At a packed February 4 press conference on campus, Chairman of the Board E. B. Robinson, Jr. proclaimed, “Over the last eight months, we have searched long and hard for the right person to build on the College’s success, and I’m proud to say that we have found her. It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Frances Lucas-Tauchar as the 10th President of Millsaps College.”

As the room erupted with applause, it became obvious that the crowd approved of the Board of Trustees’ unanimous selection to succeed Dr. George Harmon, who will retire June 30, 2000.

“Frances possesses virtually all of the skills that the College’s search and selection committees were looking for,” noted Search Committee Chairman and trustee Maurice Hall. “When you add the facts that she is a native Mississippian, a life-long Methodist, and a proven senior leader in higher education, we knew we had found a dynamic leader who would move Millsaps beyond our current successes.”

Currently Senior Vice President for Campus Life at Emory University, Dr. Lucas-Tauchar will be the first woman president of Millsaps College.

Addressing the media and Millsaps community, Dr. Lucas-Tauchar was exuberant about her appointment which was unanimously approved by the Millsaps College Board of Trustees that morning.“I am grateful to have been selected as the 10th President of Millsaps College. Millsaps is a nationally respected and prominent institution of higher learning, and it sets the standard for academic excellence
in our state.”

Dr. Lucas-Tauchar is familiar with maintaining and increasing the stature of nationally respected institutions. She comes to Millsaps from a sister Methodist institution, Emory University, where she has had a profound impact on student life over the last eight years. As Senior Vice President, she developed, initiated, and managed more than 50 unique programs, many of which have been nationally recognized.

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Millsaps Magazine  |  Millsaps | Last Edited April 14, 2000