Dr. Frances Lucas was
named President of Millsaps College in January 2000, becoming the
first female president in the College's 110-year history. Dr. Lucas' 25-year career in higher education is an illustration
of opening doors and breaking barriers with grace. Prior to taking the helm of Millsaps College, Dr. Lucas served Emory University as Senior Vice-President for Campus Life, becoming the first woman to hold a vice-presidential role in that university's 160-year history. At age 29, she was the youngest Vice-President for Student Affairs in the country and the first female Vice-President at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, where she was named that college's Most Outstanding Administrator.
Her proven senior leadership in higher
education, coupled with her Mississippi roots and life-long
affiliation with the Methodist Church, made her an ideal choice for Millsaps College. As president, she
has flourished in a role that allows her to promote the benefits of a liberal
arts education in a rapidly-changing world.
Dr. Lucas' combined experiences produce
a style that is energetic, inclusive and empowering to others; these
qualities have led to recognition by numerous local and national organizations. In March 2004, the Mississippi State University Women's Commission
selected Dr. Lucas as Outstanding Mississippi Woman of the Year.
In 2003, she was named Mississippi's Business Woman of the Year
by the Mississippi Business Journal. Dr. Lucas is a frequent keynote speaker
for national professional organizations in higher education and
business and has served as president of Mississippi Foundation
of Independent Colleges, Southern University Conference, Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference, National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church, and Jackson Medical Education District
Board. She was also on the board of directors of the National
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. She is currently the chair of the Associated Colleges of the South academic consortia and is on the board of directors for Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators.
Civically, Dr. Lucas serves on the board of directors of Trustmark National Bank,
the board of visitors of the University of Mississippi Dental School,
the board of governors of the University Club and the executive
board of the Newcomen Society.
Dr. Lucas is also the proud mother of Michael, age 16, and Anna Catherine, age 14.
To see what the media have to say about
Dr. Frances Lucas, visit our online
presidential archive. |
