John M. Hilpert (right) presents Bryce Griffis with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree during Spring Commencement ceremonies |
Delta State alumnus, Bryce Griffis, was bestowed with one of the university’s highest honors– an honorary Doctor of Science degree, during 2010 Spring Commencement ceremonies.
A well-known proponent of higher education, Griffis has been a generous supporter of academics and athletics throughout his life. Griffis served for 16 years as a member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, and he has been an active supporter of Delta State University and other educational institutions.
Griffis was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1980 by Gov. William Winter and served until 1992, serving as Board president in 1986-87. He was appointed in 2000 by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove to serve the remaining four years of an unexpired term, and again served as president in 2002-03. He served with four of the first five individuals to head the IHL staff as executive secretary or Commissioner of Higher Education. As a Board member, he worked with 26 different presidents and chancellors and was involved in the hiring of 12 of them, including three presidents of Mississippi State. His 16 years of service represents the second-longest tenure in Board history.
A champion of universities, Griffis has given generously to Delta State, from which he received a degree in business administration in 1954, and to Mississippi State University. He has been a volunteer leader in fund-raising and alumni activities at both universities. At Delta State, Griffis was a three-year letterman in football and baseball. He has served as a member of the Delta State Foundation board of directors and as president of the Delta State Athletic Alumni Association. He was Delta State’s 1986 Alumnus of the Year. In 1987 he endowed a gift to the College of Business, and in 1998, he established the Bryce Griffis Endowment Fund to provide monies to fulfill departmental and/or student needs. In 2000, he made a lead gift to the construction of the indoor practice center which is named in his honor, and established an endowment to help maintain the facility and Ferriss Field.
Griffis is a leader in his community and profession. He is president of Sturgis Timber Co. and has served as president of the Mississippi Forestry Association, the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers’ Association, and the Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers’ Association, which presented him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1985. For 15 years, he was chairman of the advisory board of Deposit Guaranty Bank/AmSouth Bank in Starkville. He and his wife Nancy are active members of First United Methodist Church in Starkville, and he serves as a trustee of the Mississippi United Methodist Foundation. Mr. Griffis is a graduate of Grenada High School, where he was a four-sport letterman and an Eagle Scout. He served for four years in the Mississippi National Guard’s 31st Division, including 18 months of active duty during the Korean conflict.
Delta State University confers the honorary degree to individuals who have made significant and meritorious contributions to the university, higher education generally or other areas of society. Expected areas of achievement included, but are not limited to, outstanding creative and scholarly work, distinguished leadership or service, significant accomplishments or exceptional philanthropic support.
The honorary degree was unanimously approved by the Institutions of Higher Learning’s Board of Trustees.
