Lee a good choice for Mississippi State

By Staff
Jan. 19, 2003
The hiring of Dr. Charles Lee as the new president of Mississippi State University is a good move on the part of the State College Board and we salute him for taking on this important challenge at a point in his own life when, frankly, he could be thinking about retirement.
Lee, who has been serving in an interim capacity since Dr. Malcolm Portera exited MSU for the University of Alabama, can hit the ground running at a time when funding for higher education in Mississippi needs articulate advocates who can help convince legislators that education is truly a priority.
Closer to home, Lee already has a handle on Mississippi State's critical role in development of the Riley Center, the Grand Opera House, and the Marks-Rothenberg project. Hopefully, his guiding influence will continue to be felt in these on-going projects that can help transform downtown Meridian and also meet critical educational missions.
From his comments on Friday, Lee shares our belief that the impact of MSU Meridian Campus is enormous and positive. And, we also appreciate his commitment that the MSU campus here is primed for even greater contributions.
We wish Dr. Lee the very best and encourage the entire community to lend its support as he tackles this important assignment.