Hometown news releases

The following area residents are among more than 200 graduates who received diplomas at Harding University commencement exercises Saturday, July 30.

Matthew Brown, B.S. graphic design

Bryce Dickerson B.A. computer science

Graduates include students from the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Bible and Religion, Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, College of Communication, Cannon-Clary College of Education, College of Sciences and the Honors College.

Keynote speaker will be Dr. Milton R. Sewell, chancellor of Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn.

Sewell became chancellor after serving 18 years as president. Before coming to Freed-Hardeman, he was president of Mars Hill Bible School in Florence, Ala. He also served as vice president for institutional advancement and planning at Freed-Hardeman and was a public school teacher and administrator in Alabama and Georgia from 1969 to 1976.

Harding President David B. Burks will present diplomas to all graduates. Ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. in Benson Auditorium, and the doors open at 8 a.m.

Harding had a record enrollment this year of more than 6,800 students from 49 states and 53 foreign countries. It is the largest private university in Arkansas and attracts more National Merit Scholars than any other private university in the state. Harding also maintains campuses in Australia, Chile, England, France, Greece, Italy and Zambia.

Madison Resident Rosalie M. Holcombe 140 University of Montevallo students received their diplomas at summer commencement Aug. 5. The commencement speaker was Herman T. Watts, executive vice president of marketing at Alfa Insurance. Watts earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montevallo in 1970 and a master’s degree from UM in 1972. Following the address, Dr. John W. Stewart III, UM president, conferred degrees upon some 74 candidates for bachelor’s degrees, 50 candidates for master’s degrees and 20 candidates for the educational specialist degree. After students received their diplomas, Kit Waters, president of the National Alumni Association, inducted graduates into the 21,000-member organization.