ITTA BENA, Miss. — will celebrate its rich history and enduring legacy during Founder’s Week 2026, a six-day observance scheduled for April 13–18, featuring commemorative events, scholarship initiatives, student-centered programming, and a signature convocation honoring the university’s founding and future. 

This year’s celebration, themed “Rooted in Legacy, Rising in Service and Excellence,” will bring together students, alumni, faculty, staff, supporters, and community members for a week of reflection, engagement, and institutional pride. 

A major highlight of the Week will be the Founder’s Day Convocation at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the Walter Roberts Auditorium inside the H.G. Carpenter Building, where Everett H. Thomas, Ph.D., C’80, will serve as keynote speaker. 

Thomas, a distinguished alumnus of , is a retired U.S. Air Force major general and retired vice president of Lockheed Martin Space. His accomplished career spans more than 30 years of military leadership and executive service in national defense, aerospace, and strategic systems. He most recently served as vice president of national security space strategic integration for Lockheed Martin, where he helped coordinate approximately 60 defense and space security programs. 

Before retiring from Lockheed Martin, Thomas also led Mission Solutions Defense & Space Security, overseeing approximately 2,800 employees and a portfolio nearing $1 billion, while supporting advanced mission and intelligence systems around the globe. During his Air Force career, he held several high-level leadership roles, including vice commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental health from and later completed a doctorate in organization development and change from Cabrini University. 

University officials say Thomas’ return to campus as keynote speaker reflects the spirit of Founder’s Week and the transformational legacy of Valley graduates who continue to lead and serve at the highest levels.

In addition to the convocation, the Week will feature several marquee events that celebrate scholarship, service, and institutional progress.

  • On Wednesday, April 15, the university will host the Founder’s Week Scholarship Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex. The ticketed event will feature Representative Otis Anthony, support student scholarship initiatives, and bring together campus and community supporters to celebrate student success. Tickets for the event are $35 per person, $200 per table, and $350 for sponsorship. Employees also have the option of payroll deduction as well.
  • On Friday, April 17, MVSU will commemorate a major campus milestone with the Ernest A. Boykins, Jr. Academic Skills Communications Complex Ribbon Cutting from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Academic Skills Parlor-Auditorium. The ceremony will mark another step forward in the university’s continued investment in academic excellence and student support. 
  • Founder’s Week will conclude Friday evening elegantly with the James Herbert White Foundation Scholarship Gala at 7 p.m. in the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex. Hosted by the J.H. White MVSU Foundation Board, the gala will feature recording artist Jeffrey Osborne and serve as a premier fundraising and celebration event during the Week’s observance. 

Additional Founder’s Week events include the Kickoff Pep Rally and Greek Organizations First Day Out on Monday, April 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the H.M. Ivy Cafeteria front entrance; a virtual viewing of the documentary The First on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m. via the MVSU YouTube Channel, followed by a Spoken Word, Jazz and R&B showcase at 4:30 p.m. in H.M. Ivy Cafeteria, Dining Hall III; a Community Service Project benefiting the Student Pantry and Clothing Drive on Wednesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Building foyer; a Pioneer Luncheon on Thursday, April 16, at noon in H.M. Ivy Cafeteria, Dining Hall IV; a Gravesite Ceremony honoring founding president Dr. J.H. White and First Lady Augusta C. White on Thursday, April 16, at 2 p.m. on the Lois Aron Chapel grounds (with inclement weather location in the Claude G. Perkins Auditorium, William W. Sutton Administration Building); and the MVSU Green and White Spring Fest and Community Day on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rice-Totten Stadium.

Founder’s Week is a time for the university community to reflect on ’s founding mission, honor those who helped shape its history, and celebrate the institution's continued momentum of the institution as it moves boldly into the future.

For more information about Founder’s Week events, tickets, and updates, visit MVSU’s website at .

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