Dr. Frances Lucas-Tauchar Elected 10th Millsaps President

On the Election of
Dr. Lucas-Tauchar

Dr. George Harmon
Millsaps College President

“Frances will bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the position and will no doubt build on our legacy of success.
I have known Aubrey Lucas and his family for many years, and I will relish the opportunity to assist Frances in any way I can. Between now and July 1, I will work with Frances to assure a smooth transition. Millsaps is a special place, and Frances is a special person. I congratulate her and will look forward to great things from her in the future.”

Dr. Suzanne Marrs
Professor of English,
Presidential Search Committee

“I am impressed by Dr. Lucas-Tauchar’s strong support of the Millsaps faculty and our aca-demic program. I am equally impressed by her affection for and understanding of students and by her ability to devise extra-curricular programs that enhance students’ intellectual lives. Frances Lucas-Tauchar will be an outstanding president.”

Rev. Don Fortenberry
College Chaplain,
Presidential Search Committee

“Dr. Lucas-Tauchar made a strong connection with the many diverse groups in our community, including the Church. She is especially effective at unifying constituents from different backgrounds toward a common cause. She will be a motivational leader for Millsaps.”

Most recently her renowned “Phoenix Plan,” a renaissance for fraternities, was reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education as being on the cutting edge of student life trends. While she presently supervises a budget of $43 million and 900 employees, what may have won the Presidency for Lucas-Tauchar was not her heralded background, but her charismatic personality, passion for excellence, and continuous drive toward success.

Chairman Bud Robinson commented, “Considering all the interviews I have conducted over my professional life, I don’t know if I have ever met a more engaging and articulate leader than Frances Lucas-Tauchar.” Indeed, when the search and selection committees sat down on Tuesday to review the evaluations from the College’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends, it was clear that Dr. Lucas-Tauchar should be the next Millsaps President. Hall noted, “It was apparent that Frances’s on-campus presence, poise, passion and grasp of the College’s challenges and opportunities carried the day and landed her the selection committee’s recommendation.”

Upon being informed of her selection, Dr. Lucas-Tauchar noted that several items will get priority attention when she formally assumes her new role on July 1, 2000. “I’ll first want to become acquainted with the students, faculty and staff, alumni and friends, and Board of Trustees that make Millsaps a great institution. With an understanding of the goals of these constituents, I will seek not only to challenge them to achieve even greater heights, but also to proclaim the benefits that Millsaps offers to everyone I encounter. Together, we will create a strong and unified community supported by an energetic base of alumni and friends who will help us recruit and retain the best students and faculty from across the nation.”

While these tasks will not be easy, they are just the type of challenges for which Lucas-Tauchar has long prepared. She commented, “It has been my life-long dream to lead an institution like Millsaps toward a bold new future. As I have studied the College, it is obvious that the stage is set for Millsaps to become a significant force in the national academic arena. As most of the pieces are already in place, my role will be to help develop a plan and community of scholars who can put the parts together in order to position Millsaps for long-term success.”

Lucas-Tauchar’s husband, Paul Tauchar, will remain with his company, Cintas-The Uniform People, as the new sales manager of the Jackson plant that is scheduled to open in June 2000. Their son, Michael, is seven, and their daughter, Anna Catherine, is six years old.

Upon retirement as President on June 30, 2000, Dr. Harmon will assume the position of President Emeritus and Senior Counsel for Special Projects and will be available to the President to assist with fundraising and donor cultivation.

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